Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Santech Holdings Limited (STEC) vs Grab Holdings Limited (GRAB) 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 | GRAB | 20.5% revenue growth vs STEC's 7.7% |
| Value | STEC | Lower P/E (1.5x vs 38.5x) |
| Quality / Margins | GRAB | 7.9% net margin vs STEC's 5.7% |
| Stability / Safety | STEC | Beta 0.37 vs GRAB's 1.41, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | STEC | +6.8% vs GRAB's -13.0% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | STEC | 5.8% ROA vs GRAB's 2.2%, ROIC 28.6% vs 3.3% |
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
Santech Holdings is a Chinese consumer technology company exploring emerging digital opportunities. It generates revenue through new retail platforms, social e-commerce services, and metaverse-related ventures — though specific segment contributions are not clearly disclosed. The company's competitive advantage appears to be its early positioning in China's evolving digital landscape and its ability to pivot between emerging technology trends.
Grab is a Southeast Asian superapp that offers ride-hailing, food delivery, and digital financial services through a single mobile platform. It generates revenue primarily from its mobility segment — which includes ride-hailing and taxi services — and its deliveries segment — mainly food and grocery delivery — with financial services and enterprise offerings contributing smaller portions. The company's key advantage is its dominant first-mover position across Southeast Asia, creating a powerful network effect where its massive user base attracts more drivers and merchants, which in turn draws more users.
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
STEC leads in 4 of 6 categories — strongest in Valuation Metrics and Profitability & Efficiency. 1 category is tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
GRAB is the larger business by revenue, generating $3.4B annually — 1.6x STEC's $2.1B. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 7.9% (GRAB) to 5.7% (STEC).
| Metric | STECSantech Holdings … | GRABGrab Holdings Lim… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $2.1B | $3.4B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | — | $285M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | — | $267M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | — | -$2M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +41.2% | +43.2% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +9.4% | +3.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +5.7% | +7.9% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +24.1% | -0.1% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | +18.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | — |
Valuation Metrics
At 1.5x trailing earnings, STEC trades at a 98% valuation discount to GRAB's 66.2x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, STEC's 1.5x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than GRAB's 40.6x.
| Metric | STECSantech Holdings … | GRABGrab Holdings Lim… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.1B | $16.7B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $374M | $15.4B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 1.52x | 66.25x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 38.54x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 0.07x | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 1.48x | 40.55x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.51x | 4.97x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.15x | 2.63x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 2.10x | 124.99x |
Profitability & Efficiency
STEC delivers a 10.7% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $11 in annual profit, vs $4 for GRAB. STEC carries lower financial leverage with a 0.15x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to GRAB's 0.30x.
| Metric | STECSantech Holdings … | GRABGrab Holdings Lim… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +10.7% | +4.0% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +5.8% | +2.2% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +28.6% | +3.3% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +16.7% | +2.9% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.15x | 0.30x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$685M | -$1.4B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $869M | $3.4B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $184M | $2.1B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | 3.39x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in STEC five years ago would be worth $341,463 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $3,274 for GRAB. Over the past 12 months, STEC leads with a +682.6% total return vs GRAB's -13.0%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors STEC at 2.2% vs GRAB's 9.5% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | STECSantech Holdings … | GRABGrab Holdings Lim… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +800.0% | -16.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +682.6% | -13.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +3314.6% | +31.5% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +3314.6% | -67.3% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +3314.6% | -64.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +2.2% | +9.5% |
Risk & Volatility
STEC is the less volatile stock with a 0.37 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than GRAB's 1.41 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. STEC currently trades 84.0% from its 52-week high vs GRAB's 63.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | STECSantech Holdings … | GRABGrab Holdings Lim… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.37x | 1.41x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $15.00 | $6.62 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.44 | $3.36 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +84.0% | +63.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 60.8 | 46.9 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 4.4M | 43.1M |
Analyst Outlook
| Metric | STECSantech Holdings … | GRABGrab Holdings Lim… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $6.60 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 12 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +1.6% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Jul 24 | Jan 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santech Holdings Li… (STEC) | 100 | 379.4 | +279.4% |
| Grab Holdings Limit… (GRAB) | 100 | 156.79 | +56.8% |
Santech Holdings Li… (STEC) returned +3.3K% over 5 years vs Grab Holdings Limit… (GRAB)'s -67%. A $10,000 investment in STEC 5 years ago would be worth $341,463 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santech Holdings Li… (STEC) | $1.2B | $2.1B | +81.7% |
| Grab Holdings Limit… (GRAB) | $-845M | $3.4B | +498.8% |
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santech Holdings Li… (STEC) | 3.7% | 5.7% | +57.3% |
| Grab Holdings Limit… (GRAB) | 4.4% | 8.0% | +79.3% |
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santech Holdings Li… (STEC) | 3 | 8.3 | +176.7% |
| Grab Holdings Limit… (GRAB) | -0.95 | 0.06 | +106.7% |
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Santech Holdings Limited generated $504M FCF in 2022 (+9590% vs 2021). Grab Holdings Limited generated $134M FCF in 2025 (+113% vs 2021).
STEC vs GRAB: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is STEC or GRAB a better buy right now?
Santech Holdings Limited (STEC) offers the better valuation at 1.5x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Grab Holdings Limited (GRAB) a "Buy" — based on 12 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 — STEC or GRAB?
On trailing P/E, Santech Holdings Limited (STEC) is the cheapest at 1.5x versus Grab Holdings Limited at 66.2x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — STEC or GRAB?
Over the past 5 years, Santech Holdings Limited (STEC) delivered a total return of +33.1%, compared to -67.3% for Grab Holdings Limited (GRAB). A $10,000 investment in STEC five years ago would be worth approximately $13K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: STEC returned +33.1% versus GRAB's -64.5%. 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 — STEC or GRAB?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Santech Holdings Limited (STEC) is the lower-risk stock at 0.37β versus Grab Holdings Limited's 1.41β — meaning GRAB is approximately 283% more volatile than STEC relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Santech Holdings Limited (STEC) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 15% versus 30% for Grab Holdings Limited — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — STEC or GRAB?
Grab Holdings Limited (GRAB) is the more profitable company, earning 8.0% net margin versus 5.7% for Santech Holdings Limited — meaning it keeps 8.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: STEC leads at 9.4% versus 6.0% for GRAB. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — GRAB leads at 43.2%, 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.
06Which pays a better dividend — STEC or GRAB?
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.
07Is STEC or GRAB better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Santech Holdings Limited (STEC) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.37)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (STEC: +33.1%, GRAB: -64.5%), 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 STEC and GRAB?
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: STEC is a small-cap deep-value stock; GRAB is a mid-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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