Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Kartoon Studios Inc. (TOON) vs The Walt Disney Company (DIS) 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 | DIS | 3.4% revenue growth vs TOON's -26.1% |
| Quality / Margins | DIS | 12.8% net margin vs TOON's -64.1% |
| Stability / Safety | TOON | Beta 0.95 vs DIS's 1.10 |
| Dividends | DIS | 0.9% yield; 1-year raise streak; TOON pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | TOON | +2.0% vs DIS's -4.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | DIS | 6.1% ROA vs TOON's -37.5%, ROIC 6.9% vs -20.6% |
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
Kartoon Studios is a children's entertainment company that creates, produces, and distributes animated educational content across multiple platforms. It generates revenue through content licensing to broadcasters and streaming platforms, consumer products licensing, and advertising from its own cartoon channel — with licensing fees representing the primary income stream. The company's competitive advantage lies in its portfolio of established children's IPs — including Cocomelon, Barbie, and Octonauts — which provide brand recognition and cross-platform monetization opportunities.
The Walt Disney Company is a global entertainment conglomerate that creates and distributes content across film, television, and streaming platforms while operating theme parks and consumer products. It generates revenue primarily through its media networks and streaming services (Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu) — roughly 60% of revenue — and its parks, experiences, and products segment — about 30% of revenue. Disney's key competitive advantage is its unparalleled portfolio of iconic intellectual property — including Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and Disney classics — which drives cross-platform monetization and creates a powerful content flywheel.
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
DIS leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). TOON leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
DIS is the larger business by revenue, generating $95.7B annually — 2450.1x TOON's $39M. DIS is the more profitable business, keeping 12.8% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to TOON's -64.1%. On growth, TOON holds the edge at +13.3% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | TOONKartoon Studios I… | DISThe Walt Disney C… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $39M | $95.7B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$9M | $19.0B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$25M | $12.3B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$14M | $7.1B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +26.2% | +37.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -32.5% | +14.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -64.1% | +12.8% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -36.7% | +7.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +13.3% | +5.2% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -168.7% | -4.3% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | TOONKartoon Studios I… | DISThe Walt Disney C… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $27M | $188.2B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $36M | $227.3B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -1.07x | 15.34x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 15.94x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 11.87x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.82x | 1.99x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.61x | 1.66x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 18.67x |
Profitability & Efficiency
DIS delivers a 10.7% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $11 in annual profit, vs $-104 for TOON. DIS carries lower financial leverage with a 0.39x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to TOON's 0.46x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), DIS scores 8/9 vs TOON's 4/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | TOONKartoon Studios I… | DISThe Walt Disney C… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -104.2% | +10.7% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -37.5% | +6.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -20.6% | +6.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -28.9% | +8.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 8 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.46x | 0.39x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $9M | $39.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $8M | $5.7B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $17M | $44.9B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -38.89x | 7.86x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in DIS five years ago would be worth $5,690 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $341 for TOON. Over the past 12 months, TOON leads with a +2.0% total return vs DIS's -4.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors DIS at 2.3% vs TOON's -44.8% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | TOONKartoon Studios I… | DISThe Walt Disney C… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -19.9% | -6.1% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +2.0% | -4.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -83.2% | +7.1% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -96.6% | -43.1% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -97.5% | +19.8% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -44.8% | +2.3% |
Risk & Volatility
TOON is the less volatile stock with a 0.95 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than DIS's 1.10 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. DIS currently trades 84.3% from its 52-week high vs TOON's 62.3% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | TOONKartoon Studios I… | DISThe Walt Disney C… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.95x | 1.10x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $0.93 | $124.69 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.51 | $80.10 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +62.3% | +84.3% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 24.9 | 46.2 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 259K | 10.3M |
Analyst Outlook
DIS is the only dividend payer here at 0.95% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | TOONKartoon Studios I… | DISThe Walt Disney C… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $139.33 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 63 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +0.9% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $1.00 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +1.9% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kartoon Studios Inc. (TOON) | 100 | 24.62 | -75.4% |
| The Walt Disney Com… (DIS) | 100 | 88.49 | -11.5% |
The Walt Disney Com… (DIS) returned -43% over 5 years vs Kartoon Studios Inc. (TOON)'s -97%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kartoon Studios Inc. (TOON) | $866875.00 | $33M | +3659.6% |
| The Walt Disney Com… (DIS) | $55.6B | $94.4B | +69.7% |
The Walt Disney Company's revenue grew from $55.6B (2016) to $94.4B (2025) — a 6.1% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kartoon Studios Inc. (TOON) | -7.2% | -63.6% | -787.8% |
| The Walt Disney Com… (DIS) | 16.9% | 13.1% | -22.2% |
The Walt Disney Company's net margin went from 17% (2016) to 13% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Walt Disney Com… (DIS) | 18.9 | 16.6 | -12.2% |
The Walt Disney Company has traded in a 13x–142x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~15x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kartoon Studios Inc. (TOON) | -15.87 | -0.54 | +96.6% |
| The Walt Disney Com… (DIS) | 5.73 | 6.85 | +19.5% |
The Walt Disney Company's EPS grew from $5.73 (2016) to $6.85 (2025) — a 2% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Kartoon Studios Inc. generated $-4M FCF in 2024 (+86% vs 2021). The Walt Disney Company generated $10B FCF in 2025 (+407% vs 2021).
TOON vs DIS: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is TOON or DIS a better buy right now?
The Walt Disney Company (DIS) offers the better valuation at 15.3x trailing P/E (15.9x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate The Walt Disney Company (DIS) a "Buy" — based on 63 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 — TOON or DIS?
Over the past 5 years, The Walt Disney Company (DIS) delivered a total return of -43.1%, compared to -96.6% for Kartoon Studios Inc. (TOON). A $10,000 investment in DIS five years ago would be worth approximately $6K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: DIS returned +19.8% versus TOON's -97.5%. 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 — TOON or DIS?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Kartoon Studios Inc. (TOON) is the lower-risk stock at 0.95β versus The Walt Disney Company's 1.10β — meaning DIS is approximately 16% more volatile than TOON relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, The Walt Disney Company (DIS) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 39% versus 46% for Kartoon Studios Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — TOON or DIS?
The Walt Disney Company (DIS) is the more profitable company, earning 13.1% net margin versus -63.6% for Kartoon Studios Inc. — meaning it keeps 13.1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: DIS leads at 14.6% versus -52.1% for TOON. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — DIS leads at 37.8%, 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 — TOON or DIS?
In this comparison, DIS (0.9% yield) pays a dividend. TOON does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
06Is TOON or DIS better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, The Walt Disney Company (DIS) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.10), 0.9% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (DIS: +19.8%, TOON: -97.5%), 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.
07What are the main differences between TOON and DIS?
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: TOON is a small-cap quality compounder stock; DIS is a mid-cap deep-value stock. DIS pays a dividend while TOON 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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- Sector: Communication Services
- Market Cap > $100B
- Revenue Growth > 6%
- Gross Margin > 15%