Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Twilio Inc. (TWLO) vs Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) 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 | CMCM | 20.5% revenue growth vs TWLO's 13.7% |
| Quality / Margins | TWLO | 0.7% net margin vs CMCM's -40.2% |
| Stability / Safety | CMCM | Beta 1.16 vs TWLO's 1.56, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | CMCM | +16.3% vs TWLO's +0.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | TWLO | 0.3% ROA vs CMCM's -8.7%, ROIC 1.5% vs -58.3% |
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
Twilio is a cloud communications platform that enables developers to embed voice, messaging, video, and email capabilities into their applications through APIs. It generates revenue primarily from usage-based fees for its communication services — messaging (~60% of revenue), voice (~20%), and email/other services — with developers paying per message, minute, or email sent. Its key advantage is its developer-first platform with comprehensive APIs that create switching costs and network effects as more applications build on its infrastructure.
Cheetah Mobile is a Chinese internet company that develops mobile utility apps — primarily security and cleaning tools — and casual mobile games. It generates revenue mainly through mobile advertising (roughly 70-80% of total) and to a lesser extent from in-app purchases in its games and premium subscription services. Its competitive advantage stems from its large installed base of utility apps — particularly Clean Master and Security Master — which provide a captive audience for its advertising network.
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
CMCM leads in 2 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Total Returns). TWLO leads in 1 (Profitability & Efficiency). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
TWLO is the larger business by revenue, generating $5.1B annually — 4.7x CMCM's $1.1B. TWLO is the more profitable business, keeping 0.7% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to CMCM's -40.2%. On growth, CMCM holds the edge at +49.6% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | TWLOTwilio Inc. | CMCMCheetah Mobile In… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $5.1B | $1.1B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $380M | -$62M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $34M | -$434M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $1.1B | $0 |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +49.0% | +74.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +3.2% | -22.3% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +0.7% | -40.2% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +21.7% | -32.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +14.3% | +49.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -2.8% | +72.9% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | TWLOTwilio Inc. | CMCMCheetah Mobile In… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $18.3B | $6.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $18.8B | $6.0B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 576.00x | -0.04x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 22.30x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 47.92x | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 3.62x | 53.15x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.47x | 0.01x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 17.75x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
TWLO delivers a 0.4% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $0 in annual profit, vs $-20 for CMCM. CMCM carries lower financial leverage with a 0.03x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to TWLO's 0.15x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), TWLO scores 6/9 vs CMCM's 4/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | TWLOTwilio Inc. | CMCMCheetah Mobile In… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +0.4% | -19.8% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +0.3% | -8.7% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +1.5% | -58.3% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +1.9% | -16.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.15x | 0.03x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $453M | -$1.8B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $682M | $1.8B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $1.1B | $75M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in CMCM five years ago would be worth $4,212 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $2,909 for TWLO. Over the past 12 months, CMCM leads with a +16.3% total return vs TWLO's +0.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors CMCM at 34.1% vs TWLO's 21.6% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | TWLOTwilio Inc. | CMCMCheetah Mobile In… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -12.6% | -1.8% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +0.9% | +16.3% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +80.0% | +141.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -70.9% | -57.9% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +320.1% | -78.6% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +21.6% | +34.1% |
Risk & Volatility
CMCM is the less volatile stock with a 1.16 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than TWLO's 1.56 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. TWLO currently trades 82.9% from its 52-week high vs CMCM's 65.1% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | TWLOTwilio Inc. | CMCMCheetah Mobile In… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.56x | 1.16x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $145.90 | $9.44 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $77.51 | $3.28 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +82.9% | +65.1% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 52.2 | 50.6 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 2.2M | 13K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates TWLO as "Buy" and CMCM as "Buy".
| Metric | TWLOTwilio Inc. | CMCMCheetah Mobile In… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $141.75 | — |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 52 | 8 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 3 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +4.7% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twilio Inc. (TWLO) | 100 | 107.64 | +7.6% |
| Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) | 100 | 42.38 | -57.6% |
Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) returned -58% over 5 years vs Twilio Inc. (TWLO)'s -71%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twilio Inc. (TWLO) | $277M | $5.1B | +1727.1% |
| Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) | $657M | $807M | +22.7% |
Twilio Inc.'s revenue grew from $277M (2016) to $5.1B (2025) — a 38.1% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twilio Inc. (TWLO) | -14.9% | 0.7% | +104.5% |
| Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) | -1.8% | -76.5% | -4238.6% |
Twilio Inc.'s net margin went from -15% (2016) to 1% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 3 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) | 0.2 | 0 | -100.0% |
Cheetah Mobile Inc. has traded in a 0x–0x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~-0x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twilio Inc. (TWLO) | -0.47 | 0.21 | +144.7% |
| Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) | -21 | -1,027 | -4790.5% |
Twilio Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.47 (2016) to $0.21 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Twilio Inc. generated $1B FCF in 2025 (+797% vs 2021). Cheetah Mobile Inc. generated $-261M FCF in 2024 (-566% vs 2021).
TWLO vs CMCM: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is TWLO or CMCM a better buy right now?
Twilio Inc. (TWLO) offers the better valuation at 576.0x trailing P/E (22.3x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Twilio Inc. (TWLO) a "Buy" — based on 52 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 — TWLO or CMCM?
Over the past 5 years, Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) delivered a total return of -57.9%, compared to -70.9% for Twilio Inc. (TWLO). A $10,000 investment in CMCM five years ago would be worth approximately $4K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: TWLO returned +320.1% versus CMCM's -78.6%. 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 — TWLO or CMCM?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) is the lower-risk stock at 1.16β versus Twilio Inc.'s 1.56β — meaning TWLO is approximately 34% more volatile than CMCM relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 3% versus 15% for Twilio Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — TWLO or CMCM?
Twilio Inc. (TWLO) is the more profitable company, earning 0.7% net margin versus -76.5% for Cheetah Mobile Inc. — meaning it keeps 0.7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: TWLO leads at 3.4% versus -54.2% for CMCM. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CMCM leads at 67.6%, 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 — TWLO or CMCM?
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 TWLO or CMCM better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.16)). Twilio Inc. (TWLO) carries a higher beta of 1.56 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (CMCM: -78.6%, TWLO: +320.1%), 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 TWLO and CMCM?
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.
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- Sector: Communication Services
- Market Cap > $100B
- Revenue Growth > 7%
- Gross Margin > 29%
- Sector: Communication Services
- Market Cap > $100B
- Revenue Growth > 24%
- Gross Margin > 44%