Contrasting CuriosityStream (NASDAQ:CURI) and Manchester United (NYSE:MANU)

Manchester United (NYSE:MANU) and CuriosityStream (NASDAQ:CURI) are both communication services companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, earnings, dividends and valuation.

Profitability

This table compares Manchester United and CuriosityStream’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Manchester United	-2.67%	0.64%	0.07%
CuriosityStream	0.03%	0.06%	0.03%

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Manchester United and CuriosityStream”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Manchester United	$862.42 million	4.01	-$42.74 million	($0.14)	-143.21
CuriosityStream	$71.66 million	2.20	-$6.43 million	$0.01	266.00

CuriosityStream has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Manchester United. Manchester United is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than CuriosityStream, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

23.3% of Manchester United shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 6.8% of CuriosityStream shares are owned by institutional investors. 31.1% of CuriosityStream shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Volatility and Risk

Manchester United has a beta of 0.58, indicating that its share price is 42% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, CuriosityStream has a beta of 1.76, indicating that its share price is 76% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Manchester United and CuriosityStream, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Manchester United	1	0	0	0	1.00
CuriosityStream	0	1	2	2	3.20

CuriosityStream has a consensus target price of $5.50, indicating a potential upside of 106.77%. Given CuriosityStream’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe CuriosityStream is more favorable than Manchester United.

Summary

CuriosityStream beats Manchester United on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Manchester United

Manchester United plc, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates a professional sports team in the United Kingdom. It operates Manchester United Football Club, a professional football club. The company develops marketing and sponsorship relationships with international and regional companies to leverage its brand. It also markets and sells sports apparel, training and leisure wear, and other clothing; and other licensed products, such as coffee mugs and bed spreads featuring the Manchester United brand and trademarks, as well as distributes these products through Manchester United branded retail centers and e-commerce platforms, and through the company’s partners’ wholesale distribution channels. In addition, the company distributes live football content directly, as well as through commercial partners; broadcasts television rights relating to the Premier League, Union of European Football Associations club competitions, and other competitions; and delivers Manchester United programming through MUTV television channel to territories worldwide. Further, it operates Old Trafford, a sports venue with 74,240 seats, as well as invests in properties. The company was formerly known as Manchester United Ltd. changed its name to Manchester United plc in August 2012. Manchester United plc was founded in 1878 and is headquartered in Manchester, the United Kingdom.

About CuriosityStream

CuriosityStream Inc. operates as a factual content streaming service and media company. The company provides premium video and audio programming services in various categories of factual entertainment, including science, history, society, nature, lifestyle, and technology through direct subscription video on-demand (SVoD) platforms accessible by internet connected devices, or indirectly via distribution partners who deliver CuriosityStream content via distributor's platform or system, as well as through bundled content licenses for SVoD and linear offerings, talks and courses, and partner bulk sales. It offers streaming content through devices, including televisions, set-top boxes, computers, streaming media players, game consoles, and mobile devices. The company was founded in 2015 and is based in Silver Spring, Maryland.