Quick verdict: CLS vs FICO in 2026

In this cls vs fico stock comparison 2026, Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) holds a significant overall edge across fundamental metrics and analyst sentiment. While Celestica Inc. (CLS) is the clear growth leader by revenue expansion, FICO decisively leads in valuation, profitability margins, and analyst price target upside. FICO emerges as the preferred choice among analysts and offers more compelling value when considering its superior margins. Not investment advice.

CLS vs FICO: key metrics side by side

Full side-by-side comparison of CLS and FICO across valuation, profitability, growth and analyst sentiment. Data updated 2026-05-04.

CLS vs FICO valuation comparison

When examining the CLS vs FICO valuation, FICO appears significantly more attractive based on its trailing Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio. FICO boasts a P/E of 32.7x, which is considerably lower than CLS’s P/E of 50.39x. This suggests that investors are paying a higher premium for each dollar of CLS’s earnings compared to FICO’s. Furthermore, the Price-to-Book (P/B) ratios present an interesting contrast: CLS trades at 23.61x P/B, while FICO’s P/B is -11.82x. A negative P/B ratio for FICO often indicates that a company’s liabilities exceed its assets, which while uncommon, can sometimes occur in asset-light software businesses due to aggressive share buybacks or unique accounting, but requires deeper investigation beyond just this metric.

The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) models indicate that both stocks are currently trading above their intrinsic value estimates, with negative DCF upsides. CLS shows a DCF upside of -108.3%, implying a substantial overvaluation according to this model. FICO, while also appearing overvalued, has a less severe DCF upside of -51.2%. This further reinforces the perspective that FICO presents a comparatively cheaper entry point for investors considering its earnings power, even if both are deemed overvalued by this specific model. Therefore, in terms of CLS vs FICO valuation, FICO holds a distinct edge for value-oriented investors seeking a lower P/E multiple.

CLS vs FICO growth comparison

In the CLS vs FICO growth comparison, Celestica Inc. (CLS) demonstrates notably stronger top-line momentum, with a year-over-year revenue growth rate of 30.7%. This figure significantly outpaces Fair Isaac Corporation’s (FICO) revenue growth of 15.9%, establishing CLS as the clear leader in revenue expansion. CLS’s robust growth in its segment suggests strong demand for its product and service offerings, translating into a larger market share capture or expansion. This higher revenue growth could indicate CLS is in a more aggressive expansion phase, reinvesting heavily to scale its operations.

Despite CLS’s superior revenue growth, it is crucial to consider the context of profitability. While CLS is growing its revenue at a faster clip, its net margin of 6.95% is substantially lower than FICO’s 33.67%. This disparity means that FICO, despite its slower revenue growth, converts a much larger portion of its revenue into profit. For investors focused on high-quality earnings, FICO’s efficient growth might be more appealing, even if the top-line expansion is less rapid. Ultimately, for those prioritizing aggressive top-line momentum, CLS currently exhibits stronger growth potential, but FICO’s growth is of higher quality due to its margins.

CLS vs FICO profitability

When analyzing CLS vs FICO profitability, Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) clearly stands out as a significantly more profitable enterprise. FICO boasts an impressive net margin of 33.67%, which is exceptionally high, especially when compared to Celestica Inc.’s (CLS) net margin of 6.95%. This substantial difference in net margin highlights FICO’s superior ability to convert revenue into net income, indicative of a strong business model, pricing power, and efficient cost management, typical of software and data analytics firms. Similarly, FICO’s EBITDA margin of 51.54% dwarfs CLS’s 9.56%, further underscoring its operational efficiency and higher profitability at the core business level.

Regarding Return on Equity (ROE), both companies currently report “N/A%”, preventing a direct comparison using this metric. However, the Free Cash Flow (FCF) yield provides another crucial insight into which company generates more cash for shareholders. FICO’s FCF yield is 3.66%, significantly higher than CLS’s 1.02%. This indicates that FICO generates substantially more free cash flow relative to its market capitalization, providing greater flexibility for investments, debt reduction, or potential shareholder returns in the future. Based on these profitability metrics, FICO clearly generates more cash and is a far more efficient operation than CLS.

Analyst ratings: CLS vs FICO

The analyst community shows a strong consensus for both CLS and FICO as “Buy” opportunities, but with varying degrees of enthusiasm and projected upside. For Celestica Inc. (CLS), 27 analysts currently cover the stock, with 63.0% issuing a “Buy” rating. Their consensus price target for CLS is $459, which represents a modest upside potential of +9.1% from its current price of $420.87. While a “Buy” rating from over 60% of analysts is positive, the limited upside target suggests that much of CLS’s anticipated growth might already be factored into its current stock price.

Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO), on the other hand, garners even stronger conviction from analysts. Out of 18 analysts covering FICO, an impressive 83.3% have issued “Buy” ratings. More significantly, their consensus price target of $1593.56 suggests a substantial upside of +51.6% from its current price of $1051.275. This much higher target upside for FICO indicates that analysts believe there is considerably more room for the stock to appreciate compared to CLS. Therefore, analysts clearly prefer FICO for its greater potential returns, making it the more favored stock by a considerable margin.

Should I buy CLS or FICO stock in 2026?

Deciding whether should i buy cls or fico stock in 2026 depends heavily on your investment priorities. For growth investors prioritizing top-line expansion, Celestica (CLS) might appear more appealing given its robust 30.7% year-over-year revenue growth, which significantly outpaces FICO’s 15.9%. This suggests CLS is expanding its market presence and operations at a faster rate. However, FICO’s exceptional profitability, with a net margin of 33.67% compared to CLS’s 6.95%, indicates that FICO generates high-quality earnings and converts revenue to profit far more efficiently. Growth at a reasonable price, factoring in profitability, might lean towards FICO.

For value investors, the cls vs fico fundamentals and valuation comparison favors FICO. FICO trades at a P/E ratio of 32.7x, which is considerably lower than CLS’s 50.39x, indicating a more attractive valuation relative to its earnings. While both stocks show negative DCF upsides, FICO’s -51.2% is less severe than CLS’s -108.3%, implying less overvaluation by the DCF model. This suggests FICO offers a better risk-reward profile from a value perspective, alongside stronger analyst conviction for future appreciation.

Regarding income, neither CLS nor FICO is suitable for dividend-focused investors, as both companies currently have a 0% dividend yield. Both are growth-oriented technology companies that reinvest their earnings back into the business rather than distributing them to shareholders. Therefore, if you are seeking regular income, you should look at other investment opportunities. This is not investment advice; always conduct your own thorough research.

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FAQ: CLS vs FICO