Head-To-Head Survey: Cineverse (NASDAQ:CNVS) versus PodcastOne (NASDAQ:PODC)

PodcastOne (NASDAQ:PODC) and Cineverse (NASDAQ:CNVS) are both small-cap communication services companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, risk, dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings and profitability.

Profitability

This table compares PodcastOne and Cineverse’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%
Cineverse	-12.87%	-50.16%	-18.30%

Institutional & Insider Ownership

2.9% of PodcastOne shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 8.2% of Cineverse shares are held by institutional investors. 7.8% of PodcastOne shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 12.4% of Cineverse shares are held 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.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for PodcastOne and Cineverse, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
PodcastOne	1	1	0	0	1.50
Cineverse	1	0	2	0	2.33

Cineverse has a consensus price target of $14.00, suggesting a potential upside of 870.20%. Given Cineverse’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Cineverse is more favorable than PodcastOne.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares PodcastOne and Cineverse”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
PodcastOne	$62.80 million	0.83	-$2.64 million	($0.12)	-14.33
Cineverse	$65.73 million	0.52	-$8.84 million	($0.59)	-2.45

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

Risk and Volatility

PodcastOne has a beta of 2.18, suggesting that its share price is 118% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Cineverse has a beta of 1.7, suggesting that its share price is 70% more volatile than the S&P 500.

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 Cineverse

Cineverse Corp. operates as a streaming technology and entertainment company. The company operates in two segments, Cinema Equipment, and Content and Entertainment. It owns and operates streaming channels, through its proprietary technology platform. The company also delivers curated content through subscription video on demand (SVOD), dedicated ad-supported (AVOD), and ad-supported streaming linear (FAST) channels, as well as social video streaming services and audio podcasts; operates OTT streaming entertainment channels; and offers monitoring, billing, collection, and verification services. It entertains consumers worldwide by providing premium feature film and television programs, enthusiast streaming channels, and technology services. The company was formerly known as Cinedigm Corp. and changed its name to Cineverse Corp. in May 2023. Cineverse Corp. was incorporated in 2000 and is based in New York, New York.