ZD vs NWSA vs IAC vs IHRT

For growth investors, Ziff Davis, Inc.

(ZD) is the stronger pick with 3. 5% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -37. 1% for IAC InterActive Corp. (IAC). 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, News Corporation (NWSA) delivered a total return of +2.

2%, compared to -75. 0% for iHeartMedia, Inc. (IHRT). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: IAC returned +347. 8% 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, IAC InterActive Corp. (IAC) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 30% versus 51% for Ziff Davis, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Ziff Davis, Inc.

(ZD) is pulling ahead at 3. 5% versus -37. 1% for IAC InterActive Corp. (IAC). 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, ZD leads at 1. 4% 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.

News Corporation (NWSA) is the more profitable company, earning 14.

0% net margin versus -12. 2% for iHeartMedia, Inc. — meaning it keeps 14. 0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: ZD leads at 14. 1% versus -4. 1% for IAC. 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 109. 7x for IAC InterActive Corp. — 102. 6x 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), IHRT (0. 2% yield) pay a dividend. ZD, IAC do 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.

These companies operate in different sectors (ZD (Communication Services) and NWSA (Communication Services) and IAC (Technology) and IHRT (Communication Services)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: ZD is a small-cap quality compounder stock; NWSA is a mid-cap deep-value stock; IAC is a small-cap quality compounder stock; IHRT is a small-cap quality compounder stock. NWSA pays a dividend while ZD, IAC, IHRT 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.