Lowe`s Companies Inc vs Paycom Software Inc — how do they compare? Lowe`s Companies Inc trades at $202.6 (market cap $114.78B), while Paycom Software Inc trades at $148.64 (market cap $6.98B). The key difference: Lowe`s Companies Inc is far larger — about 16.4× Paycom Software Inc's market cap, and Lowe`s Companies Inc pays the higher dividend (2.44%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| LOW | PAYC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $114.78B | $6.98B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Technology |
52-Week High | $287.39 | $238.80 |
52-Week Low | $204.76 | $113.59 |
Enterprise Value | $156.54B | $7.59B |
Dividend Yield | 2.44% | 1% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Lowe's (LOW) trades at $204.08, down 2.23% on the day, amid a bearish technical signal. The stock has consistently beaten earnings expectations in recent quarters, with Q1 2026 EPS of $3.03 exceeding the $2.97 estimate. Revenue for 2025 was $83.67 billion, with a net income margin of 7.51%. The company maintains a strong dividend history, recently declaring a $1.25 per share dividend payable in August 2026.
The outlook is mixed. Strong analyst consensus, with a $260.88 price target and 60.79% buy ratings, suggests upside potential. However, high debt levels, with a debt-to-asset ratio of 82.33% for 2025, and a projected net cash flow deficit of $2.3 billion for 2026 present significant financial risks. Competitive pressures in the home improvement sector remain a key challenge.
Paycom Software (PAYC) trades at $149.71, up 1.2% with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages. The company shows strong profitability with 22.44% net income margin and 37.15% ROE, though recent Q3 2025 EPS slightly missed expectations. Recent developments include new asset management tool launches and board appointments, while analyst consensus sits at $151 price target with 47% buy ratings.
PAYC presents a balanced investment case with solid fundamentals and moderate valuation (P/E 17.12), though execution risks and competitive pressures in HCM software require monitoring. The stock's proximity to resistance at $152 suggests near-term consolidation potential, while earnings growth remains the key catalyst for further upside.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Lowe's is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world, operating 1,969 stores and servicing around 230 dealer-owned stores throughout the United States and Canada. The firm's stores offer products and services for home decorating, maintenance, repair, and remodeling, with maintenance and repair accounting for two thirds of products sold. Lowe's targets retail do-it-yourself (around 75% of sales) and do-it-for-me customers as well as commercial and professional business clients (around 25% of sales). We estimate Lowe's captures a low-double-digit share of the domestic home improvement market, based on U.S. Census data and management's estimates for market size.
Read more on LOW →Paycom is a fast-growing provider of payroll and human capital management, or HCM, software primarily targeting clients with 50-10,000 employees in the United States. Paycom was established in 1998 and services about 18,000 clients as of 2021, based on parent company grouping. Alongside its core payroll software, Paycom offers various HCM add-on modules, including time and attendance, talent management, and benefits administration.
Read more on PAYC →