Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Manchester United plc (MANU) vs TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (TKO) 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 | TKO | 68.9% revenue growth vs MANU's 0.7% |
| Value | TKO | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | TKO | 4.1% net margin vs MANU's -1.4% |
| Stability / Safety | MANU | Beta 0.72 vs TKO's 0.75 |
| Dividends | TKO | 0.4% yield; 1-year raise streak; MANU pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | TKO | +50.1% vs MANU's +22.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | TKO | 1.3% ROA vs MANU's -0.5%, ROIC 5.3% 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.
TKO Group Holdings is a sports and entertainment company that operates major professional wrestling promotions including WWE and UFC. It generates revenue primarily from media rights deals and content distribution (~60%), live event ticket sales and merchandise (~25%), and sponsorships and advertising (~15%). The company's moat lies in its ownership of iconic, globally recognized wrestling and mixed martial arts brands with decades of fan loyalty and extensive content libraries.
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
TKO leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). MANU leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
TKO is the larger business by revenue, generating $4.7B annually — 7.2x MANU's $655M. TKO is the more profitable business, keeping 4.1% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to MANU's -1.4%. On growth, TKO holds the edge at +61.6% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | TKOTKO Group Holding… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $655M | $4.7B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $238M | $1.3B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$9M | $195M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$135M | $1.2B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +64.8% | -43.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +2.8% | +17.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -1.4% | +4.1% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -20.6% | +26.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -4.2% | +61.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +115.1% | -144.4% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, MANU's 6.8x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than TKO's 22.1x.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | TKOTKO Group Holding… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.0B | $26.0B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.8B | $29.2B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -70.46x | 99.06x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 37.18x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 83.11x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 6.76x | 22.15x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.13x | 5.49x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 11.93x | 4.71x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 26.83x | 20.23x |
Profitability & Efficiency
TKO delivers a 2.1% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $2 in annual profit, vs $-5 for MANU. TKO carries lower financial leverage with a 0.44x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to MANU's 3.33x.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | TKOTKO Group Holding… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -4.8% | +2.1% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -0.5% | +1.3% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -2.0% | +5.3% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -2.1% | +6.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 3.33x | 0.44x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $559M | $3.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $86M | $831M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $645M | $4.1B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 0.62x | 8.95x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in TKO five years ago would be worth $44,052 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $9,677 for MANU. Over the past 12 months, TKO leads with a +50.1% total return vs MANU's +22.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors TKO at 40.0% vs MANU's -4.6% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | TKOTKO Group Holding… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +14.1% | +8.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +22.9% | +50.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -13.2% | +174.1% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -3.2% | +340.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +34.6% | +1297.3% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -4.6% | +40.0% |
Risk & Volatility
MANU is the less volatile stock with a 0.72 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than TKO's 0.75 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. TKO currently trades 98.7% 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… | TKOTKO Group Holding… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.72x | 0.75x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $19.65 | $226.92 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $12.05 | $133.07 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +91.7% | +98.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 54.3 | 63.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 275K | 717K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates MANU as "Hold" and TKO as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 4.5% upside for TKO (target: $234) vs -0.3% for MANU (target: $18). TKO is the only dividend payer here at 0.43% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | MANUManchester United… | TKOTKO Group Holding… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $17.95 | $233.90 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 10 | 18 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +0.4% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $0.95 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +3.3% |
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% |
| TKO Group Holdings,… (TKO) | 100 | 432.53 | +332.5% |
TKO Group Holdings,… (TKO) returned +341% over 5 years vs Manchester United p… (MANU)'s -3%. A $10,000 investment in TKO 5 years ago would be worth $44,052 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United p… (MANU) | $515M | $667M | +29.3% |
| TKO Group Holdings,… (TKO) | $729M | $4.7B | +549.3% |
Manchester United plc's revenue grew from $515M (2016) to $667M (2025) — a 2.9% CAGR. TKO Group Holdings, Inc.'s revenue grew from $729M (2016) to $4.7B (2025) — a 23.1% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United p… (MANU) | 7.1% | -5.0% | -170.2% |
| TKO Group Holdings,… (TKO) | 4.6% | 11.3% | +142.5% |
Manchester United plc's net margin went from 7% (2016) to -5% (2025). TKO Group Holdings, Inc.'s net margin went from 5% (2016) to 11% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 7 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| TKO Group Holdings,… (TKO) | 72.8 | 92.5 | +27.1% |
TKO Group Holdings, Inc. has traded in a 15x–93x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~99x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United p… (MANU) | 0.22 | -0.19 | -186.4% |
| TKO Group Holdings,… (TKO) | 0.44 | 2.26 | +413.6% |
Manchester United plc's EPS grew from $0.22 (2016) to $-0.19 (2025) — a NaN% CAGR. TKO Group Holdings, Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.44 (2016) to $2.26 (2025) — a 20% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Manchester United plc generated $28M FCF in 2025 (+189% vs 2021). TKO Group Holdings, Inc. generated $1B FCF in 2025 (+823% vs 2021).
MANU vs TKO: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is MANU or TKO a better buy right now?
TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (TKO) offers the better valuation at 99.1x trailing P/E (37.2x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (TKO) a "Buy" — based on 18 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 TKO?
Over the past 5 years, TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (TKO) delivered a total return of +340.5%, compared to -3.2% for Manchester United plc (MANU). A $10,000 investment in TKO five years ago would be worth approximately $44K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: TKO returned +1297% 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 TKO?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Manchester United plc (MANU) is the lower-risk stock at 0.72β versus TKO Group Holdings, Inc.'s 0.75β — meaning TKO is approximately 5% more volatile than MANU relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (TKO) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 44% versus 3% for Manchester United plc — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — MANU or TKO?
TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (TKO) is the more profitable company, earning 11.3% net margin versus -5.0% for Manchester United plc — meaning it keeps 11.3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: TKO leads at 17.6% 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 TKO more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for TKO: 4.5% to $233.90.
06Which pays a better dividend — MANU or TKO?
In this comparison, TKO (0.4% yield) pays a dividend. MANU does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
07Is MANU or TKO better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (TKO) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.75), +1297% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (TKO: +1297%, 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 TKO?
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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- Sector: Communication Services
- Market Cap > $100B
- Revenue Growth > 30%
- Dividend Yield > 0.5%