Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Manchester United plc (MANU) vs Formula One Group (FWONK) 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 | MANU | 0.7% revenue growth vs FWONK's -100.0% |
| Value | FWONK | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | FWONK | 43.8% net margin vs MANU's -1.4% |
| Stability / Safety | FWONK | Beta 0.51 vs MANU's 0.72 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | MANU | +22.9% vs FWONK's -5.0% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | FWONK | 42.6% ROA vs MANU's -0.5% |
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.
Formula One Group is the commercial rights holder for the global Formula 1 motorsport championship. It generates revenue primarily from race promotion fees (about 30%), media rights sales (about 35%), and sponsorship deals (about 20%), with the remainder from hospitality and other sources. Its key moat is the exclusive, long-term commercial rights to the world's premier motorsport series — a globally recognized brand with high barriers to entry.
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
FWONK leads in 3 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). MANU leads in 1 (Financial Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
FWONK is the larger business by revenue, generating $1.0B annually — 1.6x MANU's $655M. FWONK is the more profitable business, keeping 43.8% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to MANU's -1.4%.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | FWONKFormula One Group |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $655M | $1.0B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $238M | $231M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$9M | $449M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$135M | $279M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +64.8% | -18.4% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +2.8% | -3.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -1.4% | +43.8% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -20.6% | +27.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -4.2% | -2.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +115.1% | +100.0% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | FWONKFormula One Group |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.0B | $20.4B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.8B | $19.4B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -70.46x | — |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 52.13x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 6.76x | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.13x | — |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 11.93x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 26.83x | 22.48x |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), MANU scores 5/9 vs FWONK's 3/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | FWONKFormula One Group |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -4.8% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -0.5% | +42.6% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -2.0% | — |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -2.1% | -0.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 3.33x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $559M | -$1.1B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $86M | $1.1B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $645M | $0 |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 0.62x | 3.35x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in FWONK five years ago would be worth $20,766 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $9,677 for MANU. Over the past 12 months, MANU leads with a +22.9% total return vs FWONK's -5.0%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors FWONK at 11.6% vs MANU's -4.6% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | FWONKFormula One Group |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +14.1% | -6.6% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +22.9% | -5.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -13.2% | +39.1% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -3.2% | +107.7% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +34.6% | +269.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -4.6% | +11.6% |
Risk & Volatility
FWONK is the less volatile stock with a 0.51 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than MANU's 0.72 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 FWONK's 83.8% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | FWONKFormula One Group |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.72x | 0.51x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $19.65 | $109.36 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $12.05 | $75.26 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +91.7% | +83.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 54.3 | 44.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 275K | 1.5M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates MANU as "Hold" and FWONK as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 30.2% upside for FWONK (target: $119) vs -0.3% for MANU (target: $18).
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | FWONKFormula One Group |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $17.95 | $119.25 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 10 | 24 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 1 |
| 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 | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United p… (MANU) | 100 | 97.24 | -2.8% |
| Formula One Group (FWONK) | 100 | 230.02 | +130.0% |
Formula One Group (FWONK) returned +108% over 5 years vs Manchester United p… (MANU)'s -3%. A $10,000 investment in FWONK 5 years ago would be worth $20,766 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United p… (MANU) | $515M | $667M | +29.3% |
| Formula One Group (FWONK) | $0.00 | $0.00 | — |
Manchester United plc's revenue grew from $515M (2016) to $667M (2025) — a 2.9% CAGR. Formula One Group's revenue grew from $0M (2016) to $0M (2025) — a 0.0% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United p… (MANU) | 7.1% | -5.0% | -170.2% |
| Formula One Group (FWONK) | 14.3% | -0.8% | -105.7% |
Manchester United plc's net margin went from 7% (2016) to -5% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 3 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formula One Group (FWONK) | 27.8 | 101.8 | +266.2% |
Formula One Group has traded in a 27x–102x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~102x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United p… (MANU) | 0.22 | -0.19 | -186.4% |
| Formula One Group (FWONK) | 1.02 | 0 | -100.0% |
Manchester United plc's EPS grew from $0.22 (2016) to $-0.19 (2025) — a NaN% CAGR. Formula One Group's EPS grew from $1.02 (2016) to $0.00 (2025) — a -100% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Manchester United plc generated $28M FCF in 2025 (+189% vs 2021). Formula One Group generated $908M FCF in 2025 (+96% vs 2021).
MANU vs FWONK: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is MANU or FWONK a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Formula One Group (FWONK) a "Buy" — based on 24 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 FWONK?
Over the past 5 years, Formula One Group (FWONK) delivered a total return of +107.7%, compared to -3.2% for Manchester United plc (MANU). A $10,000 investment in FWONK five years ago would be worth approximately $21K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: FWONK returned +269.5% versus MANU's +34.6%. 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 FWONK?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Formula One Group (FWONK) is the lower-risk stock at 0.51β versus Manchester United plc's 0.72β — meaning MANU is approximately 42% more volatile than FWONK relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — MANU or FWONK?
Formula One Group (FWONK) is the more profitable company, earning 43.8% net margin versus -5.0% for Manchester United plc — meaning it keeps 43.8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MANU leads at -2.8% versus -3.4% for FWONK. 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 FWONK more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for FWONK: 30.2% to $119.25.
06Which pays a better dividend — MANU or FWONK?
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.
07Is MANU or FWONK better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Formula One Group (FWONK) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.51), +269.5% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (FWONK: +269.5%, 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 FWONK?
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. 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.