Starz Entertainment (NASDAQ:STRZ – Get Free Report) and PLAYSTUDIOS (NASDAQ:MYPS – Get Free Report) are both small-cap communication services companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, risk, dividends and analyst recommendations.
Profitability
This table compares Starz Entertainment and PLAYSTUDIOS’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Starz Entertainment | -33.98% | -25.64% | -6.79% |
| PLAYSTUDIOS | -20.65% | -19.61% | -15.33% |
Risk and Volatility
Starz Entertainment has a beta of 2.55, indicating that its share price is 155% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, PLAYSTUDIOS has a beta of 0.96, indicating that its share price is 4% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
37.5% of PLAYSTUDIOS shares are owned by institutional investors. 22.6% of Starz Entertainment shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 14.9% of PLAYSTUDIOS shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Starz Entertainment and PLAYSTUDIOS”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Starz Entertainment | $963.40 million | 0.44 | -$115.80 million | ($25.49) | -0.97 |
| PLAYSTUDIOS | $235.10 million | 0.21 | -$28.64 million | ($3.60) | -1.16 |
PLAYSTUDIOS has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Starz Entertainment. PLAYSTUDIOS is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Starz Entertainment, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of current recommendations for Starz Entertainment and PLAYSTUDIOS, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Starz Entertainment | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2.56 |
| PLAYSTUDIOS | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
Starz Entertainment presently has a consensus price target of $32.71, indicating a potential upside of 31.67%. PLAYSTUDIOS has a consensus price target of $12.50, indicating a potential upside of 198.69%. Given PLAYSTUDIOS’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe PLAYSTUDIOS is more favorable than Starz Entertainment.
Summary
Starz Entertainment beats PLAYSTUDIOS on 9 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Starz Entertainment
Starz is a premium cable and streaming network owned by Starz Entertainment, which was formerly a part of Lionsgate. Starz had about 20 million subscribers in the U.S. and Canada as of Dec. 31, 2024. The company’s franchises include “Outlander” and “Power.”
About PLAYSTUDIOS
PLAYSTUDIOS, Inc. develops and publishes free-to-play casual games for mobile and social platforms in the United States and internationally. The company's game portfolio includes a diverse range of titles comprising social casino, card, puzzle, and adventure games. It also offers POP! Slots, myVEGAS Slots, my KONAMI Slots, MGM Slots Live, myVEGAS Blackjack, myVEGAS Bingo, Tetris, Solitaire, Spider Solitaire, Jumbline 2, Sudoku, and Mahjong games. PLAYSTUDIOS, Inc. is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Receive News & Ratings for Starz Entertainment Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Starz Entertainment and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
