Subscription software (SaaS)
Customers pay recurring fees per user or per usage tier, recognized over the contract term, as at Salesforce, ServiceNow and Adobe.
Software stocks
Prepackaged software companies sell programs that customers install or, increasingly, use as cloud subscriptions: operating systems, databases, business applications, design tools, security and games. Most now earn recurring subscription or support revenue, which makes retention, pricing and the cost of acquiring customers the core economics.
How software companies make money
License plus support
An upfront license followed by annual maintenance, still significant at companies such as Oracle and in engineering software.
Cloud infrastructure and consumption
Usage-based fees for computing, storage and AI services, as in Microsoft's Azure and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, which require heavy data-center investment.
What drives software stocks
- ◆Enterprise IT budgets and seat growth
- ◆Net revenue retention: expansion minus churn in existing customers
- ◆Pricing changes and AI feature monetization
- ◆Migration from licenses to subscriptions or cloud consumption
- ◆Stock-based compensation and its dilution of shareholders
Key risks
- ◆Slower customer spending that lengthens sales cycles
- ◆Competition from platform vendors bundling similar features
- ◆AI changing how software is priced or replacing seats
- ◆Capital intensity rising for companies that build cloud infrastructure
KPIs to track
- Remaining performance obligations
- Contracted revenue not yet recognized; a disclosed indicator of future revenue.
- Subscription or cloud revenue growth
- Separates the recurring base from one-time license and services revenue.
- Operating margin and free cash flow
- Software cash flow often exceeds GAAP profit because of stock-based compensation and deferred revenue.
- Stock-based compensation
- A real cost that GAAP includes but many adjusted metrics exclude.
Fiscal calendars in this group
Many software companies use non-calendar fiscal years (for example ending in January, May or June), so an annual figure can cover a different 12 months from a December peer.
| Fiscal year end (SEC) | Companies |
|---|---|
| December 31 | CDNS, NOW, PLTR, TYL |
| January 31 | ADSK, CRM, CRWD |
| March 31 | EA, TTWO |
| March 28 | GEN |
| May 31 | ORCL |
| June 30 | MSFT |
| July 31 | INTU |
| September 30 | PTC |
| October 31 | SNPS |
| November 27 | ADBE |
Software stocks: company profiles and annual filings
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)
Company research page
Microsoft sells productivity software, the Windows operating system, and the Azure cloud platform, and has become a leading distributor of generative AI through its partnership with OpenAI. Its enterprise footprint spans nearly every large organization in the world.
- Fiscal year end in SEC snapshot
- June 30
- Annual report period end
- 2026-06-30
Oracle Corporation (ORCL)
Company research page
Oracle runs one of the world's most widely used database platforms and has pivoted aggressively into cloud infrastructure and applications. Its cloud regions have become a favored home for large AI training workloads.
- Fiscal year end in SEC snapshot
- May 31
- Annual report period end
- 2026-05-31
Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR)
Company research page
Palantir builds data-integration and analytics platforms used by defense agencies, intelligence services, and commercial enterprises. Its AI platform for operational decision-making has driven rapid growth in its commercial business.
- Fiscal year end in SEC snapshot
- December 31
- Annual report period end
- 2025-12-31
ServiceNow, Inc. (NOW)
Company research page
ServiceNow runs a cloud workflow platform that automates IT, HR, and customer-service processes for large organizations. It has emerged as a prominent vendor of enterprise AI-driven workflow automation.
- Fiscal year end in SEC snapshot
- December 31
- Annual report period end
- 2025-12-31
Adobe Inc. (ADBE)
Adobe dominates creative and document software through subscription products such as Photoshop, Premiere, and Acrobat. Its Firefly generative-AI tools are being woven throughout its Creative Cloud suite.
- Fiscal year end in SEC snapshot
- November 27
- Annual report period end
- 2025-11-28
Autodesk, Inc. (ADSK)
Autodesk makes design and engineering software such as AutoCAD and Revit used in architecture, construction, and manufacturing.
- Fiscal year end in SEC snapshot
- January 31
- Annual report period end
- 2026-01-31
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (CDNS)
Cadence makes electronic design automation tools and IP that engineers use to design integrated circuits and electronic systems.
- Fiscal year end in SEC snapshot
- December 31
- Annual report period end
- 2025-12-31
CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (CRWD)
CrowdStrike delivers cloud-native endpoint and cloud-workload cybersecurity through its Falcon platform.
- Fiscal year end in SEC snapshot
- January 31
- Annual report period end
- 2026-01-31
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA)
Electronic Arts develops and publishes video games including its EA Sports franchises, Battlefield, and The Sims.
- Fiscal year end in SEC snapshot
- March 31
- Annual report period end
- 2026-03-31
Gen Digital Inc. (GEN)
Gen Digital sells consumer cybersecurity and identity-protection software under brands including Norton, Avast, and LifeLock.
- Fiscal year end in SEC snapshot
- March 28
- Annual report period end
- 2026-04-03
Intuit Inc. (INTU)
Intuit makes financial software for consumers and small businesses, including TurboTax, QuickBooks, Credit Karma, and Mailchimp.
- Fiscal year end in SEC snapshot
- July 31
- Annual report period end
- 2026-07-31
PTC Inc. (PTC)
PTC makes computer-aided design, product lifecycle, and industrial IoT software used by manufacturers.
- Fiscal year end in SEC snapshot
- September 30
- Annual report period end
- 2025-09-30
Salesforce, Inc. (CRM)
Salesforce pioneered cloud-based customer relationship management and now offers a broad suite of sales, service, marketing, and analytics tools. It is layering AI agents across that suite to automate customer-facing work.
- Fiscal year end in SEC snapshot
- January 31
- Annual report period end
- 2026-01-31
Synopsys, Inc. (SNPS)
Synopsys develops electronic design automation software and semiconductor IP used to design and verify complex chips.
- Fiscal year end in SEC snapshot
- October 31
- Annual report period end
- 2025-10-31
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (TTWO)
Take-Two Interactive publishes blockbuster video games including Grand Theft Auto, NBA 2K, and titles from Zynga.
- Fiscal year end in SEC snapshot
- March 31
- Annual report period end
- 2026-03-31
Tyler Technologies, Inc. (TYL)
Tyler Technologies provides software that runs courts, permitting, payments, and administration for state and local governments.
- Fiscal year end in SEC snapshot
- December 31
- Annual report period end
- 2025-12-31
Compare companies in this industry
ADBE vs MSFT
Compare Adobe Inc. and Microsoft Corporation: business context, fiscal calendars and official filings.
ADBE vs NOW
Compare Adobe Inc. and ServiceNow, Inc.: business context, fiscal calendars and official filings.
ADBE vs ORCL
Compare Adobe Inc. and Oracle Corporation: business context, fiscal calendars and official filings.
ADBE vs PLTR
Compare Adobe Inc. and Palantir Technologies Inc.: business context, fiscal calendars and official filings.
ADSK vs MSFT
Compare Autodesk, Inc. and Microsoft Corporation: business context, fiscal calendars and official filings.
ADSK vs NOW
Compare Autodesk, Inc. and ServiceNow, Inc.: business context, fiscal calendars and official filings.
ADSK vs ORCL
Compare Autodesk, Inc. and Oracle Corporation: business context, fiscal calendars and official filings.
ADSK vs PLTR
Compare Autodesk, Inc. and Palantir Technologies Inc.: business context, fiscal calendars and official filings.
Sources and method
Industry codes and annual filing references come from the SEC submissions snapshot linked to each issuer in our company catalog (snapshot ; newer filings may exist). Only groups with at least three distinct issuers, business descriptions and annual filing links are included. Multiple share classes of one issuer count as one company. This is a coverage directory, not a complete industry census or a ranking of investments.
The industry explanation above is editorial and general; it is not drawn from any single company's filing. Company-specific figures are on each stock page with a link to the filing they come from.
SEC Standard Industrial Classification code list explains the classification system. Read our research methodology or browse all industry directories.
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