Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Vivid Seats Inc. (SEAT) vs Groupon, Inc. (GRPN) 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 | SEAT | 8.8% revenue growth vs GRPN's -4.3% |
| Value | SEAT | Lower P/E (5.3x vs 16.7x) |
| Quality / Margins | SEAT | -24.1% net margin vs GRPN's -28.5% |
| Stability / Safety | GRPN | Beta 1.10 vs SEAT's 1.54 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | GRPN | +13.5% vs SEAT's -92.8% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | SEAT | -14.0% ROA vs GRPN's -23.3%, ROIC 4.2% vs 8.1% |
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
Vivid Seats operates an online secondary ticket marketplace connecting buyers and sellers for live events like sports, concerts, and theater shows. It makes money primarily through marketplace fees — taking a commission from both buyers and sellers on each transaction — with additional revenue from its proprietary Skybox software that helps sellers manage inventory across platforms. The company's moat lies in its established marketplace network and proprietary seller tools that create switching costs for ticket resellers.
Groupon operates an online marketplace that connects consumers with local merchants offering deals and discounts. It makes money primarily by taking a commission — typically 30-50% — on each deal sold through its platform, with additional revenue from direct sales of first-party inventory. The company's key advantage is its established network of millions of users and thousands of local merchants, creating a two-sided marketplace that's difficult for new entrants to replicate at scale.
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
GRPN leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Total Returns). SEAT leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Analyst Outlook). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
SEAT and GRPN operate at a comparable scale, with $644M and $496M in trailing revenue. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from -24.1% (SEAT) to -28.5% (GRPN). On growth, GRPN holds the edge at +7.3% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | SEATVivid Seats Inc. | GRPNGroupon, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $644M | $496M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$304M | $41M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$155M | -$142M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$30M | $60M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +71.5% | +90.4% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -55.3% | +4.0% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -24.1% | -28.5% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -4.7% | +12.1% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -26.9% | +7.3% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -4.8% | -10.4% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, SEAT's 2.1x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than GRPN's 16.8x.
| Metric | SEATVivid Seats Inc. | GRPNGroupon, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $23M | $644M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $187M | $668M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 5.32x | -8.36x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 16.68x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 2.12x | 16.84x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.03x | 1.31x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.10x | 12.04x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 0.46x | 16.12x |
Profitability & Efficiency
SEAT delivers a -46.2% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-46 in annual profit, vs $-160 for GRPN. SEAT carries lower financial leverage with a 0.66x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to GRPN's 6.16x.
| Metric | SEATVivid Seats Inc. | GRPNGroupon, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -46.2% | -159.7% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -14.0% | -23.3% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +4.2% | +8.1% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +3.7% | +3.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.66x | 6.16x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $164M | $24M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $243M | $229M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $408M | $253M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -8.46x | -6.09x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in GRPN five years ago would be worth $2,194 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $519 for SEAT. Over the past 12 months, GRPN leads with a +13.5% total return vs SEAT's -92.8%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors GRPN at 18.9% vs SEAT's -66.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | SEATVivid Seats Inc. | GRPNGroupon, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -14.9% | -27.1% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -92.8% | +13.5% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -96.1% | +68.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -94.8% | -78.1% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -94.6% | -86.8% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -66.1% | +18.9% |
Risk & Volatility
GRPN is the less volatile stock with a 1.10 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than SEAT's 1.54 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. GRPN currently trades 29.3% from its 52-week high vs SEAT's 7.0% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | SEATVivid Seats Inc. | GRPNGroupon, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.54x | 1.10x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $85.60 | $43.08 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $5.50 | $9.21 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +7.0% | +29.3% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 41.6 | 42.8 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 102K | 848K |
Analyst Outlook
| Metric | SEATVivid Seats Inc. | GRPNGroupon, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $25.25 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 46 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +100.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Oct 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vivid Seats Inc. (SEAT) | 100 | 3.58 | -96.4% |
| Groupon, Inc. (GRPN) | 100 | 72.12 | -27.9% |
Groupon, Inc. (GRPN) returned -78% over 5 years vs Vivid Seats Inc. (SEAT)'s -95%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vivid Seats Inc. (SEAT) | $469M | $776M | +65.4% |
| Groupon, Inc. (GRPN) | $3.1B | $493M | -84.2% |
Groupon, Inc.'s revenue grew from $3.1B (2015) to $493M (2024) — a -18.5% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vivid Seats Inc. (SEAT) | -11.5% | 1.2% | +110.6% |
| Groupon, Inc. (GRPN) | 0.7% | -12.0% | -1908.9% |
Groupon, Inc.'s net margin went from 1% (2015) to -12% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 3 Years
| Stock | 2022 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vivid Seats Inc. (SEAT) | 20.3 | 82.7 | +307.4% |
Vivid Seats Inc. has traded in a 20x–83x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~5x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vivid Seats Inc. (SEAT) | -24.8 | 1.12 | +104.5% |
| Groupon, Inc. (GRPN) | 0.6 | -1.51 | -351.7% |
Groupon, Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.60 (2015) to $-1.51 (2024) — a NaN% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Vivid Seats Inc. generated $50M FCF in 2024 (-70% vs 2021). Groupon, Inc. generated $40M FCF in 2024 (+123% vs 2021).
SEAT vs GRPN: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is SEAT or GRPN a better buy right now?
Vivid Seats Inc. (SEAT) offers the better valuation at 5.3x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Groupon, Inc. (GRPN) a "Hold" — based on 46 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 — SEAT or GRPN?
Over the past 5 years, Groupon, Inc. (GRPN) delivered a total return of -78.1%, compared to -94.8% for Vivid Seats Inc. (SEAT). A $10,000 investment in GRPN five years ago would be worth approximately $2K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: GRPN returned -86.8% versus SEAT's -94.6%. 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 — SEAT or GRPN?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Groupon, Inc. (GRPN) is the lower-risk stock at 1.10β versus Vivid Seats Inc.'s 1.54β — meaning SEAT is approximately 40% more volatile than GRPN relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Vivid Seats Inc. (SEAT) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 66% versus 6% for Groupon, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — SEAT or GRPN?
Vivid Seats Inc. (SEAT) is the more profitable company, earning 1.2% net margin versus -12.0% for Groupon, Inc. — meaning it keeps 1.2% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SEAT leads at 5.4% versus 1.8% for GRPN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — GRPN leads at 90.2%, 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.
05Which pays a better dividend — SEAT or GRPN?
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 SEAT or GRPN better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Groupon, Inc. (GRPN) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.10)). Vivid Seats Inc. (SEAT) carries a higher beta of 1.54 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (GRPN: -86.8%, SEAT: -94.6%), 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 SEAT and GRPN?
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. In terms of investment character: SEAT is a small-cap deep-value stock; GRPN is a small-cap quality compounder stock. 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 > 5%
- Gross Margin > 54%