Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Manchester United plc (MANU) vs Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSGE) 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 | MANU | 0.7% revenue growth vs MSGE's -1.7% |
| Value | MANU | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | MSGE | 5.1% net margin vs MANU's -1.4% |
| Stability / Safety | MANU | Beta 0.72 vs MSGE's 0.99 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | MSGE | +82.9% vs MANU's +22.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | MSGE | 2.8% ROA vs MANU's -0.5%, ROIC 8.5% 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.
Madison Square Garden Entertainment is a live entertainment company that produces and hosts concerts, sporting events, and theatrical productions in iconic venues like Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall. It generates revenue primarily from ticket sales, venue rentals, and food/beverage concessions at its events — supplemented by operating high-end dining and nightlife venues under brands like Tao and Marquee. The company's key advantage is its ownership of legendary, irreplaceable venues in prime New York City locations that attract top-tier talent and command premium pricing.
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
MSGE leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). MANU leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
MSGE is the larger business by revenue, generating $1.0B annually — 1.5x MANU's $655M. MSGE is the more profitable business, keeping 5.1% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to MANU's -1.4%. On growth, MSGE holds the edge at +12.9% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | MSGEMadison Square Ga… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $655M | $1.0B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $238M | $195M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$9M | $52M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$135M | $207M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +64.8% | +46.1% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +2.8% | +13.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -1.4% | +5.1% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -20.6% | +20.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -4.2% | +12.9% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +115.1% | +24.4% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, MANU's 6.8x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than MSGE's 20.6x.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | MSGEMadison Square Ga… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.0B | $2.6B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.8B | $3.7B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -70.46x | 82.00x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 52.74x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 6.76x | 20.62x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.13x | 2.71x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 11.93x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 26.83x | 27.41x |
Profitability & Efficiency
MSGE delivers a 144.2% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $144 in annual profit, vs $-5 for MANU. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), MSGE scores 6/9 vs MANU's 5/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | MSGEMadison Square Ga… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -4.8% | +144.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -0.5% | +2.8% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -2.0% | +8.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -2.1% | +11.0% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 3.33x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $559M | $1.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $86M | $43M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $645M | $1.2B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 0.62x | 3.08x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in MANU five years ago would be worth $9,677 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $5,752 for MSGE. Over the past 12 months, MSGE leads with a +82.9% total return vs MANU's +22.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors MSGE at 1.4% vs MANU's -4.6% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | MSGEMadison Square Ga… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +14.1% | +16.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +22.9% | +82.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -13.2% | +4.3% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -3.2% | -42.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +34.6% | -28.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -4.6% | +1.4% |
Risk & Volatility
MANU is the less volatile stock with a 0.72 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than MSGE's 0.99 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. MSGE currently trades 96.8% 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… | MSGEMadison Square Ga… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.72x | 0.99x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $19.65 | $65.20 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $12.05 | $28.29 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +91.7% | +96.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 54.3 | 54.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 275K | 276K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates MANU as "Hold" and MSGE as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 4.5% upside for MSGE (target: $66) vs -0.3% for MANU (target: $18).
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | MSGEMadison Square Ga… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $17.95 | $66.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 10 | 12 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +1.6% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | May 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United p… (MANU) | 100 | 109.99 | +10.0% |
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGE) | 90.02 | 69.98 | -22.3% |
Manchester United p… (MANU) returned -3% over 5 years vs Madison Square Gard… (MSGE)'s -42%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United p… (MANU) | $515M | $667M | +29.3% |
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGE) | $989M | $943M | -4.7% |
Manchester United plc's revenue grew from $515M (2016) to $667M (2025) — a 2.9% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United p… (MANU) | 7.1% | -5.0% | -170.2% |
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGE) | 0.7% | 4.0% | +469.2% |
Manchester United plc's net margin went from 7% (2016) to -5% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 4 Years
| Stock | 2020 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGE) | 14.7 | 70 | +376.2% |
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. has traded in a 12x–70x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~82x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United p… (MANU) | 0.22 | -0.19 | -186.4% |
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGE) | 0.29 | 0.77 | +165.5% |
Manchester United plc's EPS grew from $0.22 (2016) to $-0.19 (2025) — a NaN% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Manchester United plc generated $28M FCF in 2025 (+189% vs 2021). Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. generated $93M FCF in 2025 (+159% vs 2021).
MANU vs MSGE: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is MANU or MSGE a better buy right now?
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSGE) offers the better valuation at 82.0x trailing P/E (52.7x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSGE) a "Buy" — based on 12 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 MSGE?
Over the past 5 years, Manchester United plc (MANU) delivered a total return of -3.2%, compared to -42.5% for Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSGE). 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 MSGE's -28.7%. 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 MSGE?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Manchester United plc (MANU) is the lower-risk stock at 0.72β versus Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.'s 0.99β — meaning MSGE is approximately 38% more volatile than MANU relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — MANU or MSGE?
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSGE) is the more profitable company, earning 4.0% net margin versus -5.0% for Manchester United plc — meaning it keeps 4.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MSGE leads at 13.0% 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.
05Is MANU or MSGE more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for MSGE: 4.5% to $66.00.
06Which pays a better dividend — MANU or MSGE?
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 MSGE 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%, MSGE: -28.7%), 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.
08What are the main differences between MANU and MSGE?
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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