ZD vs IHRT vs NWSA vs GOOGL

For growth investors, Alphabet Inc.

(GOOGL) is the stronger pick with 15. 1% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 0. 3% for iHeartMedia, Inc. (IHRT). News Corporation (NWSA) offers the better valuation at 13. 1x trailing P/E (25. 8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Ziff Davis, Inc. (ZD) a "Buy" — based on 13 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 trailing P/E, News Corporation (NWSA) is the cheapest at 13.

1x versus Ziff Davis, Inc. at 37. 7x. On forward P/E, Ziff Davis, Inc. is actually cheaper at 7. 1x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Alphabet Inc.

(GOOGL) delivered a total return of +239. 8%, compared to -75. 0% for iHeartMedia, Inc. (IHRT). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: GOOGL returned +996. 1% versus IHRT's -68. 5%. 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), News Corporation (NWSA) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

60β versus iHeartMedia, Inc. 's 1. 82β — meaning IHRT is approximately 204% more volatile than NWSA relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 14% versus 51% for Ziff Davis, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Alphabet Inc.

(GOOGL) is pulling ahead at 15. 1% versus 0. 3% for iHeartMedia, Inc. (IHRT). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: News Corporation grew EPS 350. 0% year-over-year, compared to -19. 0% for Ziff Davis, Inc.. Over a 3-year CAGR, GOOGL leads at 12. 5% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Alphabet Inc.

(GOOGL) is the more profitable company, earning 32. 8% net margin versus -12. 2% for iHeartMedia, Inc. — meaning it keeps 32. 8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: GOOGL leads at 32. 1% versus -0. 5% for IHRT. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — NWSA leads at 100. 0%, 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, Ziff Davis, Inc.

(ZD) trades at 7. 1x forward P/E versus 29. 6x for Alphabet Inc. — 22. 5x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for NWSA: 19. 8% to $32. 40.

In this comparison, NWSA (1.

2% yield), GOOGL (0. 2% yield), IHRT (0. 2% yield) pay a dividend. ZD does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.

For long-horizon retirement investors, News Corporation (NWSA) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.

60), 1. 2% yield, +136. 5% 10Y return). iHeartMedia, Inc. (IHRT) carries a higher beta of 1. 82 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (NWSA: +136. 5%, IHRT: -68. 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.

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: ZD is a small-cap quality compounder stock; IHRT is a small-cap quality compounder stock; NWSA is a mid-cap deep-value stock; GOOGL is a mega-cap high-growth stock. NWSA pays a dividend while ZD, IHRT, GOOGL do 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.