LiveOne (NASDAQ:LVO – Get Free Report) and Sony (NYSE:SONY – Get Free Report) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, profitability, earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation, risk and dividends.
Profitability
This table compares LiveOne and Sony’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| LiveOne | -14.16% | N/A | -15.02% |
| Sony | 8.83% | 13.76% | 3.26% |
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for LiveOne and Sony, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| LiveOne | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3.00 |
| Sony | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3.00 |
Institutional & Insider Ownership
21.3% of LiveOne shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 14.1% of Sony shares are held by institutional investors. 23.9% of LiveOne shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 7.0% of Sony shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Risk and Volatility
LiveOne has a beta of 1.62, suggesting that its stock price is 62% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Sony has a beta of 0.94, suggesting that its stock price is 6% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares LiveOne and Sony”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| LiveOne | $114.40 million | 0.78 | -$18.71 million | ($0.18) | -4.03 |
| Sony | $85.09 billion | 1.77 | $7.53 billion | $1.23 | 20.22 |
Sony has higher revenue and earnings than LiveOne. LiveOne is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Sony, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
Sony beats LiveOne on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About LiveOne
LiveOne, Inc., a digital media company, engages in the acquisition, distribution, and monetization of live music, Internet radio, podcasting/vodcasting, and music-related streaming and video content. It operates LiveXLive, a live music streaming platform; PodcastOne, a podcasting platform; and Slacker, an integrated membership and advertising streaming music service, as well as produces original music-related content. The company also produces, edits, curates, and streams live music events through broadband transmission over the Internet and satellite networks to its users; provides digital Internet radio and music services to users online and through automotive and mobile original equipment manufacturers on a white label basis; and offers ancillary products and services, such as regulatory and post-implementation support services. In addition, it develops, manufactures, and distributes personalized merchandise and gifts through wholesale and direct-to-consumer distribution channels. Further, the company offers LiveOne App, an application that provides access to live events, audio streams, original episodic content, podcasts, vodcasts, video on demand, real-time livestreams, and social sharing of content. The company was formerly known as LiveXLive Media, Inc. and changed its name to LiveOne, Inc. in October 2021. LiveOne, Inc. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California.
About Sony
Sony Group Corporation designs, develops, produces, and sells electronic equipment, instruments, and devices for the consumer, professional, and industrial markets in Japan, the United States, Europe, China, the Asia-Pacific, and internationally. The company distributes software titles and add-on content through digital networks; network services related to game, video, and music content; and home gaming consoles, packaged and game software, and peripheral devices. It also develops, produces, markets, and distributes recorded music; publishes music; and produces and distributes animation titles, game applications, and various services for music and visual products. In addition, the company produces, acquires, and distributes live-action and animated motion pictures for theatrical release, as well as scripted and animated series, unscripted reality or light entertainment, daytime serials, game shows, television movies, and miniseries and other television programs; operation of television networks and direct-to-consumer streaming services; operates a visual effects and animation unit; and manages a studio facility. Further, it researches, develops, designs, produces, markets, distributes, sells, and services televisions, and video and sound products; interchangeable lens, as well as compact digital, and consumer and professional video cameras; projectors and medical equipment; mobile phones, accessories, and applications; and metal oxide semiconductor image sensors, charge-coupled devices, integration systems, and other semiconductors. Additionally, it offers Internet broadband network services; recording media, and storage media products; and life and non-life insurance, banking, and other services, as well as creates and distributes content for PCs and mobile phones. The company was formerly known as Sony Corporation and changed its name to Sony Group Corporation in April 2021. Sony Group Corporation was incorporated in 1946 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
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