Zip or Block shares: Which is the more profitable company?

We've crunched the numbers.

| More on:
A woman sits on a chair smiling as she shops online.

Image source: Getty Images

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More

As tech heavyweights battle it out in the global payments space in 2024, Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) shares have exploded on the chart.

They are up more than 400% at the time of writing, outshining all the major equity benchmarks in doing so, after a 17% gain in the last month alone.

Zip and payments competitor Block Inc (ASX: SQ2) are two heavyweights in the buy now, pay later (BNPL) space.

Both companies attract analyst attention and draw plenty of headlines. Block made waves in 2022 when it acquired BNPL pioneer Afterpay for $29 billion in stock.

But which one of these payment titans comes out on top in profitability? Let's dive into the numbers.

Created with Highcharts 11.4.3Zip Co + Block PriceZoom1M3M6MYTD1Y5Y10YALL1 Jan 202425 Nov 2024Zoom ▾Jan '24Feb '24Mar '24Apr '24May '24Jun '24Jul '24Aug '24Sep '24Oct '24Nov '240www.fool.com.au

Profit versus profitability

Before running the numbers on Block and Zip shares, it's important to know there's a distinction between "profit" and "profitability". The former is an accounting term that refers to the gross, operating, or net profit earned by a business.

We also won't be referring to growth here in this analysis, which differs from profitability.

Revenues minus all costs, interest and taxes equals net profit. The percentage of net profit to revenue is the net profit margin.

Profitability, on the other hand, is an economic term that measures the efficiency and efficacy of a company's business assets.

Measures of profit and profitability are intertwined like the helix of our DNA and, in many ways, represent the genomic profile of the company as an organism.

We want to know two things. One, how much a business needed to invest to produce a dollar of sales and profits.

Two, what the rate of return on these investments was. Here, we are looking at how much is earned relative to the assets (otherwise known as capital) required to produce the profits.

Two useful measures of profitability are return on equity (ROE) and return on invested capital (ROIC). The former is net income relative to net assets but can be distorted by debt and other non-cash charges.

ROIC removes the effects of financial leverage and allows for useful comparisons between companies. It shows how much profit was earned on the capital invested in a business.

Let's move on to how this applies to Block and Zip shares.

Block and Zip shares comparison

Now that we've got that sorted let's crunch the numbers. When it comes to profitability metrics, Zip shares are in second place in most measures. For the trailing 12 months, Zip reported an ROIC of 8.7% on an operating margin of 26%.

But it produced a free cash flow (FCF) margin of 34%, meaning that underneath every dollar of revenues was 34 cents of cash.

Meanwhile, Block operates on a far thinner operating margin of 4% for the last twelve months, but produced sales of US$23.8 billion vs. Zip's US$283 million (at current exchange rates).

Block's FCF margin for the last 12 months was also 6%, well behind Zip. But whilst Zip has more free cash left over as a function of sales, what it does next with that cash is paramount.

In fact, Block may be slightly ahead in this regard. In the trailing twelve months, it produced a 22% ROIC on its Square Loans business, while its Afterpay and CashBorrow divisions earned 34% and 33% ROIC, respectively.

That means for every $1 of capital that's been invested into Block's operations, it is returning more than 22 cents – 34 cents in profit.

Compare this to Zip, which is returning 8.7 cents on the same dollar invested into its business. This is a key distinction between Block and Zip shares.

You might wonder how Zip can have higher operating margins and FCF margins, but Block is more 'profitable' when looking at returns on capital.

Without getting too jiggy with it, it boils down to Block's higher sales volume and the fact that Block has had more opportunities to grow.

For instance, Zip has reduced its capital base by US$1.7 billion since FY21, whereas Block has grown its capital base by nearly US$3.7 billion.

So, even though Zip has a higher FCF margin, Block appears to use more of the cash it produces to reinvest and grow the business.

This is critical when thinking about profitability over time for both Block and Zip shares.

Who wins in the profitability stakes?

Both Zip and Block have delivered commendable results, but Zip edges out Block in terms of margins, with its 34% FCF margin and 26% operating margin standing out.

However, profitability looks at business returns, and on this front, Block is the most profitable company right now.

Time will tell what happens from here.

Motley Fool contributor Zach Bristow has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Block and Zip Co. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

More on Financial Shares

A man holds his hand under his chin as he concentrates on his laptop screen and reads about the ANZ share price
Financial Shares

What's happening with the AMP share price on Thursday?

A lot of AMP shares are changing hands on Thursday. But at what price?

Read more »

A man leans forward over his phone in his hands with a satisfied smirk on his face although he has just learned something pleasing or received some satisfying news.
Financial Shares

Why now is the time to buy Macquarie shares at 'a top value price'

Down 20% in 2025, these experts say Macquarie shares are now in bargain basement territory.

Read more »

A male investor sits at his desk looking at his laptop screen holding his hand to his chin pondering whether to buy Macquarie shares
Financial Shares

Macquarie put a price target of $2.90 on GQG Partners shares

A leading expert is very bullish on this stock.

Read more »

A woman sits at her computer with her chin resting on her hand as she contemplates her next potential investment.
Technology Shares

Surging earnings and a slumping share price: Should I buy this ASX 200 tech stock today?

With profits and earnings soaring and shares down in 2025, is this ASX 200 tech stock too good to ignore?

Read more »

Man pointing at a blue rising share price graph.
Share Gainers

Guess which ASX 200 stock just surged 16% in today's crashing market!

How is this ASX 200 stock leaping higher in Monday’s tumbling market?

Read more »

A young woman sits at her desk in deep contemplation with her hand to her chin while seriously considering information she is reading on her laptop.
Financial Shares

Up 52% in 6 months, is this $22 billion ASX 200 stock now a sell?

A leading expert expects lower interest rates will negatively impact this surging ASX 200 stock.

Read more »

A male sharemarket analyst sits at his desk looking intently at his laptop with two other monitors next to him showing stock price movements
Financial Shares

HMC Capital announces plans for new equity fund: Should I invest?

Let's see if some big news makes it a good time to buy this stock.

Read more »

A woman presenting company news to investors looks back at the camera and smiles.
Share Market News

ASX 200 financial shares lead the market amid Federal Budget and election call

ASX financial shares led the 11 market sectors last week with a 2.55% gain.

Read more »