Head-To-Head Survey: iQIYI (NASDAQ:IQ) vs. PodcastOne (NASDAQ:PODC)

PodcastOne (NASDAQ:PODC) and iQIYI (NASDAQ:IQ) are both small-cap communication services companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, earnings, valuation and institutional ownership.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares PodcastOne and iQIYI”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
PodcastOne	$61.67 million	1.34	-$2.64 million	($0.12)	-22.75
iQIYI	$3.80 billion	0.22	-$29.50 million	($0.12)	-7.33

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

Insider and Institutional Ownership

2.9% of PodcastOne shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 52.7% of iQIYI shares are owned by institutional investors. 7.8% of PodcastOne shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 57.8% of iQIYI shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares PodcastOne and iQIYI’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
PodcastOne	-5.01%	-17.56%	-10.97%
iQIYI	-3.24%	-6.29%	-1.78%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for PodcastOne and iQIYI, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
PodcastOne	2	0	0	0	1.00
iQIYI	1	4	1	0	2.00

iQIYI has a consensus price target of $1.73, indicating a potential upside of 96.59%. Given iQIYI’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe iQIYI is more favorable than PodcastOne.

Volatility & Risk

PodcastOne has a beta of 2.1, suggesting that its stock price is 110% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, iQIYI has a beta of 0.19, suggesting that its stock price is 81% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

iQIYI beats PodcastOne on 10 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About PodcastOne

PodcastOne, Inc. operates as a podcast platform and publisher. The company offers its content to audiences through podcasting distribution platforms, including its website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and others. It also produces vodcasts, branded podcasts, merchandise, and live events. In addition, the company builds, owns, and operates LaunchPadOne, a self-publishing podcast platform. The company was formerly known as Courtside Group, Inc. and changed its name to PodcastOne, Inc. in September 2023. PodcastOne, Inc. was founded in 2013 and is based in Beverly Hills, California. PodcastOne, Inc. is a subsidiary of LiveOne, Inc.

About iQIYI

iQIYI, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides online entertainment video services in the People's Republic of China. It offers various products and services, including online video, online games, online literature, animations, and other products. The company operates a platform that provides a collection of internet video content, such as professionally produced content licensed from professional content providers and self-produced content. It also offers membership, online advertising, content distribution, and live broadcasting services. In addition, the company operates iQIYI Show, a live broadcasting platform that enables users to follow their favorite hosts and shows in real time through live broadcasting; and iQIYI Lite that offers an easy and quick access to the personalized videos based on their user preferences. Further, it is involved in the talent agency and IP licensing activities, as well as engages in developing a video community app. The company was formerly known as Qiyi.com, Inc. and changed its name to iQIYI, Inc. in November 2017. iQIYI, Inc. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Beijing, China. iQIYI, Inc. is a subsidiary of Baidu, Inc.