Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare iQIYI, Inc. (IQ) vs AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
Selected Stocks
Add up to 10 tickers. Use presets or search to get started.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | AMCX | -4.5% revenue growth vs IQ's -8.3% |
| Value | IQ | Lower P/E (2.5x vs 4.4x) |
| Quality / Margins | IQ | -1.4% net margin vs AMCX's -6.0% |
| Stability / Safety | AMCX | Beta 0.96 vs IQ's 1.31 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | AMCX | +3.7% vs IQ's -16.1% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | IQ | -0.9% ROA vs AMCX's -3.3%, ROIC 5.8% vs 12.1% |
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
iQIYI is a leading Chinese online entertainment platform that provides streaming video content including dramas, movies, variety shows, and animations. It generates revenue primarily through membership subscriptions (around 60% of revenue) and online advertising (roughly 25%), with additional income from content distribution and other services. The company's competitive advantage lies in its massive proprietary content library — particularly its popular original productions — and its deep integration within the broader Baidu ecosystem.
AMC Networks is a cable and streaming entertainment company that operates a portfolio of television networks and subscription streaming services. It generates revenue primarily from affiliate fees paid by cable/satellite providers for its networks (roughly 60% of revenue) and advertising sales (about 30%), with the remainder coming from streaming subscriptions and content licensing. The company's key advantage is its portfolio of strong, recognizable cable brands—particularly AMC with its acclaimed original programming—which provides leverage in carriage negotiations and attracts loyal audiences.
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
AMCX leads in 5 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). IQ leads in 1 (Analyst Outlook).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
IQ is the larger business by revenue, generating $27.1B annually — 11.7x AMCX's $2.3B. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from -1.4% (IQ) to -6.0% (AMCX).
| Metric | IQiQIYI, Inc. | AMCXAMC Networks Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $27.1B | $2.3B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $6.3B | $686M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$390M | -$140M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $466M | $267M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +21.9% | +51.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +1.7% | -3.0% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -1.4% | -6.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +1.7% | +11.5% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -7.8% | -6.3% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -2.1% | -10.4% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, AMCX's 0.1x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than IQ's 26.1x.
| Metric | IQiQIYI, Inc. | AMCXAMC Networks Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $5.4B | $86M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $6.9B | $86M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 15.72x | — |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 2.46x | 4.38x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 26.13x | 0.07x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.26x | 0.04x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.88x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 19.01x | 0.28x |
Profitability & Efficiency
IQ delivers a -2.9% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-3 in annual profit, vs $-12 for AMCX. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), IQ scores 5/9 vs AMCX's 3/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | IQiQIYI, Inc. | AMCXAMC Networks Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -2.9% | -12.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -0.9% | -3.3% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +5.8% | +12.1% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +7.8% | — |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.06x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $10.7B | $0 |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $3.5B | — |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $14.2B | $0 |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 0.77x | 0.95x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AMCX five years ago would be worth $1,147 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $699 for IQ. Over the past 12 months, AMCX leads with a +3.7% total return vs IQ's -16.1%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AMCX at -30.9% vs IQ's -38.7% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | IQiQIYI, Inc. | AMCXAMC Networks Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -12.8% | -18.7% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -16.1% | +3.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -77.0% | -67.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -93.0% | -88.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -88.6% | -88.6% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -38.7% | -30.9% |
Risk & Volatility
AMCX is the less volatile stock with a 0.96 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than IQ's 1.31 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. AMCX currently trades 73.9% from its 52-week high vs IQ's 62.3% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | IQiQIYI, Inc. | AMCXAMC Networks Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.31x | 0.96x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $2.84 | $10.18 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $1.50 | $5.41 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +62.3% | +73.9% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 36.5 | 40.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 7.9M | 425K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates IQ as "Buy" and AMCX as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 18.6% upside for IQ (target: $2) vs 6.4% for AMCX (target: $8).
| Metric | IQiQIYI, Inc. | AMCXAMC Networks Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $2.10 | $8.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 22 | 40 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| iQIYI, Inc. (IQ) | 100 | 8.2 | -91.8% |
| AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX) | 100 | 26.47 | -73.5% |
AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX) returned -89% over 5 years vs iQIYI, Inc. (IQ)'s -93%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| iQIYI, Inc. (IQ) | $11.2B | $29.2B | +160.1% |
| AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX) | $2.8B | $2.3B | -16.1% |
AMC Networks Inc.'s revenue grew from $2.8B (2016) to $2.3B (2025) — a -1.9% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| iQIYI, Inc. (IQ) | -27.4% | 2.6% | +109.6% |
| AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX) | 9.8% | 8.4% | -14.4% |
AMC Networks Inc.'s net margin went from 10% (2016) to 8% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 7 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX) | 7.5 | 3.8 | -49.3% |
AMC Networks Inc. has traded in a 4x–92x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~4x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| iQIYI, Inc. (IQ) | -11.45 | 0.77 | +106.7% |
| AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX) | 3.74 | 0 | -100.0% |
AMC Networks Inc.'s EPS grew from $3.74 (2016) to $0.00 (2025) — a -100% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
iQIYI, Inc. generated $2B FCF in 2024 (+130% vs 2021). AMC Networks Inc. generated $306M FCF in 2025 (+203% vs 2021).
IQ vs AMCX: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is IQ or AMCX a better buy right now?
iQIYI, Inc. (IQ) offers the better valuation at 15.7x trailing P/E (2.5x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate iQIYI, Inc. (IQ) a "Buy" — based on 22 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 — IQ or AMCX?
On forward P/E, iQIYI, Inc. is actually cheaper at 2.5x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — IQ or AMCX?
Over the past 5 years, AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX) delivered a total return of -88.5%, compared to -93.0% for iQIYI, Inc. (IQ). A $10,000 investment in AMCX five years ago would be worth approximately $1K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: IQ returned -88.6% versus AMCX's -88.6%. 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 — IQ or AMCX?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX) is the lower-risk stock at 0.96β versus iQIYI, Inc.'s 1.31β — meaning IQ is approximately 37% more volatile than AMCX relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — IQ or AMCX?
AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX) is the more profitable company, earning 8.4% net margin versus 2.6% for iQIYI, Inc. — meaning it keeps 8.4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: IQ leads at 6.2% versus 5.8% for AMCX. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AMCX leads at 51.0%, 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 IQ or AMCX more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, iQIYI, Inc. (IQ) trades at 2.5x forward P/E versus 4.4x for AMC Networks Inc. — 1.9x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for IQ: 18.6% to $2.10.
07Which pays a better dividend — IQ or AMCX?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
08Is IQ or AMCX better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.96)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (AMCX: -88.6%, IQ: -88.6%), 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 IQ and AMCX?
Both stocks operate in the Communication Services sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. In terms of investment character: IQ is a small-cap deep-value stock; AMCX is a small-cap quality compounder stock. 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.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.