Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare JOYY Inc. (JOYY) vs Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | META | 22.2% revenue growth vs JOYY's -1.3% |
| Value | JOYY | Lower P/E (1.5x vs 21.8x) |
| Quality / Margins | META | 30.1% net margin vs JOYY's -6.5% |
| Stability / Safety | JOYY | Beta 0.52 vs META's 1.42, lower leverage |
| Dividends | META | 0.3% yield; 2-year raise streak; JOYY pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | JOYY | +35.6% vs META's -2.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | META | 16.5% ROA vs JOYY's -1.9%, ROIC 27.6% vs -6.7% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
JOYY operates a portfolio of social media platforms centered around live streaming, short-form video, and casual gaming. It generates revenue primarily through virtual gifting on its Bigo Live platform—where viewers purchase digital gifts for creators—alongside advertising and in-app purchases across its other apps. The company's competitive advantage lies in its deep penetration of emerging markets—particularly Southeast Asia and the Middle East—where it has established strong local network effects.
Meta Platforms operates a family of social media and messaging apps — Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger — that connect billions of users globally. It generates nearly all its revenue from digital advertising across these platforms, with its Reality Labs segment — which includes VR hardware and software — currently operating at a loss. The company's massive network effects and user data advantage create a powerful moat, making it difficult for competitors to challenge its dominant position in social media.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
META leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). JOYY leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Risk & Volatility).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
META is the larger business by revenue, generating $201.0B annually — 89.8x JOYY's $2.2B. META is the more profitable business, keeping 30.1% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to JOYY's -6.5%. On growth, META holds the edge at +23.8% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | JOYYJOYY Inc. | METAMeta Platforms, I… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $2.2B | $201.0B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$317M | $101.9B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$146M | $60.5B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $0 | $46.1B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +36.0% | +82.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -18.1% | +41.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -6.5% | +30.1% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +10.0% | +22.9% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -3.6% | +23.8% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -9.2% | +10.6% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | JOYYJOYY Inc. | METAMeta Platforms, I… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $19.5B | $222.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $19.1B | $270.3B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -22.95x | 27.59x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 1.54x | 21.80x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 1.50x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 2.65x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 8.71x | 1.11x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.73x | 7.68x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 86.91x | 4.82x |
Profitability & Efficiency
META delivers a 27.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $28 in annual profit, vs $-3 for JOYY. JOYY carries lower financial leverage with a 0.01x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to META's 0.39x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), JOYY scores 6/9 vs META's 5/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | JOYYJOYY Inc. | METAMeta Platforms, I… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -3.1% | +27.8% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -1.9% | +16.5% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -6.7% | +27.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -7.9% | +29.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.01x | 0.39x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$414M | $48.0B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $445M | $35.9B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $31M | $83.9B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 30.37x | 61.69x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in META five years ago would be worth $24,623 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $5,331 for JOYY. Over the past 12 months, JOYY leads with a +35.6% total return vs META's -2.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors META at 55.1% vs JOYY's 27.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | JOYYJOYY Inc. | METAMeta Platforms, I… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -6.3% | -0.3% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +35.6% | -2.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +105.9% | +272.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -46.7% | +146.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +33.6% | +510.1% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +27.2% | +55.1% |
Risk & Volatility
JOYY is the less volatile stock with a 0.52 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than META's 1.42 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | JOYYJOYY Inc. | METAMeta Platforms, I… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.52x | 1.42x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $70.96 | $796.25 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $37.53 | $479.80 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +84.1% | +81.4% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 46.1 | 50.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 312K | 13.2M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates JOYY as "Buy" and META as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 31.6% upside for META (target: $853) vs 10.6% for JOYY (target: $66). META is the only dividend payer here at 0.32% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | JOYYJOYY Inc. | METAMeta Platforms, I… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $66.00 | $853.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 5 | 60 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +0.3% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 2 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $2.07 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +1.3% | +11.8% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOYY Inc. (JOYY) | 100 | 115.72 | +15.7% |
| Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) | 100 | 359.61 | +259.6% |
Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) returned +146% over 5 years vs JOYY Inc. (JOYY)'s -47%. A $10,000 investment in META 5 years ago would be worth $24,623 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOYY Inc. (JOYY) | $1.2B | $2.2B | +89.4% |
| Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) | $27.6B | $201.0B | +627.1% |
Meta Platforms, Inc.'s revenue grew from $27.6B (2016) to $201.0B (2025) — a 24.7% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOYY Inc. (JOYY) | 18.6% | -6.5% | -135.2% |
| Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) | 36.9% | 30.1% | -18.4% |
Meta Platforms, Inc.'s net margin went from 37% (2016) to 30% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOYY Inc. (JOYY) | 17.7 | 8.3 | -53.1% |
| Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) | 32.7 | 28.1 | -14.1% |
JOYY Inc. has traded in a 5x–20x P/E range over 6 years; current trailing P/E is ~-23x. Meta Platforms, Inc. has traded in a 14x–33x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~28x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOYY Inc. (JOYY) | 3.8 | -2.6 | -168.4% |
| Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) | 3.49 | 23.49 | +573.1% |
Meta Platforms, Inc.'s EPS grew from $3.49 (2016) to $23.49 (2025) — a 24% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
JOYY Inc. generated $224M FCF in 2024 (+778% vs 2021). Meta Platforms, Inc. generated $46B FCF in 2025 (+18% vs 2021).
JOYY vs META: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is JOYY or META a better buy right now?
Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) offers the better valuation at 27.6x trailing P/E (21.8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate JOYY Inc. (JOYY) a "Buy" — based on 5 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — JOYY or META?
On forward P/E, JOYY Inc. is actually cheaper at 1.5x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.
03Which is the better long-term investment — JOYY or META?
Over the past 5 years, Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) delivered a total return of +146.2%, compared to -46.7% for JOYY Inc. (JOYY). A $10,000 investment in META five years ago would be worth approximately $25K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: META returned +510.1% versus JOYY's +33.6%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — JOYY or META?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), JOYY Inc. (JOYY) is the lower-risk stock at 0.52β versus Meta Platforms, Inc.'s 1.42β — meaning META is approximately 173% more volatile than JOYY relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, JOYY Inc. (JOYY) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 1% versus 39% for Meta Platforms, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — JOYY or META?
Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) is the more profitable company, earning 30.1% net margin versus -6.5% for JOYY Inc. — meaning it keeps 30.1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: META leads at 41.4% versus -18.1% for JOYY. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — META leads at 82.0%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is JOYY or META more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, JOYY Inc. (JOYY) trades at 1.5x forward P/E versus 21.8x for Meta Platforms, Inc. — 20.3x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for META: 31.6% to $853.00.
07Which pays a better dividend — JOYY or META?
In this comparison, META (0.3% yield) pays a dividend. JOYY does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is JOYY or META better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, JOYY Inc. (JOYY) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.52)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (JOYY: +33.6%, META: +510.1%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between JOYY and META?
These companies operate in different sectors (JOYY (Communication Services) and META (Technology)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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