Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Zhihu Inc. (ZH) vs Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) 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 | NFLX | 15.9% revenue growth vs ZH's -13.1% |
| Quality / Margins | NFLX | 24.3% net margin vs ZH's 3.5% |
| Stability / Safety | NFLX | Beta 0.78 vs ZH's 0.79 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | NFLX | -16.5% vs ZH's -36.5% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | NFLX | 19.8% ROA vs ZH's 1.9%, ROIC 29.8% vs -25.6% |
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
Zhihu operates China's leading question-and-answer platform where users share knowledge and expertise across diverse topics. It generates revenue primarily through online advertising (~60% of sales) and paid membership services, supplemented by content-commerce solutions and vocational training. Its competitive moat stems from its massive, high-quality user-generated content library and strong network effects that reinforce its position as China's go-to knowledge-sharing community.
Netflix is a global streaming entertainment service that offers original and licensed TV shows, movies, and documentaries. It generates revenue primarily through subscription fees — with three pricing tiers — and earns additional income from licensing its original content to other platforms. Its key advantage is its massive scale and data-driven content creation, which allows it to invest billions in programming that attracts and retains subscribers worldwide.
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
NFLX leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). ZH leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
NFLX is the larger business by revenue, generating $45.2B annually — 15.2x ZH's $3.0B. NFLX is the more profitable business, keeping 24.3% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to ZH's 3.5%. On growth, NFLX holds the edge at +17.6% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | ZHZhihu Inc. | NFLXNetflix, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $3.0B | $45.2B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$148M | $30.1B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $103M | $11.0B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $0 | $9.5B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +62.2% | +48.5% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -7.8% | +29.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +3.5% | +24.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -7.8% | +20.9% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -20.3% | +17.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -4.2% | +31.1% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ZHZhihu Inc. | NFLXNetflix, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $53M | $350.4B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | -$529M | $355.9B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -12.41x | 32.69x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 26.43x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 0.99x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 11.83x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.10x | 7.76x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.51x | 13.41x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 37.04x |
Profitability & Efficiency
NFLX delivers a 41.3% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $41 in annual profit, vs $2 for ZH. ZH carries lower financial leverage with a 0.00x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to NFLX's 0.54x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), NFLX scores 7/9 vs ZH's 6/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | ZHZhihu Inc. | NFLXNetflix, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +2.5% | +41.3% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +1.9% | +19.8% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -25.6% | +29.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -10.8% | +30.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.00x | 0.54x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$4.0B | $5.4B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $4.0B | $9.0B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $19M | $14.5B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | 17.33x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in NFLX five years ago would be worth $15,346 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $673 for ZH. Over the past 12 months, NFLX leads with a -16.5% total return vs ZH's -36.5%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors NFLX at 36.8% vs ZH's -27.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | ZHZhihu Inc. | NFLXNetflix, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +3.0% | -9.1% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -36.5% | -16.5% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -61.6% | +156.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -93.3% | +53.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -93.3% | +772.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -27.3% | +36.8% |
Risk & Volatility
NFLX is the less volatile stock with a 0.78 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than ZH's 0.79 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. NFLX currently trades 61.7% from its 52-week high vs ZH's 58.4% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | ZHZhihu Inc. | NFLXNetflix, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.79x | 0.78x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $5.87 | $134.12 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $3.23 | $75.01 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +58.4% | +61.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 43.5 | 40.6 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 322K | 41.3M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates ZH as "Buy" and NFLX as "Buy".
| Metric | ZHZhihu Inc. | NFLXNetflix, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $117.25 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 8 | 97 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +100.0% | +2.6% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zhihu Inc. (ZH) | 100 | 6.98 | -93.0% |
| Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) | 100 | 153.43 | +53.4% |
Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) returned +53% over 5 years vs Zhihu Inc. (ZH)'s -93%. A $10,000 investment in NFLX 5 years ago would be worth $15,346 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zhihu Inc. (ZH) | $669M | $3.6B | +445.8% |
| Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) | $8.8B | $45.2B | +411.7% |
Netflix, Inc.'s revenue grew from $8.8B (2016) to $45.2B (2025) — a 19.9% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zhihu Inc. (ZH) | -149.8% | -4.8% | +96.8% |
| Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) | 2.1% | 24.3% | +1049.7% |
Netflix, Inc.'s net margin went from 2% (2016) to 24% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) | 153.6 | 37.1 | -75.8% |
Netflix, Inc. has traded in a 30x–154x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~33x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zhihu Inc. (ZH) | -10.12 | -1.89 | +81.3% |
| Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) | 0.04 | 2.53 | +5783.7% |
Netflix, Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.04 (2016) to $2.53 (2025) — a 57% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Zhihu Inc. generated $-283M FCF in 2024 (+37% vs 2021). Netflix, Inc. generated $9B FCF in 2025 (+7269% vs 2021).
ZH vs NFLX: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is ZH or NFLX a better buy right now?
Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) offers the better valuation at 32.7x trailing P/E (26.4x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Zhihu Inc. (ZH) a "Buy" — based on 8 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 — ZH or NFLX?
Over the past 5 years, Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) delivered a total return of +53.5%, compared to -93.3% for Zhihu Inc. (ZH). A $10,000 investment in NFLX five years ago would be worth approximately $15K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: NFLX returned +772.4% versus ZH's -93.3%. 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 — ZH or NFLX?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) is the lower-risk stock at 0.78β versus Zhihu Inc.'s 0.79β — meaning ZH is approximately 1% more volatile than NFLX relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Zhihu Inc. (ZH) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 0% versus 54% for Netflix, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — ZH or NFLX?
Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) is the more profitable company, earning 24.3% net margin versus -4.8% for Zhihu Inc. — meaning it keeps 24.3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: NFLX leads at 29.5% versus -13.4% for ZH. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ZH leads at 60.6%, 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 — ZH or NFLX?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
06Is ZH or NFLX better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.78), +772.4% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (NFLX: +772.4%, ZH: -93.3%), 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 ZH and NFLX?
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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