Momo (NASDAQ: MOMO) and iQiyi (NASDAQ: IQ) are both often cited as high-growth plays on China's streaming video market. Momo went public in 2014 at $13.50 per share, and now trades in the mid-$40s. iQiyi went public at $18 per share this March, and currently trades in the mid-$20s.
....iQiyi has much lower margins than Momo, since it relies heavily on original and licensed content. That's why it reported a net loss of 2.1 billion RMB ($316.9 million) last quarter, compared to a loss of 953.2 RMB in the prior year quarter. Analysts expect iQiyi's revenue to rise 33% this year, but its earnings should remain deep in the red. Investors should also recall that Baidu spun off iQiyi to remove the unit's losses from its bottom line.
An obvious winner Momo's stronger sales growth, higher-margin business model, and bigger profits make it a much better play on China's streaming video market than iQiyi. Momo also trades at just 14 times forward earnings, making it an undervalued growth play on China's tech market. iQiyi still has decent growth potential, but it doesn't have much pricing power, and depends too heavily on pricey premium content.
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