Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Manchester United plc (MANU) vs Liberty Live Group (LLYVK) 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Value | LLYVK | Better valuation composite |
| Stability / Safety | MANU | Beta 0.72 vs LLYVK's 0.94 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | LLYVK | +35.8% vs MANU's +22.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | MANU | -0.5% ROA vs LLYVK's -19.2%, ROIC -2.0% vs -29.8% |
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
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.
Liberty Live Group is a live entertainment company that produces and promotes concerts, festivals, and other live events. It generates revenue primarily from ticket sales, venue operations, and sponsorship deals — with ticket sales typically representing the largest portion. The company's competitive advantage lies in its established relationships with major artists, exclusive venue partnerships, and expertise in large-scale event production.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
MANU leads in 2 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). LLYVK leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Total Returns). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
MANU and LLYVK operate at a comparable scale, with $655M and -$2.7B in trailing revenue.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | LLYVKLiberty Live Group |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $655M | -$2.7B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $238M | $179M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$9M | -$203M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$135M | $403M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +64.8% | — |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +2.8% | — |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -1.4% | — |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -20.6% | — |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -4.2% | — |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +115.1% | +83.8% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | LLYVKLiberty Live Group |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.0B | $6.4B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.8B | $5.3B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -70.46x | — |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 50.33x |
| 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 | 7.00x |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), MANU scores 5/9 vs LLYVK's 3/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | LLYVKLiberty Live Group |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -4.8% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -0.5% | -19.2% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -2.0% | -29.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -2.1% | -3.1% |
| 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 | -0.83x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in LLYVK five years ago would be worth $29,474 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $9,677 for MANU. Over the past 12 months, LLYVK leads with a +35.8% total return vs MANU's +22.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors LLYVK at 43.4% vs MANU's -4.6% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | LLYVKLiberty Live Group |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +14.1% | +18.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +22.9% | +35.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -13.2% | +194.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -3.2% | +194.7% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +34.6% | +194.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -4.6% | +43.4% |
Risk & Volatility
MANU is the less volatile stock with a 0.72 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than LLYVK's 0.94 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. LLYVK currently trades 97.1% from its 52-week high vs MANU's 91.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | LLYVKLiberty Live Group |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.72x | 0.94x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $19.65 | $102.62 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $12.05 | $60.55 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +91.7% | +97.1% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 54.3 | 70.2 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 275K | 355K |
Analyst Outlook
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | LLYVKLiberty Live Group |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | — |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $17.95 | — |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 10 | — |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 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 | Sep 23 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United p… (MANU) | 100 | 74.47 | -25.5% |
| Liberty Live Group (LLYVK) | 101.33 | 245.16 | +141.9% |
Liberty Live Group (LLYVK) returned +195% over 5 years vs Manchester United p… (MANU)'s -3%. A $10,000 investment in LLYVK 5 years ago would be worth $29,474 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United p… (MANU) | $515M | $667M | +29.3% |
| Liberty Live Group (LLYVK) | $0.00 | $0.00 | — |
Manchester United plc's revenue grew from $515M (2016) to $667M (2025) — a 2.9% CAGR.
Chart 3EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United p… (MANU) | 0.22 | -0.19 | -186.4% |
| Liberty Live Group (LLYVK) | -0 | 0 | +100.0% |
Manchester United plc's EPS grew from $0.22 (2016) to $-0.19 (2025) — a NaN% CAGR.
Chart 4Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Manchester United plc generated $28M FCF in 2025 (+189% vs 2021). Liberty Live Group generated $908M FCF in 2025 (+3732% vs 2021).
MANU vs LLYVK: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is MANU or LLYVK a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Manchester United plc (MANU) a "Hold" — based on 10 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 LLYVK?
Over the past 5 years, Liberty Live Group (LLYVK) delivered a total return of +194.7%, compared to -3.2% for Manchester United plc (MANU). A $10,000 investment in LLYVK five years ago would be worth approximately $29K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: LLYVK returned +194.7% 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 LLYVK?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Manchester United plc (MANU) is the lower-risk stock at 0.72β versus Liberty Live Group's 0.94β — meaning LLYVK is approximately 31% more volatile than MANU relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — MANU or LLYVK?
Liberty Live Group (LLYVK) is the more profitable company, earning 0.0% net margin versus -5.0% for Manchester United plc — meaning it keeps 0.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: LLYVK leads at 0.0% 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.
05Which pays a better dividend — MANU or LLYVK?
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.
06Is MANU or LLYVK better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Manchester United plc (MANU) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.72)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (MANU: +34.6%, LLYVK: +194.7%), 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 MANU and LLYVK?
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.
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