Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare MarketWise, Inc. (MKTW) vs Forge Global Holdings, Inc. (FRGE) 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 | FRGE | 13.6% revenue growth vs MKTW's -8.8% |
| Quality / Margins | MKTW | 1.7% net margin vs FRGE's -67.4% |
| Stability / Safety | FRGE | Beta 0.56 vs MKTW's 0.70 |
| Dividends | MKTW | 5.5% yield; FRGE pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | FRGE | +200.0% vs MKTW's +25.8% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | MKTW | 2.9% ROA vs FRGE's -24.8% |
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
MarketWise operates a multi-brand subscription platform that provides financial research, software, and educational tools for individual investors. It generates revenue primarily through subscription fees for its various investment research services and analytical software tools. The company's competitive advantage lies in its portfolio of established financial research brands and its large subscriber base of nearly 1 million paid users.
Forge Global operates a marketplace and technology platform for trading private company shares. It generates revenue primarily through transaction fees from secondary market trades in private securities — supplemented by data subscriptions and technology services for market participants. The company's key advantage is its established network effect and proprietary technology infrastructure that connects private companies, shareholders, and accredited investors in a traditionally illiquid market.
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
MKTW leads in 2 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). FRGE leads in 2 (Total Returns, Risk & Volatility). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
MKTW is the larger business by revenue, generating $342M annually — 3.7x FRGE's $93M. MKTW is the more profitable business, keeping 1.7% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to FRGE's -67.4%. On growth, FRGE holds the edge at +10.6% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | MKTWMarketWise, Inc. | FRGEForge Global Hold… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $342M | $93M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $76M | -$64M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $6M | -$63M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $27M | -$40M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +87.0% | +11.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +21.5% | -73.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +1.7% | -67.4% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +8.0% | -43.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -16.4% | +10.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -33.3% | +8.1% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | MKTWMarketWise, Inc. | FRGEForge Global Hold… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $191M | $8.4B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $97M | $8.3B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 3.93x | -8.29x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 1.06x | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.47x | 105.74x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 2.42x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), MKTW scores 4/9 vs FRGE's 3/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | MKTWMarketWise, Inc. | FRGEForge Global Hold… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | -30.3% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +2.9% | -24.8% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | — | -45.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +8.1% | -31.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 0.06x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$94M | -$91M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $98M | $105M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $4M | $15M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in FRGE five years ago would be worth $2,927 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $959 for MKTW. Over the past 12 months, FRGE leads with a +200.0% total return vs MKTW's +25.8%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors FRGE at 18.6% vs MKTW's -19.8% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | MKTWMarketWise, Inc. | FRGEForge Global Hold… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -6.8% | +1.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +25.8% | +200.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -48.4% | +66.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -90.4% | -70.7% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -89.7% | -70.9% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -19.8% | +18.6% |
Risk & Volatility
FRGE is the less volatile stock with a 0.56 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than MKTW's 0.70 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. FRGE currently trades 99.9% from its 52-week high vs MKTW's 64.5% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | MKTWMarketWise, Inc. | FRGEForge Global Hold… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.70x | 0.56x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $21.74 | $45.03 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $9.07 | $6.60 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +64.5% | +99.9% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 44.5 | 64.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 11K | 146K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates MKTW as "Hold" and FRGE as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 0.0% upside for FRGE (target: $45) vs -75.0% for MKTW (target: $4). MKTW is the only dividend payer here at 5.45% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | MKTWMarketWise, Inc. | FRGEForge Global Hold… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $3.50 | $45.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 7 | 5 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +5.5% | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.76 | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +5.7% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MarketWise, Inc. (MKTW) | 100 | 8.04 | -92.0% |
| Forge Global Holdin… (FRGE) | 100 | 28.88 | -71.1% |
Forge Global Holdin… (FRGE) returned -71% over 5 years vs MarketWise, Inc. (MKTW)'s -90%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2019 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MarketWise, Inc. (MKTW) | $272M | $409M | +50.1% |
| Forge Global Holdin… (FRGE) | $24M | $79M | +229.9% |
MarketWise, Inc.'s revenue grew from $272M (2019) to $409M (2024) — a 8.5% CAGR. Forge Global Holdings, Inc.'s revenue grew from $24M (2019) to $79M (2024) — a 27.0% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2019 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MarketWise, Inc. (MKTW) | 10.3% | 1.7% | -83.2% |
| Forge Global Holdin… (FRGE) | -63.4% | -83.6% | -32.0% |
MarketWise, Inc.'s net margin went from 10% (2019) to 2% (2024). Forge Global Holdings, Inc.'s net margin went from -63% (2019) to -84% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 3 Years
| Stock | 2022 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MarketWise, Inc. (MKTW) | 2.3 | 3.2 | +39.1% |
MarketWise, Inc. has traded in a 2x–55x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~4x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2019 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MarketWise, Inc. (MKTW) | 10.8 | 3.57 | -66.9% |
| Forge Global Holdin… (FRGE) | -4.42 | -5.43 | -22.9% |
MarketWise, Inc.'s EPS grew from $10.80 (2019) to $3.57 (2024) — a -20% CAGR. Forge Global Holdings, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-4.42 (2019) to $-5.43 (2024).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
MarketWise, Inc. generated $-23M FCF in 2024 (-137% vs 2021). Forge Global Holdings, Inc. generated $-41M FCF in 2024 (-641% vs 2021).
MKTW vs FRGE: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is MKTW or FRGE a better buy right now?
MarketWise, Inc. (MKTW) offers the better valuation at 3.9x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate MarketWise, Inc. (MKTW) a "Hold" — based on 7 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 — MKTW or FRGE?
Over the past 5 years, Forge Global Holdings, Inc. (FRGE) delivered a total return of -70.7%, compared to -90.4% for MarketWise, Inc. (MKTW). A $10,000 investment in FRGE five years ago would be worth approximately $3K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: FRGE returned -70.9% versus MKTW's -89.7%. 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 — MKTW or FRGE?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Forge Global Holdings, Inc. (FRGE) is the lower-risk stock at 0.56β versus MarketWise, Inc.'s 0.70β — meaning MKTW is approximately 26% more volatile than FRGE relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — MKTW or FRGE?
MarketWise, Inc. (MKTW) is the more profitable company, earning 1.7% net margin versus -83.6% for Forge Global Holdings, Inc. — meaning it keeps 1.7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MKTW leads at 21.8% versus -103.7% for FRGE. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — MKTW leads at 87.6%, 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 — MKTW or FRGE?
In this comparison, MKTW (5.5% yield) pays a dividend. FRGE does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
06Is MKTW or FRGE better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, MarketWise, Inc. (MKTW) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.70), 5.5% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (MKTW: -89.7%, FRGE: -70.9%), 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 MKTW and FRGE?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. In terms of investment character: MKTW is a small-cap deep-value stock; FRGE is a small-cap quality compounder stock. MKTW pays a dividend while FRGE 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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