The9 (NASDAQ:NCTY) & CURO Group (NYSE:CURO) Financial Analysis

The9 (NASDAQ:NCTY) and CURO Group (NYSE:CURO) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, analyst recommendations, risk, institutional ownership, valuation, dividends and profitability.

Profitability

This table compares The9 and CURO Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
The9	N/A	N/A	N/A
CURO Group	-35.34%	N/A	-8.23%

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for The9 and CURO Group, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
The9	0	0	0	0	N/A
CURO Group	0	1	0	0	2.00

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares The9 and CURO Group’s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
The9	$179.05 million	0.21	$2.82 million	N/A	N/A
CURO Group	$418.33 million	0.01	-$266.73 million	($6.49)	-0.01

The9 has higher earnings, but lower revenue than CURO Group.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

0.5% of The9 shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 39.9% of CURO Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 30.8% of The9 shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 26.1% of CURO Group shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Risk & Volatility

The9 has a beta of 1.88, meaning that its stock price is 88% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, CURO Group has a beta of 2.21, meaning that its stock price is 121% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

The9 beats CURO Group on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About The9

The9 Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates as Internet company in the People's Republic of China and internationally. It also involves in the operation of cryptocurrency mining and Non-Fungible Token platform NFTSTAR, a NFT trading and community platform that provides users with purchase, trade, and interactive activities. The company was formerly known as GameNow.net Limited and changed its name to The9 Limited in February 2004. The9 Limited was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People's Republic of China.

About CURO Group

CURO Group Holdings Corp., together with its subsidiaries, provides consumer finance products in the United States and Canada. The company offers secured and unsecured installment loans, revolving line of credit, and single-pay loans; and credit protection insurance, check cashing, money transfer, foreign currency exchange, and other ancillary financial products and services, as well as reloadable prepaid debit cards and demand deposit accounts. The company also provides loans through online. It operates under the Covington Credit, Heights Finance, Quick Credit, Southern Finance, First Heritage Credit, Cash Money, LendDirect, and Flexiti brands. The company was formerly known as Speedy Group Holdings Corp. and changed its name to CURO Group Holdings Corp. in May 2016. CURO Group Holdings Corp. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.