Sifting through countless of stocks in the Software industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in Confluent, Inc., MARA Holdings or Inc. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how Confluent, Inc., MARA Holdings and Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About Confluent, Inc., MARA Holdings and Inc.

Confluent, Inc. operates a data streaming platform in the United States and internationally. The company provides platforms that allow customers to connect their applications, systems, and data layers comprising Confluent Cloud, a managed cloud-native software-as-a-service (SaaS); and Confluent Platform and Confluent Private Cloud, an enterprise-grade self-managed software. It also offers connectors for existing applications, and IT and cloud infrastructure; Apache Flink services that allows teams to create reusable data streams that can be delivered real-time; confluent intelligence, a suite of features built to address critical ai data needs by bringing real-time data directly to production ai systems; Tableflow, a fully managed service that materializes Kafka topics directly into open table formats, such as Apache Iceberg and Delta Lake; and WarpStream, a bring your own cloud managed streaming service. In addition, the company provides stream governance, a managed data governance suite that is designed for the intricacies of streaming data, which allows teams to accelerate data streaming initiatives without bypassing controls for risk management or regulatory compliance; Schema Validation that provides a direct interface between the broker and Schema Registry; and Schema Registry, which manages data structures and ensuring compatibility as data evolves. Further, it offers professional services comprising packaged and residency offerings; education offerings consisting of training and certification guidance, technical resources, and access to hands-on training and certification exams; and certification programs. It serves telecom, healthcare, banking, and financial services industries. The company was formerly known as Infinitem, Inc. and changed its name to Confluent, Inc. in September 2014. Confluent, Inc. was incorporated in 2014 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

MARA Holdings, Inc. operates as a digital asset technology company in the United States and Europe. It also provides technology solutions to optimize data center operations, such as liquid immersion cooling and firmware for bitcoin miners. The company was formerly known as Marathon Digital Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to MARA Holdings, Inc. in August 2024. MARA Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 2010 and is based in Hallandale Beach, Florida.

Latest Software and Confluent, Inc., MARA Holdings, Inc. Stock News

As of February 23, 2026, Confluent, Inc. had a $11.0 billion market capitalization, compared to the Software median of $851.9 million. Confluent, Inc.’s stock is up 1.5% in 2026, up 0.4% in the previous five trading days and down 5.69% in the past year.

Currently, Confluent, Inc. does not have a price-earnings ratio. Confluent, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $1.2 billion with a -25.3% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 20.5%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $0.516 per share for the current fiscal year. Confluent, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

As of February 23, 2026, MARA Holdings, Inc. had a $3.0 billion market cap, putting it in the 61st percentile of all stocks. MARA Holdings, Inc.’s stock is down 12.3% in 2026, down 0.6% in the previous five trading days and down 50.63% in the past year.

Currently, MARA Holdings, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 3.7. MARA Holdings, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $919.2 million with a 100.8% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 91.8%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $0.525 per share for the current fiscal year. MARA Holdings, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

How We Compare Confluent, Inc., MARA Holdings and Inc. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at Confluent, Inc., MARA Holdings and Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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Confluent, Inc., MARA Holdings and Inc. Stock Value Grades

Company	Ticker	Value
Confluent, Inc.	CFLT	F
MARA Holdings, Inc.	MARA	B

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection.

Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

AAII’s A+ Investor Value Grade derives from a stock’s value score. The Value Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of the price-to-sales ratio, price-earnings ratio, enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio, shareholder yield, price-to-book-value ratio and price-to-free-cash-flow ratio. The score is variable, meaning it can consider all six ratios or, should any of the six ratios not be valid, the remaining ratios that are valid. To be assigned a Value Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) ratio and corresponding ranking for at least two of the six valuation ratios.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are a good value and so on.

Confluent, Inc. has a Value Score of 3, which is Ultra Expensive. MARA Holdings, Inc. has a Value Score of 79, which is Value.

The Value Stock Winner: MARA Holdings, Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Value Grade breakdown above, MARA Holdings, Inc. is considered to have better value than Confluent, Inc.. For investors who focus solely on a company’s valuation, MARA Holdings, Inc. could be a good stock to add to their portfolio. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Confluent, Inc., MARA Holdings and Inc.’s Quality Grades

Company	Ticker	Quality
Confluent, Inc.	CFLT	C
MARA Holdings, Inc.	MARA	D

Like the Value Grade, AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the percentile rank of key metrics. Specifically, the Quality Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and the F-Score.

The score is variable, meaning it can consider all eight measures or, should any of the eight measures not be valid, the remaining measures that are valid. To be assigned a Quality Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) measure and corresponding ranking for at least four of the eight quality measures.

The Quality Score is used to assess the underlying “quality” of a particular stock. A higher-quality stock possesses traits associated with upside potential and reduced downside risk. Backtesting of the Quality Grade shows that stocks with higher grades, on average, outperformed stocks with lower grades over the period of 1998 through 2019.

Stocks receive better grades (higher scores) for having higher scores for the quality subcomponents and worse grades (lower scores) for lower scores for the subcomponents.

Confluent, Inc. has a Quality Score of 58, which is Average. MARA Holdings, Inc. has a Quality Score of 27, which is Weak.

The Quality Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither Confluent, Inc., MARA Holdings or Inc. has a high enough Quality Grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors who are considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if Confluent, Inc., MARA Holdings or Inc. is the better investment when it comes to quality.

Confluent, Inc., MARA Holdings and Inc.’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
Confluent, Inc.	CFLT	B
MARA Holdings, Inc.	MARA	F

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

Confluent, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 70, which is Strong. MARA Holdings, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 13, which is Very Weak.

The Momentum Grade Winner: Confluent, Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Momentum Grade breakdown above, Confluent, Inc. is considered to have stronger momentum compared to MARA Holdings, Inc.. For those specifically looking for companies that have stronger momentum compared to other companies in the same industry, Confluent, Inc. could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Other Confluent, Inc., MARA Holdings and Inc. Grades

In addition to Quality, Momentum and Value, A+ Investor also provides grades for Growth and Estimate Revisions.

Earnings estimate revisions scores take into account the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, surprises beget further surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Growth investing builds on the idea that stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth outperform those of slower-growth companies. AAII measures growth through consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether Confluent, Inc., MARA Holdings and Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, Confluent, Inc., MARA Holdings or Inc. Stock?

Overall, Confluent, Inc. stock has a Value Score of 3, Momentum Score of 70 and Quality Score of 58.

MARA Holdings, Inc. stock has a Value Score of 79, Momentum Score of 13 and Quality Score of 27.

Comparing Confluent, Inc., MARA Holdings and Inc.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.