Compare Weibo Corporation (WB) vs JOYY Inc. (JOYY) Stock

Weibo Corporation (WB) offers the better valuation at 8.8x trailing P/E (5.8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Weibo Corporation (WB) a "Buy" — based on 22 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.

On forward P/E, JOYY Inc. is actually cheaper at 1.6x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, JOYY Inc. (JOYY) delivered a total return of -39.3%, compared to -76.9% for Weibo Corporation (WB). A $10,000 investment in JOYY five years ago would be worth approximately $6K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: JOYY returned +39.0% versus WB's -16.1%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), JOYY Inc. (JOYY) is the lower-risk stock at 0.51β versus Weibo Corporation's 0.57β — meaning WB is approximately 12% more volatile than JOYY relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, JOYY Inc. (JOYY) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 1% versus 53% for Weibo Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

Weibo Corporation (WB) is the more profitable company, earning 17.1% net margin versus -6.5% for JOYY Inc. — meaning it keeps 17.1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: WB leads at 28.2% versus -18.1% for JOYY. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — WB leads at 78.9%, 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.

On forward earnings alone, JOYY Inc. (JOYY) trades at 1.6x forward P/E versus 5.8x for Weibo Corporation — 4.2x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for WB: 67.9% to $17.18.

In this comparison, WB (7.2% yield) pays a dividend. JOYY does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Weibo Corporation (WB) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.57), 7.2% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (WB: -16.1%, JOYY: +39.0%), 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.

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: WB is a small-cap deep-value stock; JOYY is a mid-cap quality compounder stock. WB pays a dividend while JOYY 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.