Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME) vs 36Kr Holdings Inc. (KRKR) 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 | TME | 2.3% revenue growth vs KRKR's -32.1% |
| Value | KRKR | Lower P/E (0.1x vs 2.3x) |
| Quality / Margins | TME | 34.1% net margin vs KRKR's -26.6% |
| Stability / Safety | KRKR | Beta 0.76 vs TME's 0.87 |
| Dividends | TME | 1.0% yield; 3-year raise streak; KRKR pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | TME | +21.2% vs KRKR's -21.0% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | TME | 10.3% ROA vs KRKR's -19.7%, ROIC 11.6% vs -30.9% |
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
Tencent Music Entertainment operates China's largest online music entertainment ecosystem, providing music streaming, social karaoke, and live streaming services. It generates revenue primarily through music subscriptions (about 40% of revenue), social entertainment services like virtual gifting on live streams (about 60%), and advertising. Its key advantage is exclusive access to Tencent's vast music library and integration with WeChat's massive user base, creating a powerful network effect in China's music market.
36Kr is a Chinese digital media and business services platform focused on technology and innovation coverage. It generates revenue primarily through online advertising services and enterprise value-added services — including integrated marketing, event management, and consulting — with additional income from subscription services for investors and businesses. The company's competitive advantage lies in its specialized focus on China's tech ecosystem and its established brand as a trusted source for startup and innovation insights.
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
TME leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). KRKR leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
TME is the larger business by revenue, generating $31.7B annually — 93.2x KRKR's $340M. TME is the more profitable business, keeping 34.1% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to KRKR's -26.6%. On growth, TME holds the edge at +20.6% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | TMETencent Music Ent… | KRKR36Kr Holdings Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $31.7B | $340M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $13.4B | -$92M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $10.8B | -$91M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $10.0B | $253,372 |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +43.9% | +53.5% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +40.8% | -27.7% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +34.1% | -26.6% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +31.5% | +0.1% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +20.6% | +7.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +38.0% | +11.8% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | TMETencent Music Ent… | KRKR36Kr Holdings Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $10.3B | $3.2B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $9.3B | $3.2B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 23.62x | -0.30x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 2.27x | 0.09x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 1.93x | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 6.59x | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 2.50x | 94.78x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.25x | 0.34x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 7.68x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
TME delivers a 12.7% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $13 in annual profit, vs $-35 for KRKR. TME carries lower financial leverage with a 0.09x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to KRKR's 0.25x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), TME scores 7/9 vs KRKR's 3/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | TMETencent Music Ent… | KRKR36Kr Holdings Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +12.7% | -34.6% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +10.3% | -19.7% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +11.6% | -30.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +12.7% | -37.1% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 7 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.09x | 0.25x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$7.1B | -$7M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $13.2B | $37M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $6.1B | $30M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 802.03x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in TME five years ago would be worth $5,539 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $440 for KRKR. Over the past 12 months, TME leads with a +21.2% total return vs KRKR's -21.0%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors TME at 25.5% vs KRKR's -46.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | TMETencent Music Ent… | KRKR36Kr Holdings Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -18.3% | -23.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +21.2% | -21.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +97.8% | -84.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -44.6% | -95.6% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +6.5% | -98.6% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +25.5% | -46.1% |
Risk & Volatility
KRKR is the less volatile stock with a 0.76 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than TME's 0.87 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. TME currently trades 54.7% from its 52-week high vs KRKR's 16.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | TMETencent Music Ent… | KRKR36Kr Holdings Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.87x | 0.76x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $26.70 | $21.36 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $11.71 | $3.15 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +54.7% | +16.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 35.2 | 36.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 5.0M | 6K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates TME as "Buy" and KRKR as "Buy". TME is the only dividend payer here at 0.96% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | TMETencent Music Ent… | KRKR36Kr Holdings Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $25.00 | — |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 24 | 1 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +1.0% | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 3 | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.96 | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +2.7% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tencent Music Enter… (TME) | 100 | 136.44 | +36.4% |
| 36Kr Holdings Inc. (KRKR) | 100 | 4.64 | -95.4% |
Tencent Music Enter… (TME) returned -45% over 5 years vs 36Kr Holdings Inc. (KRKR)'s -96%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tencent Music Enter… (TME) | $4.4B | $28.4B | +551.2% |
| 36Kr Holdings Inc. (KRKR) | $121M | $231M | +91.7% |
Tencent Music Entertainment Group's revenue grew from $4.4B (2016) to $28.4B (2024) — a 26.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tencent Music Enter… (TME) | 1.9% | 23.4% | +1144.1% |
| 36Kr Holdings Inc. (KRKR) | 6.6% | -59.1% | -999.3% |
Tencent Music Entertainment Group's net margin went from 2% (2016) to 23% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 7 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tencent Music Enter… (TME) | 11.4 | 2.7 | -76.3% |
Tencent Music Entertainment Group has traded in a 3x–11x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~24x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tencent Music Enter… (TME) | 0.05 | 4.24 | +8363.1% |
| 36Kr Holdings Inc. (KRKR) | 17 | -81.75 | -580.9% |
Tencent Music Entertainment Group's EPS grew from $0.05 (2016) to $4.24 (2024) — a 74% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Tencent Music Entertainment Group generated $9B FCF in 2024 (+273% vs 2021). 36Kr Holdings Inc. generated $-33M FCF in 2024 (-117% vs 2021).
TME vs KRKR: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is TME or KRKR a better buy right now?
Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME) offers the better valuation at 23.6x trailing P/E (2.3x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME) a "Buy" — based on 24 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 — TME or KRKR?
On forward P/E, 36Kr Holdings Inc. is actually cheaper at 0.1x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.
03Which is the better long-term investment — TME or KRKR?
Over the past 5 years, Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME) delivered a total return of -44.6%, compared to -95.6% for 36Kr Holdings Inc. (KRKR). A $10,000 investment in TME five years ago would be worth approximately $6K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: TME returned +6.5% versus KRKR's -98.6%. 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 — TME or KRKR?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), 36Kr Holdings Inc. (KRKR) is the lower-risk stock at 0.76β versus Tencent Music Entertainment Group's 0.87β — meaning TME is approximately 14% more volatile than KRKR relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 9% versus 25% for 36Kr Holdings Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — TME or KRKR?
Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME) is the more profitable company, earning 23.4% net margin versus -59.1% for 36Kr Holdings Inc. — meaning it keeps 23.4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: TME leads at 30.7% versus -33.7% for KRKR. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — KRKR leads at 48.6%, 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.
06Is TME or KRKR more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, 36Kr Holdings Inc. (KRKR) trades at 0.1x forward P/E versus 2.3x for Tencent Music Entertainment Group — 2.2x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis.
07Which pays a better dividend — TME or KRKR?
In this comparison, TME (1.0% yield) pays a dividend. KRKR does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is TME or KRKR better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.87), 1.0% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (TME: +6.5%, KRKR: -98.6%), 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.
09What are the main differences between TME and KRKR?
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. TME pays a dividend while KRKR 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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- Market Cap > $100B
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