Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Universal Electronics Inc. (UEIC) vs Sony Group Corporation (SONY) 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 | SONY | -0.5% revenue growth vs UEIC's -6.1% |
| Value | UEIC | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | SONY | 9.2% net margin vs UEIC's -5.6% |
| Stability / Safety | SONY | Beta 0.85 vs UEIC's 1.12 |
| Dividends | SONY | 0.5% yield; 5-year raise streak; UEIC pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | SONY | -7.5% vs UEIC's -51.6% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | SONY | 3.2% ROA vs UEIC's -7.9%, ROIC 10.7% vs -6.0% |
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
Universal Electronics is a technology company that designs and manufactures universal remote controls, smart home devices, and control systems for consumer electronics and home automation. It generates revenue primarily from selling pre-programmed remote controls to video service providers and OEMs (~60% of sales), integrated circuits with embedded control software (~25%), and cloud services and licensing for its control technology (~15%). The company's key advantage is its extensive universal device control database—covering over 500,000 devices—which creates significant switching costs for customers who rely on its compatibility ecosystem.
Sony Group Corporation is a diversified global entertainment and technology conglomerate spanning electronics, gaming, music, and film. It generates revenue primarily through PlayStation gaming hardware and services (~30%), electronics like cameras and TVs (~25%), music publishing and streaming (~20%), and film production and distribution (~15%). Its competitive moat lies in its integrated ecosystem of hardware, software, and content—particularly the dominant PlayStation platform and its extensive entertainment IP library.
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
SONY leads in 5 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). UEIC leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
SONY is the larger business by revenue, generating $12.77T annually — 32658.4x UEIC's $391M. SONY is the more profitable business, keeping 9.2% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to UEIC's -5.6%. On growth, SONY holds the edge at +7.0% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | UEICUniversal Electro… | SONYSony Group Corpor… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $391M | $12.77T |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $4M | $2.60T |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$22M | $1.17T |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $28M | $1.70T |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +28.6% | +29.2% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -3.0% | +11.3% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -5.6% | +9.2% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +7.1% | +13.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -11.3% | +7.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -2.1% | +7.8% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, SONY's 12.7x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than UEIC's 26.6x.
| Metric | UEICUniversal Electro… | SONYSony Group Corpor… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $50M | $137.5B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $73M | $145.3B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -2.04x | 19.16x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 0.12x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 1.25x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 26.57x | 12.66x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.13x | 1.66x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.32x | 2.57x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 7.88x | 12.82x |
Profitability & Efficiency
SONY delivers a 14.6% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $15 in annual profit, vs $-15 for UEIC. UEIC carries lower financial leverage with a 0.32x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to SONY's 0.49x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), SONY scores 8/9 vs UEIC's 6/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | UEICUniversal Electro… | SONYSony Group Corpor… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -15.1% | +14.6% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -7.9% | +3.2% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -6.0% | +10.7% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -8.5% | +5.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 8 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.32x | 0.49x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $23M | $1.22T |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $27M | $2.98T |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $50M | $4.20T |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -15.50x | 22.32x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in SONY five years ago would be worth $10,919 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $622 for UEIC. Over the past 12 months, SONY leads with a -7.5% total return vs UEIC's -51.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors SONY at 11.9% vs UEIC's -33.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | UEICUniversal Electro… | SONYSony Group Corpor… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +3.9% | -10.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -51.6% | -7.5% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -70.4% | +39.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -93.8% | +9.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -92.9% | +466.3% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -33.3% | +11.9% |
Risk & Volatility
SONY is the less volatile stock with a 0.85 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than UEIC's 1.12 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. SONY currently trades 76.0% from its 52-week high vs UEIC's 46.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | UEICUniversal Electro… | SONYSony Group Corpor… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.12x | 0.85x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $8.07 | $30.34 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $2.69 | $20.42 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +46.7% | +76.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 45.4 | 48.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 59K | 5.3M |
Analyst Outlook
SONY is the only dividend payer here at 0.53% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | UEICUniversal Electro… | SONYSony Group Corpor… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $30.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 16 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +0.5% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 5 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $18.97 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +3.9% | +1.3% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Electroni… (UEIC) | 100 | 9.1 | -90.9% |
| Sony Group Corporat… (SONY) | 100 | 172.41 | +72.4% |
Sony Group Corporat… (SONY) returned +9% over 5 years vs Universal Electroni… (UEIC)'s -94%. A $10,000 investment in SONY 5 years ago would be worth $10,919 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Electroni… (UEIC) | $651M | $395M | -39.4% |
| Sony Group Corporat… (SONY) | $8.1T | $13.0T | +59.9% |
Sony Group Corporation's revenue grew from $8.1T (2016) to $13.0T (2025) — a 5.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Electroni… (UEIC) | 3.1% | -6.1% | -294.7% |
| Sony Group Corporat… (SONY) | 1.8% | 8.8% | +383.2% |
Sony Group Corporation's net margin went from 2% (2016) to 9% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Electroni… (UEIC) | 29.7 | 104.5 | +251.9% |
| Sony Group Corporat… (SONY) | 0.8 | 0.1 | -87.5% |
Universal Electronics Inc. has traded in a 19x–201x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~-2x. Sony Group Corporation has traded in a 0x–1x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~19x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Electroni… (UEIC) | 1.38 | -1.85 | -234.1% |
| Sony Group Corporat… (SONY) | 23.5 | 187.92 | +699.7% |
Sony Group Corporation's EPS grew from $23.50 (2016) to $187.92 (2025) — a 26% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Universal Electronics Inc. generated $6M FCF in 2024 (-72% vs 2021). Sony Group Corporation generated $1.7T FCF in 2025 (+153% vs 2021).
UEIC vs SONY: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is UEIC or SONY a better buy right now?
Sony Group Corporation (SONY) offers the better valuation at 19.2x trailing P/E (0.1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Sony Group Corporation (SONY) a "Buy" — based on 16 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 is the better long-term investment — UEIC or SONY?
Over the past 5 years, Sony Group Corporation (SONY) delivered a total return of +9.2%, compared to -93.8% for Universal Electronics Inc. (UEIC). A $10,000 investment in SONY five years ago would be worth approximately $11K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SONY returned +466.3% versus UEIC's -92.9%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — UEIC or SONY?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Sony Group Corporation (SONY) is the lower-risk stock at 0.85β versus Universal Electronics Inc.'s 1.12β — meaning UEIC is approximately 32% more volatile than SONY relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Universal Electronics Inc. (UEIC) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 32% versus 49% for Sony Group Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — UEIC or SONY?
Sony Group Corporation (SONY) is the more profitable company, earning 8.8% net margin versus -6.1% for Universal Electronics Inc. — meaning it keeps 8.8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SONY leads at 10.9% versus -3.9% for UEIC. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — UEIC leads at 28.9%, 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.
05Which pays a better dividend — UEIC or SONY?
In this comparison, SONY (0.5% yield) pays a dividend. UEIC does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
06Is UEIC or SONY better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Sony Group Corporation (SONY) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.85), 0.5% yield, +466.3% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (SONY: +466.3%, UEIC: -92.9%), 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.
07What are the main differences between UEIC and SONY?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. SONY pays a dividend while UEIC does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. 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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