Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Zillow Group, Inc. Class A (ZG) vs Shutterstock, Inc. (SSTK) 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 | ZG | 15.5% revenue growth vs SSTK's 5.8% |
| Value | SSTK | Lower P/E (9.0x vs 20.4x) |
| Quality / Margins | SSTK | 4.6% net margin vs ZG's 0.9% |
| Stability / Safety | ZG | Beta 1.11 vs SSTK's 1.38, lower leverage |
| Dividends | SSTK | 7.6% yield; 5-year raise streak; ZG pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | SSTK | -15.7% vs ZG's -39.8% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | SSTK | 3.4% ROA vs ZG's 0.4%, ROIC 13.1% vs -0.6% |
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
Zillow Group is a digital real estate marketplace that connects home buyers, sellers, renters, and real estate professionals through its portfolio of brands including Zillow, Trulia, and StreetEasy. It generates revenue primarily through real estate agent advertising and lead generation services (~60% of revenue), home flipping operations through its Zillow Offers segment (~30%), and mortgage origination and title services. The company's key advantage is its massive network effect—with over 200 million monthly users, it has become the dominant online destination for real estate searches, creating a powerful data moat and brand recognition.
Shutterstock operates a global marketplace for stock photography, video footage, and music content used by businesses and creators. It generates revenue primarily through subscription plans — where customers pay monthly or annual fees for content downloads — and through on-demand purchases from its extensive digital library. The company's key advantage is its massive, curated content library of over 400 million images and 30 million video clips, which creates network effects as more contributors attract more customers.
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
SSTK leads in 2 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). ZG leads in 1 (Total Returns). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
ZG is the larger business by revenue, generating $2.6B annually — 2.6x SSTK's $990M. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 4.6% (SSTK) to 0.9% (ZG). On growth, ZG holds the edge at +18.1% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | ZGZillow Group, Inc… | SSTKShutterstock, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $2.6B | $990M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$34M | $130M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $23M | $45M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $235M | $123M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +74.1% | +58.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -1.3% | +7.9% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +0.9% | +4.6% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +9.1% | +12.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +18.1% | -12.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +104.5% | -9.8% |
Valuation Metrics
At 13.4x trailing earnings, SSTK trades at a 97% valuation discount to ZG's 497.8x P/E.
| Metric | ZGZillow Group, Inc… | SSTKShutterstock, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $10.8B | $690M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $10.1B | $645M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 497.78x | 13.44x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 20.35x | 8.95x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 3.21x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 4.17x | 0.70x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.33x | 1.05x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 45.84x | 5.57x |
Profitability & Efficiency
SSTK delivers a 7.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $8 in annual profit, vs $0 for ZG. ZG carries lower financial leverage with a 0.02x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to SSTK's 0.23x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), SSTK scores 8/9 vs ZG's 7/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | ZGZillow Group, Inc… | SSTKShutterstock, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +0.5% | +7.8% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +0.4% | +3.4% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -0.6% | +13.1% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -0.7% | +15.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 7 | 8 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.02x | 0.23x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$675M | -$44M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $768M | $178M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $93M | $134M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | 5.94x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in ZG five years ago would be worth $2,548 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $2,488 for SSTK. Over the past 12 months, SSTK leads with a -15.7% total return vs ZG's -39.8%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors ZG at 2.7% vs SSTK's -35.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | ZGZillow Group, Inc… | SSTKShutterstock, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -31.7% | -10.1% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -39.8% | -15.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +8.3% | -72.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -74.5% | -75.1% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +93.5% | -25.8% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +2.7% | -35.3% |
Risk & Volatility
ZG is the less volatile stock with a 1.11 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than SSTK's 1.38 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. SSTK currently trades 56.9% from its 52-week high vs ZG's 49.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | ZGZillow Group, Inc… | SSTKShutterstock, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.11x | 1.38x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $90.22 | $29.50 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $41.90 | $14.35 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +49.7% | +56.9% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 34.1 | 46.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 896K | 202K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates ZG as "Buy" and SSTK as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 298.8% upside for SSTK (target: $67) vs 60.6% for ZG (target: $72). SSTK is the only dividend payer here at 7.64% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | ZGZillow Group, Inc… | SSTKShutterstock, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $71.93 | $67.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 48 | 18 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +7.6% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 5 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $1.28 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +6.2% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
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Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zillow Group, Inc. … (ZG) | 100 | 113.05 | +13.1% |
| Shutterstock, Inc. (SSTK) | 100 | 51.6 | -48.4% |
Zillow Group, Inc. … (ZG) returned -75% over 5 years vs Shutterstock, Inc. (SSTK)'s -75%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zillow Group, Inc. … (ZG) | $847M | $2.6B | +205.1% |
| Shutterstock, Inc. (SSTK) | $494M | $990M | +100.3% |
Zillow Group, Inc. Class A's revenue grew from $847M (2016) to $2.6B (2025) — a 13.2% CAGR. Shutterstock, Inc.'s revenue grew from $494M (2016) to $990M (2025) — a 8.0% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zillow Group, Inc. … (ZG) | -26.0% | 0.9% | +103.4% |
| Shutterstock, Inc. (SSTK) | 6.6% | 4.6% | -30.4% |
Zillow Group, Inc. Class A's net margin went from -26% (2016) to 1% (2025). Shutterstock, Inc.'s net margin went from 7% (2016) to 5% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shutterstock, Inc. (SSTK) | 91.6 | 15.3 | -83.3% |
Shutterstock, Inc. has traded in a 15x–92x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~13x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zillow Group, Inc. … (ZG) | -1.22 | 0.09 | +107.4% |
| Shutterstock, Inc. (SSTK) | 0.91 | 1.25 | +37.4% |
Zillow Group, Inc. Class A's EPS grew from $-1.22 (2016) to $0.09 (2025). Shutterstock, Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.91 (2016) to $1.25 (2025) — a 4% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Zillow Group, Inc. Class A generated $235M FCF in 2025 (+107% vs 2021). Shutterstock, Inc. generated $124M FCF in 2025 (-31% vs 2021).
ZG vs SSTK: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is ZG or SSTK a better buy right now?
Shutterstock, Inc. (SSTK) offers the better valuation at 13.4x trailing P/E (9.0x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Zillow Group, Inc. Class A (ZG) a "Buy" — based on 48 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 has the better valuation — ZG or SSTK?
On trailing P/E, Shutterstock, Inc. (SSTK) is the cheapest at 13.4x versus Zillow Group, Inc. Class A at 497.8x. On forward P/E, Shutterstock, Inc. is actually cheaper at 9.0x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — ZG or SSTK?
Over the past 5 years, Zillow Group, Inc. Class A (ZG) delivered a total return of -74.5%, compared to -75.1% for Shutterstock, Inc. (SSTK). A $10,000 investment in ZG five years ago would be worth approximately $3K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ZG returned +93.5% versus SSTK's -25.8%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — ZG or SSTK?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Zillow Group, Inc. Class A (ZG) is the lower-risk stock at 1.11β versus Shutterstock, Inc.'s 1.38β — meaning SSTK is approximately 25% more volatile than ZG relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Zillow Group, Inc. Class A (ZG) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 2% versus 23% for Shutterstock, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — ZG or SSTK?
Shutterstock, Inc. (SSTK) is the more profitable company, earning 4.6% net margin versus 0.9% for Zillow Group, Inc. Class A — meaning it keeps 4.6% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SSTK leads at 11.1% versus -1.3% for ZG. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ZG leads at 74.1%, 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.
06Is ZG or SSTK more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Shutterstock, Inc. (SSTK) trades at 9.0x forward P/E versus 20.4x for Zillow Group, Inc. Class A — 11.4x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SSTK: 298.8% to $67.00.
07Which pays a better dividend — ZG or SSTK?
In this comparison, SSTK (7.6% yield) pays a dividend. ZG does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is ZG or SSTK better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Shutterstock, Inc. (SSTK) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (7.6% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (SSTK: -25.8%, ZG: +93.5%), 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.
09What are the main differences between ZG and SSTK?
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: ZG is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; SSTK is a small-cap deep-value stock. SSTK pays a dividend while ZG 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.
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- Sector: Communication Services
- Market Cap > $100B
- Revenue Growth > 9%
- Gross Margin > 44%
- Sector: Communication Services
- Market Cap > $100B
- Gross Margin > 35%
- Dividend Yield > 3.0%