Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Kartoon Studios Inc. (TOON) vs Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
Selected Stocks
Add up to 10 tickers. Use presets or search to get started.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | WBD | -4.8% revenue growth vs TOON's -26.1% |
| Quality / Margins | WBD | 1.3% net margin vs TOON's -64.1% |
| Stability / Safety | TOON | Beta 0.95 vs WBD's 1.72, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | WBD | +175.2% vs TOON's +2.0% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | WBD | 0.5% ROA vs TOON's -37.5%, ROIC -9.7% 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.
Warner Bros. Discovery is a global media and entertainment conglomerate that produces and distributes content across film, television, and streaming platforms. It generates revenue primarily through three segments: Studios (film and TV production), Networks (cable and broadcast channels), and Direct-to-Consumer (streaming services like Max and discovery+). The company's key advantage is its massive content library and iconic franchises — including DC, Harry Potter, HBO originals, and Discovery's unscripted programming — which create a deep moat in an increasingly competitive streaming landscape.
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
WBD leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). TOON leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
WBD is the larger business by revenue, generating $37.9B annually — 969.2x TOON's $39M. WBD is the more profitable business, keeping 1.3% 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… | WBDWarner Bros. Disc… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $39M | $37.9B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$9M | $16.4B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$25M | $485M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$14M | $4.1B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +26.2% | +44.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -32.5% | +1.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -64.1% | +1.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -36.7% | +10.9% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +13.3% | -6.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -168.7% | -2.1% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | TOONKartoon Studios I… | WBDWarner Bros. Disc… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $27M | $78.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $36M | $112.5B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -1.07x | -6.26x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 10.27x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.82x | 1.99x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.61x | 2.03x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 17.68x |
Profitability & Efficiency
WBD delivers a 1.3% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $1 in annual profit, vs $-104 for TOON. TOON carries lower financial leverage with a 0.46x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to WBD's 1.13x.
| Metric | TOONKartoon Studios I… | WBDWarner Bros. Disc… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -104.2% | +1.3% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -37.5% | +0.5% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -20.6% | -9.7% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -28.9% | -10.2% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.46x | 1.13x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $9M | $34.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $8M | $5.3B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $17M | $39.5B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -38.89x | 1.85x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in WBD five years ago would be worth $5,450 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $341 for TOON. Over the past 12 months, WBD leads with a +175.2% total return vs TOON's +2.0%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors WBD at 21.9% vs TOON's -44.8% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | TOONKartoon Studios I… | WBDWarner Bros. Disc… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -19.9% | +1.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +2.0% | +175.2% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -83.2% | +81.3% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -96.6% | -45.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -97.5% | +15.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -44.8% | +21.9% |
Risk & Volatility
TOON is the less volatile stock with a 0.95 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than WBD's 1.72 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. WBD currently trades 96.3% 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… | WBDWarner Bros. Disc… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.95x | 1.72x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $0.93 | $30.00 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.51 | $7.52 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +62.3% | +96.3% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 24.9 | 64.6 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 259K | 25.2M |
Analyst Outlook
| Metric | TOONKartoon Studios I… | WBDWarner Bros. Disc… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $25.59 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 31 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | 0.0% |
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% |
| Warner Bros. Discov… (WBD) | 100 | 111.55 | +11.6% |
Warner Bros. Discov… (WBD) returned -46% over 5 years vs Kartoon Studios Inc. (TOON)'s -97%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kartoon Studios Inc. (TOON) | $907983.00 | $33M | +3489.4% |
| Warner Bros. Discov… (WBD) | $6.4B | $39.3B | +515.0% |
Kartoon Studios Inc.'s revenue grew from $1M (2015) to $33M (2024) — a 48.9% CAGR. Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.'s revenue grew from $6.4B (2015) to $39.3B (2024) — a 22.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kartoon Studios Inc. (TOON) | -8.0% | -63.6% | -695.1% |
| Warner Bros. Discov… (WBD) | 16.2% | -28.8% | -277.9% |
Kartoon Studios Inc.'s net margin went from -8% (2015) to -64% (2024). Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.'s net margin went from 16% (2015) to -29% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 4 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warner Bros. Discov… (WBD) | 28.8 | 15.3 | -46.9% |
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. has traded in a 11x–29x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~-6x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kartoon Studios Inc. (TOON) | -29.06 | -0.54 | +98.1% |
| Warner Bros. Discov… (WBD) | 1.58 | -4.62 | -392.4% |
Kartoon Studios Inc.'s EPS grew from $-29.06 (2015) to $-0.54 (2024). Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.'s EPS grew from $1.58 (2015) to $-4.62 (2024) — a NaN% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Kartoon Studios Inc. generated $-4M FCF in 2024 (+86% vs 2021). Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. generated $4B FCF in 2024 (+83% vs 2021).
TOON vs WBD: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is TOON or WBD a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) a "Hold" — based on 31 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 WBD?
Over the past 5 years, Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) delivered a total return of -45.5%, compared to -96.6% for Kartoon Studios Inc. (TOON). A $10,000 investment in WBD five years ago would be worth approximately $5K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: WBD returned +15.2% 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 WBD?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Kartoon Studios Inc. (TOON) is the lower-risk stock at 0.95β versus Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.'s 1.72β — meaning WBD is approximately 81% more volatile than TOON relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Kartoon Studios Inc. (TOON) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 46% versus 113% for Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — TOON or WBD?
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) is the more profitable company, earning -28.8% net margin versus -63.6% for Kartoon Studios Inc. — meaning it keeps -28.8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: WBD leads at -25.5% versus -52.1% for TOON. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — WBD leads at 41.6%, 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.
05Which pays a better dividend — TOON or WBD?
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 TOON or WBD better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Kartoon Studios Inc. (TOON) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.95)). Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) carries a higher beta of 1.72 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (TOON: -97.5%, WBD: +15.2%), 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 WBD?
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. 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.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.
- Sector: Communication Services
- Market Cap > $100B
- Revenue Growth > 6%
- Gross Margin > 15%