Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Manchester United plc (MANU) vs The Walt Disney Company (DIS) 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 | DIS | 3.4% revenue growth vs MANU's 0.7% |
| Value | DIS | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | DIS | 12.8% net margin vs MANU's -1.4% |
| Stability / Safety | MANU | Beta 0.72 vs DIS's 1.10 |
| Dividends | DIS | 0.9% yield; 1-year raise streak; MANU pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | MANU | +22.9% vs DIS's -5.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | DIS | 6.1% ROA vs MANU's -0.5%, ROIC 6.9% vs -2.0% |
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
Manchester United is a global football club that generates revenue through three main streams: commercial sponsorships and merchandising (roughly 45%), broadcasting rights (roughly 35%), and matchday operations at Old Trafford stadium (roughly 20%). Its primary competitive advantage is its massive global brand recognition — built over decades of success — which attracts lucrative sponsorship deals and a worldwide fanbase that purchases merchandise and media content.
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
MANU leads in 3 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Total Returns). DIS leads in 2 (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
DIS is the larger business by revenue, generating $95.7B annually — 146.0x MANU's $655M. DIS is the more profitable business, keeping 12.8% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to MANU's -1.4%. On growth, DIS holds the edge at +5.2% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | DISThe Walt Disney C… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $655M | $95.7B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $238M | $19.0B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$9M | $12.3B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$135M | $7.1B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +64.8% | +37.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +2.8% | +14.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -1.4% | +12.8% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -20.6% | +7.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -4.2% | +5.2% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +115.1% | -4.3% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, MANU's 6.8x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than DIS's 12.0x.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | DISThe Walt Disney C… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.0B | $189.9B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.8B | $229.1B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -70.46x | 15.48x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 16.09x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 6.76x | 11.96x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.13x | 2.01x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 11.93x | 1.68x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 26.83x | 18.85x |
Profitability & Efficiency
DIS delivers a 10.7% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $11 in annual profit, vs $-5 for MANU. DIS carries lower financial leverage with a 0.39x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to MANU's 3.33x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), DIS scores 8/9 vs MANU's 5/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | DISThe Walt Disney C… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -4.8% | +10.7% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -0.5% | +6.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -2.0% | +6.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -2.1% | +8.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 8 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 3.33x | 0.39x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $559M | $39.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $86M | $5.7B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $645M | $44.9B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 0.62x | 7.86x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in MANU five years ago would be worth $9,677 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $5,567 for DIS. Over the past 12 months, MANU leads with a +22.9% total return vs DIS's -5.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors DIS at 2.9% vs MANU's -4.6% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | DISThe Walt Disney C… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +14.1% | -5.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +22.9% | -5.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -13.2% | +9.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -3.2% | -44.3% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +34.6% | +20.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -4.6% | +2.9% |
Risk & Volatility
MANU is the less volatile stock with a 0.72 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. MANU currently trades 91.7% from its 52-week high vs DIS's 85.0% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | DISThe Walt Disney C… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.72x | 1.10x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $19.65 | $124.69 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $12.05 | $80.10 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +91.7% | +85.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 54.3 | 45.6 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 275K | 9.5M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates MANU as "Hold" and DIS as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 31.4% upside for DIS (target: $139) vs -0.3% for MANU (target: $18). DIS is the only dividend payer here at 0.94% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | DISThe Walt Disney C… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $17.95 | $139.33 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 10 | 63 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +0.9% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $1.00 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +1.8% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United p… (MANU) | 100 | 97.24 | -2.8% |
| The Walt Disney Com… (DIS) | 100 | 87.06 | -12.9% |
Manchester United p… (MANU) returned -3% over 5 years vs The Walt Disney Com… (DIS)'s -44%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United p… (MANU) | $515M | $667M | +29.3% |
| The Walt Disney Com… (DIS) | $55.6B | $94.4B | +69.7% |
Manchester United plc's revenue grew from $515M (2016) to $667M (2025) — a 2.9% CAGR. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United p… (MANU) | 7.1% | -5.0% | -170.2% |
| The Walt Disney Com… (DIS) | 16.9% | 13.1% | -22.2% |
Manchester United plc's net margin went from 7% (2016) to -5% (2025). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United p… (MANU) | 0.22 | -0.19 | -186.4% |
| The Walt Disney Com… (DIS) | 5.73 | 6.85 | +19.5% |
Manchester United plc's EPS grew from $0.22 (2016) to $-0.19 (2025) — a NaN% CAGR. The Walt Disney Company's EPS grew from $5.73 (2016) to $6.85 (2025) — a 2% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Manchester United plc generated $28M FCF in 2025 (+189% vs 2021). The Walt Disney Company generated $10B FCF in 2025 (+407% vs 2021).
MANU vs DIS: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is MANU or DIS a better buy right now?
The Walt Disney Company (DIS) offers the better valuation at 15.5x trailing P/E (16.1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate The Walt Disney Company (DIS) a "Buy" — based on 63 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 — MANU or DIS?
Over the past 5 years, Manchester United plc (MANU) delivered a total return of -3.2%, compared to -44.3% for The Walt Disney Company (DIS). A $10,000 investment in MANU five years ago would be worth approximately $10K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: MANU returned +34.6% versus DIS's +20.5%. 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 — MANU or DIS?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Manchester United plc (MANU) is the lower-risk stock at 0.72β versus The Walt Disney Company's 1.10β — meaning DIS is approximately 53% more volatile than MANU relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, The Walt Disney Company (DIS) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 39% versus 3% for Manchester United plc — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — MANU or DIS?
The Walt Disney Company (DIS) is the more profitable company, earning 13.1% net margin versus -5.0% for Manchester United plc — 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 -2.8% for MANU. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — MANU leads at 82.3%, 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.
05Is MANU or DIS more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for DIS: 31.4% to $139.33.
06Which pays a better dividend — MANU or DIS?
In this comparison, DIS (0.9% yield) pays a dividend. MANU does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
07Is MANU 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: +20.5%, MANU: +34.6%), 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.
08What are the main differences between MANU 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: MANU is a small-cap quality compounder stock; DIS is a mid-cap deep-value stock. DIS pays a dividend while MANU 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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