Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG) vs LiveOne, Inc. (LVO) 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 | WMG | 4.4% revenue growth vs LVO's -3.4% |
| Value | LVO | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | WMG | 4.4% net margin vs LVO's -30.5% |
| Stability / Safety | WMG | Beta 0.59 vs LVO's 1.43 |
| Dividends | WMG | 2.6% yield, 4-year raise streak, vs LVO's 1.0% |
| Momentum (1Y) | WMG | -12.9% vs LVO's -29.1% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | WMG | 3.0% ROA vs LVO's -45.3% |
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
Warner Music Group is one of the world's three major music companies that discovers, develops, and markets recording artists and their music. It generates revenue primarily from recorded music sales and streaming (about 85% of revenue) and music publishing royalties (about 15%), with income coming from physical sales, digital downloads, streaming platforms, and licensing music for films, TV, and advertising. Its competitive advantage lies in owning a massive, valuable catalog of iconic recordings and publishing rights—including works from artists like Madonna, Bruno Mars, and Ed Sheeran—which provides stable, recurring revenue and significant negotiating power with digital platforms.
LiveOne is a digital media company that operates a portfolio of live music streaming, podcasting, and music-related content platforms. It generates revenue primarily through subscription fees from its LiveXLive and Slacker streaming services, advertising across its podcast network PodcastOne, and merchandise sales — with subscriptions and advertising being the dominant streams. The company's competitive advantage lies in its integrated ecosystem of live music streaming, original content production, and podcast distribution, creating a differentiated offering in the crowded digital entertainment space.
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
WMG leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Total Returns). LVO leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
WMG is the larger business by revenue, generating $6.9B annually — 88.8x LVO's $78M. WMG is the more profitable business, keeping 4.4% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to LVO's -30.5%. On growth, WMG holds the edge at +10.4% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | WMGWarner Music Grou… | LVOLiveOne, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $6.9B | $78M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $1.1B | -$19M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $305M | -$24M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $572M | -$16M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +45.9% | +18.6% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +11.2% | -27.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +4.4% | -30.5% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +8.3% | -21.0% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +10.4% | -31.2% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -24.4% | +40.7% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | WMGWarner Music Grou… | LVOLiveOne, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $10.7B | $64M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $14.8B | $64M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 40.86x | -2.57x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 21.00x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 12.81x | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.60x | 0.56x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 19.61x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 19.92x | 19.68x |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), LVO scores 4/9 vs WMG's 3/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | WMGWarner Music Grou… | LVOLiveOne, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +37.0% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +3.0% | -45.3% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +11.4% | — |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +12.8% | -170.7% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 6.09x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $4.1B | -$297,000 |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $532M | $4M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $4.6B | $4M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 3.70x | -4.17x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in WMG five years ago would be worth $8,535 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $1,329 for LVO. Over the past 12 months, WMG leads with a -12.9% total return vs LVO's -29.1%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors WMG at -0.9% vs LVO's -17.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | WMGWarner Music Grou… | LVOLiveOne, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -5.4% | +20.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -12.9% | -29.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -2.6% | -43.3% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -14.6% | -86.7% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +7.2% | -98.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -0.9% | -17.3% |
Risk & Volatility
WMG is the less volatile stock with a 0.59 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than LVO's 1.43 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. WMG currently trades 81.9% from its 52-week high vs LVO's 56.0% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | WMGWarner Music Grou… | LVOLiveOne, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.59x | 1.43x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $34.94 | $9.80 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $25.56 | $3.70 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +81.9% | +56.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 43.0 | 63.2 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.9M | 61K |
Analyst Outlook
For income investors, WMG offers the higher dividend yield at 2.58% vs LVO's 0.98%.
| Metric | WMGWarner Music Grou… | LVOLiveOne, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | — |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $36.50 | — |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 24 | — |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +2.6% | +1.0% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 4 | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.74 | $0.05 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.1% | +1.6% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Jun 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warner Music Group … (WMG) | 100 | 100.27 | +0.3% |
| LiveOne, Inc. (LVO) | 100 | 12.83 | -87.2% |
Warner Music Group … (WMG) returned -15% over 5 years vs LiveOne, Inc. (LVO)'s -87%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warner Music Group … (WMG) | $3.2B | $6.7B | +106.6% |
| LiveOne, Inc. (LVO) | $0.00 | $114M | — |
Warner Music Group Corp.'s revenue grew from $3.2B (2016) to $6.7B (2025) — a 8.4% CAGR. LiveOne, Inc.'s revenue grew from $0M (2016) to $114M (2025) — a 0.0% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warner Music Group … (WMG) | 0.8% | 5.4% | +606.6% |
| LiveOne, Inc. (LVO) | -63.3% | -16.4% | +74.2% |
Warner Music Group Corp.'s net margin went from 1% (2016) to 5% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 5 Years
| Stock | 2021 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warner Music Group … (WMG) | 74.4 | 43.8 | -41.1% |
Warner Music Group Corp. has traded in a 33x–74x P/E range over 5 years; current trailing P/E is ~41x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warner Music Group … (WMG) | 0.05 | 0.7 | +1305.6% |
| LiveOne, Inc. (LVO) | -1.2 | -2.14 | -78.3% |
Warner Music Group Corp.'s EPS grew from $0.05 (2016) to $0.70 (2025) — a 34% CAGR. LiveOne, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-1.20 (2016) to $-2.14 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Warner Music Group Corp. generated $539M FCF in 2025 (+742% vs 2021). LiveOne, Inc. generated $3M FCF in 2025 (+126% vs 2021).
WMG vs LVO: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is WMG or LVO a better buy right now?
Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG) offers the better valuation at 40.9x trailing P/E (21.0x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG) 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 is the better long-term investment — WMG or LVO?
Over the past 5 years, Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG) delivered a total return of -14.6%, compared to -86.7% for LiveOne, Inc. (LVO). A $10,000 investment in WMG five years ago would be worth approximately $9K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: WMG returned +7.2% versus LVO's -98.2%. 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 — WMG or LVO?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG) is the lower-risk stock at 0.59β versus LiveOne, Inc.'s 1.43β — meaning LVO is approximately 141% more volatile than WMG relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — WMG or LVO?
Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG) is the more profitable company, earning 5.4% net margin versus -16.4% for LiveOne, Inc. — meaning it keeps 5.4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: WMG leads at 10.3% versus -15.8% for LVO. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — WMG leads at 45.8%, 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 — WMG or LVO?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG) offers the highest yield at 2.6%, versus 1.0% for LiveOne, Inc. (LVO).
06Is WMG or LVO better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.59), 2.6% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (WMG: +7.2%, LVO: -98.2%), 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 WMG and LVO?
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 > 5%
- Gross Margin > 27%