Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare News Corporation (NWS) vs Lionsgate Studios Corp. (LION) 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 | LION | 7.0% revenue growth vs NWS's 2.4% |
| Value | NWS | Lower P/E (25.0x vs 39.2x) |
| Quality / Margins | NWS | 5.1% net margin vs LION's -8.8% |
| Stability / Safety | NWS | Beta 0.79 vs LION's 0.81 |
| Dividends | NWS | 1.2% yield; 1-year raise streak; LION pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | LION | -1.1% vs NWS's -16.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | NWS | 2.8% ROA vs LION's -4.7%, ROIC 10.5% vs 3.8% |
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
News Corporation is a global media and information services company that creates and distributes authoritative content across newspapers, books, digital platforms, and subscription video services. It generates revenue primarily through digital real estate services — including REA Group in Australia — subscription fees for Dow Jones publications like The Wall Street Journal, and advertising across its news media properties. The company's competitive advantage lies in its portfolio of iconic, trusted brands with deep journalistic heritage and its strategic shift toward higher-margin digital and subscription-based revenue streams.
Lionsgate Studios is a major independent entertainment company that produces and distributes films and television content globally. It generates revenue primarily from film distribution (theatrical and home entertainment), television production and licensing, and its extensive content library — which includes valuable franchises like The Hunger Games and John Wick. The company's competitive advantage lies in its diversified content portfolio, valuable intellectual property franchises, and established distribution networks that allow it to operate independently of major Hollywood studios.
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
NWS leads in 3 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Profitability & Efficiency. 2 categories are tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
NWS is the larger business by revenue, generating $8.6B annually — 3.1x LION's $2.8B. NWS is the more profitable business, keeping 5.1% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to LION's -8.8%. On growth, NWS holds the edge at +5.5% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | NWSNews Corporation | LIONLionsgate Studios… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $8.6B | $2.8B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $1.8B | $1.1B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $439M | -$247M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $652M | -$79M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +55.0% | +23.7% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +15.2% | +2.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +5.1% | -8.8% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +7.6% | -2.8% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +5.5% | +1.5% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -10.5% | -8.2% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, LION's 3.3x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than NWS's 3.5x.
| Metric | NWSNews Corporation | LIONLionsgate Studios… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $5.0B | $2.4B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $5.5B | $5.8B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 32.42x | -19.16x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 25.00x | 39.24x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 3.45x | 3.27x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.59x | 0.75x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.59x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 6.83x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), NWS scores 8/9 vs LION's 4/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | NWSNews Corporation | LIONLionsgate Studios… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +4.6% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +2.8% | -4.7% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +10.5% | +3.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +10.7% | +7.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 8 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.31x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $537M | $3.5B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $2.4B | $206M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $2.9B | $3.7B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 24.23x | -0.11x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in NWS five years ago would be worth $11,872 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $7,203 for LION. Over the past 12 months, LION leads with a -1.1% total return vs NWS's -16.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors NWS at 15.5% vs LION's -10.4% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | NWSNews Corporation | LIONLionsgate Studios… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -11.8% | -11.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -16.7% | -1.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +53.9% | -28.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +18.7% | -28.0% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +143.6% | -13.3% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +15.5% | -10.4% |
Risk & Volatility
NWS is the less volatile stock with a 0.79 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than LION's 0.81 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. LION currently trades 81.7% from its 52-week high vs NWS's 73.8% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | NWSNews Corporation | LIONLionsgate Studios… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.79x | 0.81x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $35.58 | $10.09 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $25.49 | $5.55 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +73.8% | +81.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 35.3 | 40.1 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.2M | 2.6M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates NWS as "Buy" and LION as "Buy". NWS is the only dividend payer here at 1.24% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | NWSNews Corporation | LIONLionsgate Studios… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $10.50 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 33 | 7 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +1.2% | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.32 | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +3.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Jun 24 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| News Corporation (NWS) | 100 | 110.13 | +10.1% |
| Lionsgate Studios C… (LION) | 72.12 | 80.68 | +11.9% |
News Corporation (NWS) returned +19% over 5 years vs Lionsgate Studios C… (LION)'s -28%. A $10,000 investment in NWS 5 years ago would be worth $11,872 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| News Corporation (NWS) | $8.3B | $8.5B | +1.9% |
| Lionsgate Studios C… (LION) | $129M | $3.2B | +2380.3% |
News Corporation's revenue grew from $8.3B (2016) to $8.5B (2025) — a 0.2% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| News Corporation (NWS) | 2.2% | 5.5% | +154.3% |
| Lionsgate Studios C… (LION) | 30.1% | -4.0% | -113.4% |
News Corporation's net margin went from 2% (2016) to 5% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 6 Years
| Stock | 2019 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| News Corporation (NWS) | 37.2 | 36.6 | -1.6% |
News Corporation has traded in a 18x–99x P/E range over 6 years; current trailing P/E is ~32x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| News Corporation (NWS) | 0.3 | 0.81 | +170.0% |
| Lionsgate Studios C… (LION) | 1.5 | -0.43 | -128.7% |
News Corporation's EPS grew from $0.30 (2016) to $0.81 (2025) — a 12% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
News Corporation generated $727M FCF in 2025 (-14% vs 2021). Lionsgate Studios Corp. generated $-120M FCF in 2024 (+73% vs 2021).
NWS vs LION: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is NWS or LION a better buy right now?
News Corporation (NWS) offers the better valuation at 32.4x trailing P/E (25.0x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate News Corporation (NWS) a "Buy" — based on 33 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 has the better valuation — NWS or LION?
On forward P/E, News Corporation is actually cheaper at 25.0x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — NWS or LION?
Over the past 5 years, News Corporation (NWS) delivered a total return of +18.7%, compared to -28.0% for Lionsgate Studios Corp. (LION). A $10,000 investment in NWS five years ago would be worth approximately $12K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: NWS returned +143.6% versus LION's -13.3%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — NWS or LION?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), News Corporation (NWS) is the lower-risk stock at 0.79β versus Lionsgate Studios Corp.'s 0.81β — meaning LION is approximately 3% more volatile than NWS relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — NWS or LION?
News Corporation (NWS) is the more profitable company, earning 5.5% net margin versus -4.0% for Lionsgate Studios Corp. — meaning it keeps 5.5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: NWS leads at 16.7% versus 3.9% for LION. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — NWS leads at 56.2%, 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.
06Is NWS or LION more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, News Corporation (NWS) trades at 25.0x forward P/E versus 39.2x for Lionsgate Studios Corp. — 14.2x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis.
07Which pays a better dividend — NWS or LION?
In this comparison, NWS (1.2% yield) pays a dividend. LION does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is NWS or LION better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, News Corporation (NWS) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.79), 1.2% yield, +143.6% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (NWS: +143.6%, LION: -13.3%), 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.
09What are the main differences between NWS and LION?
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. NWS pays a dividend while LION 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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