Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare NextNav Inc. (NN) vs Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) 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 | NN | 46.8% revenue growth vs CMCM's 20.5% |
| Quality / Margins | CMCM | -40.2% net margin vs NN's -27.7% |
| Stability / Safety | CMCM | Beta 1.16 vs NN's 1.23, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | NN | +53.4% vs CMCM's +16.3% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | CMCM | -8.7% ROA vs NN's -58.4%, ROIC -58.3% vs -61.5% |
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
NextNav provides next-generation 3D geolocation and positioning services as an alternative to traditional GPS. It makes money by selling its Pinnacle 3D geolocation service — available in thousands of U.S. cities — and its TerraPoiNT terrestrial-based encrypted timing network directly to customers and through partners. The company's key advantage is its terrestrial-based encrypted network that provides more reliable indoor and urban positioning where GPS signals are weak or unavailable.
Cheetah Mobile is a Chinese internet company that develops mobile utility apps — primarily security and cleaning tools — and casual mobile games. It generates revenue mainly through mobile advertising (roughly 70-80% of total) and to a lesser extent from in-app purchases in its games and premium subscription services. Its competitive advantage stems from its large installed base of utility apps — particularly Clean Master and Security Master — which provide a captive audience for its advertising network.
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
CMCM leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). NN leads in 1 (Total Returns). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
CMCM is the larger business by revenue, generating $1.1B annually — 194.7x NN's $6M. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from -40.2% (CMCM) to -27.7% (NN). On growth, CMCM holds the edge at +49.6% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | NNNextNav Inc. | CMCMCheetah Mobile In… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $6M | $1.1B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$64M | -$62M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$154M | -$434M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$47M | $0 |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | -64.6% | +74.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -12.4% | -22.3% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -27.7% | -40.2% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -8.5% | -32.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -44.8% | +49.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -9.1% | +72.9% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | NNNextNav Inc. | CMCMCheetah Mobile In… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.1B | $6.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.1B | $6.0B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -19.15x | -0.04x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 372.20x | 53.15x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 39.00x | 0.01x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
CMCM delivers a -19.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-20 in annual profit, vs $-156 for NN. CMCM carries lower financial leverage with a 0.03x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to NN's 1.43x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), CMCM scores 4/9 vs NN's 3/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | NNNextNav Inc. | CMCMCheetah Mobile In… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -156.5% | -19.8% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -58.4% | -8.7% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -61.5% | -58.3% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -39.8% | -16.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.43x | 0.03x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $32M | -$1.8B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $39M | $1.8B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $71M | $75M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -6.08x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in NN five years ago would be worth $15,698 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $4,212 for CMCM. Over the past 12 months, NN leads with a +53.4% total return vs CMCM's +16.3%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors NN at 80.0% vs CMCM's 34.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | NNNextNav Inc. | CMCMCheetah Mobile In… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -0.8% | -1.8% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +53.4% | +16.3% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +483.0% | +141.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +57.0% | -57.9% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +65.0% | -78.6% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +80.0% | +34.1% |
Risk & Volatility
CMCM is the less volatile stock with a 1.16 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than NN's 1.23 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. NN currently trades 88.2% from its 52-week high vs CMCM's 65.1% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | NNNextNav Inc. | CMCMCheetah Mobile In… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.23x | 1.16x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $18.25 | $9.44 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $9.05 | $3.28 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +88.2% | +65.1% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 58.5 | 50.6 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.0M | 13K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates NN as "Buy" and CMCM as "Buy".
| Metric | NNNextNav Inc. | CMCMCheetah Mobile In… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $9.00 | — |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 3 | 8 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 3 |
| 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 | Nov 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NextNav Inc. (NN) | 100 | 151.79 | +51.8% |
| Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) | 100 | 68.45 | -31.6% |
NextNav Inc. (NN) returned +57% over 5 years vs Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM)'s -58%. A $10,000 investment in NN 5 years ago would be worth $15,698 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NextNav Inc. (NN) | $164000.00 | $6M | +3356.7% |
| Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) | $581M | $807M | +38.8% |
Cheetah Mobile Inc.'s revenue grew from $581M (2015) to $807M (2024) — a 3.7% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NextNav Inc. (NN) | -602.3% | -18.0% | +97.0% |
| Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) | 4.7% | -76.5% | -1737.9% |
Cheetah Mobile Inc.'s net margin went from 5% (2015) to -77% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 3 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) | 0.2 | 0 | -100.0% |
Cheetah Mobile Inc. has traded in a 0x–0x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~-0x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NextNav Inc. (NN) | -6.27 | -0.84 | +86.6% |
| Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) | 47.5 | -1,027 | -2262.1% |
Cheetah Mobile Inc.'s EPS grew from $47.50 (2015) to $-1027.00 (2024) — a NaN% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
NextNav Inc. generated $-38M FCF in 2024 (+22% vs 2021). Cheetah Mobile Inc. generated $-261M FCF in 2024 (-566% vs 2021).
NN vs CMCM: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is NN or CMCM a better buy right now?
Analysts rate NextNav Inc. (NN) a "Buy" — based on 3 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 — NN or CMCM?
Over the past 5 years, NextNav Inc. (NN) delivered a total return of +57.0%, compared to -57.9% for Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM). A $10,000 investment in NN five years ago would be worth approximately $16K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: NN returned +65.0% versus CMCM's -78.6%. 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 — NN or CMCM?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) is the lower-risk stock at 1.16β versus NextNav Inc.'s 1.23β — meaning NN is approximately 6% more volatile than CMCM relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 3% versus 143% for NextNav Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — NN or CMCM?
Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) is the more profitable company, earning -76.5% net margin versus -1797.1% for NextNav Inc. — meaning it keeps -76.5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: CMCM leads at -54.2% versus -1060.1% for NN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CMCM leads at 67.6%, 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 — NN or CMCM?
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 NN or CMCM better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, NextNav Inc. (NN) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.23)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (NN: +65.0%, CMCM: -78.6%), 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.
07What are the main differences between NN and CMCM?
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 > 24%
- Gross Margin > 44%