IQ vs SPOT vs CAST Stock Comparison

iQIYI, Spotify Technology and FreeCast Prices as of Oct 26, 2026 Peers: Industry group
IQ iQIYI, Inc.
$0.88 -13.7% 1M -59.6% 1Y
Market cap
$363.72M
P/E
–
Revenue (TTM)
$3.71B
Div. yield
–
Streaming Technology
CAST FreeCast, Inc.
$1.04 -12.6% 1M
Market cap
$41.89M
P/E
–
Revenue (TTM)
$729.33K
Div. yield
–
Streaming Technology

Head to Head

7 decided of 12

Spotify Technology leads on 7 of the 12 questions below (Spotify Technology 7). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionIQSPOTCASTLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $363.72M $113.93B $41.89M SPOT
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only -3.0x 33.1x -3.1x –
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS — 45.5x — –
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months -3.2% +17.0% — SPOT
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months -3.2% 15.7% -1,832.2% SPOT
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital -0.8% — — –
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA — — 0.4x –
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -59.6% -11.4% — SPOT
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -36.8%/yr +15.9%/yr — SPOT
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 50.7% 46.4% 281.9% SPOT
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 30/100 62/100 10/100 SPOT

Percentile Scorecard

IQSPOTCAST

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisIQSPOTCAST
Valuation 68 #54 of 167 30 #117 of 167 1 #165 of 167
Growth 0 #153 of 153 96 #7 of 153 –
Profitability 32 #105 of 153 83 #27 of 153 6 #144 of 153
Financial Health 19 #145 of 179 84 #30 of 179 26 #133 of 179
Shareholder Returns – 16 #79 of 94 5 #89 of 94
Overall 30 62 10
  • IQ ranked among 185 companies in Internet Platforms
  • SPOT ranked among 185 companies in Internet Platforms
  • CAST ranked among 185 companies in Internet Platforms

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodIQSPOTCASTSPY
1 month -13.7%+12.3%-12.6% -0.8%
3 months -28.5%+15.7%-45.0% +3.5%
6 months -20.7%+15.4%-64.0% +7.0%
Year to date -54.2%-1.5%— +12.2%
1 year -59.6%-11.4%— +13.0%
3 years -81.7%+259.0%— +86.3%
3 years, per year -43.2%+53.2%— +23.1%
5 years -89.9%+109.5%— +68.6%
5 years, per year -36.8%+15.9%— +11.0%

Risk

MeasureIQSPOTCASTSPY
Volatility, 1Y 50.7%46.4%281.9% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 52.9%44.4%206.7% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 1.260.303.25 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -1.18-0.25— 1.02
Max drawdown, 5Y -90.5%-76.4%-93.5% -25.4%
From 52-week high -62.6%-14.1%-89.4% -1.8%
52-week high $2.35$665.67$9.84 $779.14
52-week low $0.86$412.75$0.59 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleIQSPOTCAST
P/E now vs peer median -3.2xmedian 17.5x 34.2xmedian 17.5x -3.1xmedian 17.5x
P/S now vs peer median 0.2xmedian 1.4x 5.4xmedian 1.4x 66.9xmedian 1.4x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median —median 14.5x 32.1xmedian 14.5x -3.4xmedian 14.5x
P/FCF now vs peer median 12.8xmedian 12.1x 31.9xmedian 12.1x -4.7xmedian 12.1x
P/B now vs peer median 0.5xmedian 1.7x 11.9xmedian 1.7x 21.7xmedian 1.7x
PEG now vs peer median 0.08median 0.41 0.41median 0.41 —median 0.41

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsIQSPOTCAST
Revenue $3.71B $21.85B $729.33K
Gross profit $665.38M $7.24B $577.20K
Operating income -$57.57M $3.19B -$12.92M
Net income -$89.99M $3.44B -$13.36M
Free cash flow $66.12M $3.69B -$10.49M
R&D $233.12M $1.67B –
EPS (diluted) $-0.05 $16.34 $-0.34
Cash & equivalents $471.90M $6.84B $8.92M
Total debt $3.74B – $10.11M
Shares (diluted) 2.36B 210.51M 39.52M
Enterprise value -$2.00B $70.85B $31.87M

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricIQSPOTCAST
P/E -3.2x 34.2x -3.1x
P/FCF 12.8x 31.9x -4.7x
P/Operating cash flow 18.4x 31.2x -4.7x
P/S 0.2x 5.4x 66.9x
P/B 0.5x 11.9x 21.7x
P/Tangible book 0.5x 11.9x 21.7x
EV/EBITDA – 32.1x -3.4x
EV/EBIT -22.3x 33.4x -3.4x
EV/Revenue 0.3x 4.9x 59.7x
EV/FCF 19.5x 28.8x -4.2x
EV/Operating cash flow 27.9x 28.2x -4.2x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 0.08 0.41 –

Growth

14 metrics
MetricIQSPOTCAST
Revenue growth (1Y) -3.2% 17.0% –
Revenue CAGR (3Y) -6.2% 17.1% –
Gross profit growth (1Y) -24.2% 22.0% –
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) -18.0% 28.2% –
Operating income growth (1Y) -150.6% 45.9% –
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -29.2% 91.3% –
Net income growth (1Y) -239.9% 117.4% –
Net income CAGR (3Y) -39.2% 86.0% –
EPS growth (1Y) -1,091% 113.8% –
EPS CAGR (3Y) -39.0% 82.8% –
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) -69.5% 15.0% –
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -52.2% 152.0% –
Free cash flow growth (1Y) -57.7% 12.1% –
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -46.4% 166.5% –

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricIQSPOTCAST
Gross margin 17.9% 33.1% 79.1%
EBITDA margin – 15.2% -1,769%
Operating margin -1.6% 14.6% -1,772%
Pretax margin -2.1% 18.0% -1,834%
Net margin -3.2% 15.7% -1,832%
FCF margin 1.8% 16.9% -1,438%
Operating cash flow margin 1.2% 17.3% -1,435%
Return on equity -4.8% 35.3% –
Return on assets -1.3% 21.5% -243.0%
Return on invested capital -0.8% – –
Return on capital employed -1.6% 20.0% –
Asset turnover 0.6x 1.4x 0.1x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) -0.5x 1.1x 0.8x
Stock comp / revenue – 1.5% 157.9%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricIQSPOTCAST
Debt / assets 15.6% – 37.2%
Debt / equity 0.6x – 1.6x
Net debt / EBITDA – – 0.4x
Debt / FCF 15.8x – -0.4x
Liabilities / assets 72.3% 38.9% 77.2%
Equity / assets 27.7% 61.1% 22.8%
Interest coverage -0.5x 3.0x –
Current ratio 0.4x – 1.3x
Quick ratio 0.3x 223.0x 1.2x
Cash ratio 0.2x 206.0x 1.2x
Altman Z-score -1.06 – -31.31

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricIQSPOTCAST
Dividend yield – – –
Net buyback yield – -0.6% -19.9%
Shareholder yield – -0.6% -19.9%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – –
Payout ratio (FCF) – – –
Dividend growth (1Y) – – –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusIQSPOTCAST
Forward P/E – 45.5xFY2026 –
EPS, next fiscal year $-0.07FY2026 $12.58FY2026 $-0.22FY2027
EPS growth, next FY -275.0%FY2026 +1.9%FY2026 –
EPS growth, the year after – +39.4% –
Revenue, next fiscal year $3.56BFY2026 $20.91BFY2026 $2.82MFY2027
Revenue growth, next FY -8.8%FY2026 +3.6%FY2026 +296.6%FY2027
Revenue growth, the year after +3.7% +27.7% +1,697.5%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersIQSPOTCAST
Held by institutions 26.0% 65.9% –
Institutions holding 128 1,235 –
Change in shares held, QoQ -5.6% +1.1% –
Institutions buying 57 615 –
Institutions selling 40 480 –
Buyers to sellers 1.43 1.28 –

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

IQSPOTCAST
IQ 1.00 0.08 0.02
SPOT 0.08 1.00 -0.04
CAST 0.02 -0.04 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, IQ, SPOT and CAST?

Spotify Technology (SPOT) is the largest by market capitalisation: iQIYI (IQ) $363.72M, Spotify Technology (SPOT) $113.93B, FreeCast (CAST) $41.89M.

Which company is growing faster?

Spotify Technology (SPOT) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: iQIYI (IQ) -3.2%, Spotify Technology (SPOT) +17.0%.

Which company is more profitable?

Spotify Technology (SPOT) has the highest net margin (iQIYI (IQ) -3.2%, Spotify Technology (SPOT) 15.7%, FreeCast (CAST) -1,832.2%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Spotify Technology (SPOT) returned the most: iQIYI (IQ) -59.6%, Spotify Technology (SPOT) -11.4%. Over five years, Spotify Technology (SPOT) compounded fastest (iQIYI (IQ) -36.8%/yr, Spotify Technology (SPOT) +15.9%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Spotify Technology (SPOT) has been the steadiest (iQIYI (IQ) 50.7%, Spotify Technology (SPOT) 46.4%, FreeCast (CAST) 281.9%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, IQ, SPOT and CAST?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Spotify Technology (SPOT) leads on 7. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.