Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Lionsgate Studios Corp. (LION) vs The Walt Disney Company (DIS) 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 | LION | 7.0% revenue growth vs DIS's 3.4% |
| Value | DIS | Lower P/E (15.9x vs 39.2x) |
| Quality / Margins | DIS | 12.8% net margin vs LION's -8.8% |
| Stability / Safety | LION | Beta 0.81 vs DIS's 1.10 |
| Dividends | DIS | 0.9% yield; 1-year raise streak; LION pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | LION | -1.1% vs DIS's -4.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | DIS | 6.1% ROA vs LION's -4.7%, ROIC 6.9% vs 3.8% |
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
Lionsgate Studios is a major independent entertainment company that produces and distributes films and television content globally. It generates revenue primarily from film distribution (theatrical and home entertainment), television production and licensing, and its extensive content library — which includes valuable franchises like The Hunger Games and John Wick. The company's competitive advantage lies in its diversified content portfolio, valuable intellectual property franchises, and established distribution networks that allow it to operate independently of major Hollywood studios.
The Walt Disney Company is a global entertainment conglomerate that creates and distributes content across film, television, and streaming platforms while operating theme parks and consumer products. It generates revenue primarily through its media networks and streaming services (Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu) — roughly 60% of revenue — and its parks, experiences, and products segment — about 30% of revenue. Disney's key competitive advantage is its unparalleled portfolio of iconic intellectual property — including Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and Disney classics — which drives cross-platform monetization and creates a powerful content flywheel.
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
DIS leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). LION leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
DIS is the larger business by revenue, generating $95.7B annually — 34.2x LION's $2.8B. DIS is the more profitable business, keeping 12.8% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to LION's -8.8%. On growth, DIS holds the edge at +5.2% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | LIONLionsgate Studios… | DISThe Walt Disney C… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $2.8B | $95.7B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $1.1B | $19.0B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$247M | $12.3B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$79M | $7.1B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +23.7% | +37.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +2.6% | +14.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -8.8% | +12.8% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -2.8% | +7.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +1.5% | +5.2% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -8.2% | -4.3% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, LION's 3.3x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than DIS's 11.9x.
| Metric | LIONLionsgate Studios… | DISThe Walt Disney C… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.4B | $188.2B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $5.8B | $227.3B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -19.16x | 15.34x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 39.24x | 15.94x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 3.27x | 11.87x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.75x | 1.99x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 1.66x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 18.67x |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), DIS scores 8/9 vs LION's 4/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | LIONLionsgate Studios… | DISThe Walt Disney C… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | +10.7% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -4.7% | +6.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +3.8% | +6.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +7.4% | +8.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 8 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 0.39x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $3.5B | $39.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $206M | $5.7B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $3.7B | $44.9B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -0.11x | 7.86x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in LION five years ago would be worth $7,203 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $5,690 for DIS. Over the past 12 months, LION leads with a -1.1% total return vs DIS's -4.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors DIS at 2.3% vs LION's -10.4% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | LIONLionsgate Studios… | DISThe Walt Disney C… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -11.4% | -6.1% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -1.1% | -4.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -28.0% | +7.1% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -28.0% | -43.1% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -13.3% | +19.8% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -10.4% | +2.3% |
Risk & Volatility
LION is the less volatile stock with a 0.81 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than DIS's 1.10 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | LIONLionsgate Studios… | DISThe Walt Disney C… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.81x | 1.10x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $10.09 | $124.69 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $5.55 | $80.10 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +81.7% | +84.3% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 40.1 | 46.2 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 2.6M | 10.3M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates LION as "Buy" and DIS as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 32.6% upside for DIS (target: $139) vs 27.4% for LION (target: $11). DIS is the only dividend payer here at 0.95% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | LIONLionsgate Studios… | DISThe Walt Disney C… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $10.50 | $139.33 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 7 | 63 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +0.9% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $1.00 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +1.9% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | May 24 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lionsgate Studios C… (LION) | 100 | 80.68 | -19.3% |
| The Walt Disney Com… (DIS) | 100 | 101.63 | +1.6% |
Lionsgate Studios C… (LION) returned -28% over 5 years vs The Walt Disney Com… (DIS)'s -43%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lionsgate Studios C… (LION) | $129M | $3.2B | +2380.3% |
| The Walt Disney Com… (DIS) | $55.6B | $94.4B | +69.7% |
The Walt Disney Company's revenue grew from $55.6B (2016) to $94.4B (2025) — a 6.1% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lionsgate Studios C… (LION) | 30.1% | -4.0% | -113.4% |
| The Walt Disney Com… (DIS) | 16.9% | 13.1% | -22.2% |
The Walt Disney Company's net margin went from 17% (2016) to 13% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Walt Disney Com… (DIS) | 18.9 | 16.6 | -12.2% |
The Walt Disney Company has traded in a 13x–142x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~15x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lionsgate Studios C… (LION) | 1.5 | -0.43 | -128.7% |
| The Walt Disney Com… (DIS) | 5.73 | 6.85 | +19.5% |
The Walt Disney Company's EPS grew from $5.73 (2016) to $6.85 (2025) — a 2% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Lionsgate Studios Corp. generated $-120M FCF in 2024 (+73% vs 2021). The Walt Disney Company generated $10B FCF in 2025 (+407% vs 2021).
LION vs DIS: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is LION or DIS a better buy right now?
The Walt Disney Company (DIS) offers the better valuation at 15.3x trailing P/E (15.9x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Lionsgate Studios Corp. (LION) a "Buy" — based on 7 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 — LION or DIS?
On forward P/E, The Walt Disney Company is actually cheaper at 15.9x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — LION or DIS?
Over the past 5 years, Lionsgate Studios Corp. (LION) delivered a total return of -28.0%, compared to -43.1% for The Walt Disney Company (DIS). A $10,000 investment in LION five years ago would be worth approximately $7K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: DIS returned +19.8% versus LION's -13.3%. 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 — LION or DIS?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Lionsgate Studios Corp. (LION) is the lower-risk stock at 0.81β versus The Walt Disney Company's 1.10β — meaning DIS is approximately 36% more volatile than LION relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — LION or DIS?
The Walt Disney Company (DIS) is the more profitable company, earning 13.1% net margin versus -4.0% for Lionsgate Studios Corp. — meaning it keeps 13.1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: DIS leads at 14.6% versus 3.9% for LION. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — DIS leads at 37.8%, 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 LION or DIS more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, The Walt Disney Company (DIS) trades at 15.9x forward P/E versus 39.2x for Lionsgate Studios Corp. — 23.3x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for DIS: 32.6% to $139.33.
07Which pays a better dividend — LION or DIS?
In this comparison, DIS (0.9% yield) pays a dividend. LION does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is LION or DIS better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, The Walt Disney Company (DIS) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.10), 0.9% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (DIS: +19.8%, LION: -13.3%), 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 LION and DIS?
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: LION is a small-cap quality compounder stock; DIS is a mid-cap deep-value stock. DIS pays a dividend while LION 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.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.