Critical Comparison: CuriosityStream (CURI) and The Competition
by Tristan Rich · The Markets DailyCuriosityStream (NASDAQ:CURI – Get Free Report) is one of 186 publicly-traded companies in the “Entertainment” industry, but how does it contrast to its rivals? We will compare CuriosityStream to similar companies based on the strength of its profitability, valuation, dividends, earnings, analyst recommendations, risk and institutional ownership.
Profitability
This table compares CuriosityStream and its rivals’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| CuriosityStream | 0.03% | 0.06% | 0.03% |
| CuriosityStream Competitors | 8.87% | -62.58% | -3.30% |
Dividends
CuriosityStream pays an annual dividend of $0.34 per share and has a dividend yield of 12.2%. CuriosityStream pays out 3,400.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. As a group, “Entertainment” companies pay a dividend yield of 19.0% and pay out 78.8% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. CuriosityStream has raised its dividend for 1 consecutive years. CuriosityStream lags its rivals as a dividend stock, given its lower dividend yield and higher payout ratio.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for CuriosityStream and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| CuriosityStream | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3.20 |
| CuriosityStream Competitors | 1794 | 4399 | 9439 | 244 | 2.51 |
CuriosityStream currently has a consensus target price of $5.50, suggesting a potential upside of 97.13%. As a group, “Entertainment” companies have a potential upside of 26.36%. Given CuriosityStream’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe CuriosityStream is more favorable than its rivals.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares CuriosityStream and its rivals revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Net Income | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| CuriosityStream | $71.66 million | -$6.43 million | 279.00 |
| CuriosityStream Competitors | $4.83 billion | $76.31 million | 12.26 |
CuriosityStream’s rivals have higher revenue and earnings than CuriosityStream. CuriosityStream is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
6.8% of CuriosityStream shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 35.6% of shares of all “Entertainment” companies are held by institutional investors. 31.1% of CuriosityStream shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 23.4% of shares of all “Entertainment” companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Volatility & Risk
CuriosityStream has a beta of 1.76, indicating that its stock price is 76% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, CuriosityStream’s rivals have a beta of 0.93, indicating that their average stock price is 7% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
CuriosityStream beats its rivals on 8 of the 15 factors compared.
CuriosityStream Company Profile
CuriosityStream Inc. operates as a factual content streaming service and media company. The company provides premium video and audio programming services in various categories of factual entertainment, including science, history, society, nature, lifestyle, and technology through direct subscription video on-demand (SVoD) platforms accessible by internet connected devices, or indirectly via distribution partners who deliver CuriosityStream content via distributor's platform or system, as well as through bundled content licenses for SVoD and linear offerings, talks and courses, and partner bulk sales. It offers streaming content through devices, including televisions, set-top boxes, computers, streaming media players, game consoles, and mobile devices. The company was founded in 2015 and is based in Silver Spring, Maryland.