This is therefore a comparing of the profitability, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings and valuation in Gridsum Holding Inc. (NASDAQ:GSUM) and 2U Inc. (NASDAQ:TWOU). The two are both Application Software companies that compete with one another.
Valuation & Earnings
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Gridsum Holding Inc. | N/A | 0.00 | N/A | -1.60 | 0.00 |
| 2U Inc. | 411.77M | 9.33 | 38.33M | -0.71 | 0.00 |
Table 1 showcases the gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation of Gridsum Holding Inc. and 2U Inc.
Profitability
Table 2 provides us the return on assets, net margins and return on equity of both companies.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Gridsum Holding Inc. | 0.00% | -57.2% | -24.6% |
| 2U Inc. | -9.31% | -6.2% | -5.2% |
Liquidity
The Current Ratio and Quick Ratio of Gridsum Holding Inc. are 2 and 2 respectively. Its competitor 2U Inc.’s Current Ratio is 7.6 and its Quick Ratio is 7.6. 2U Inc. can pay off short and long-term obligations better than Gridsum Holding Inc.
Analyst Recommendations
The next table highlights the delivered recommendations and ratings for Gridsum Holding Inc. and 2U Inc.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Gridsum Holding Inc. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 2U Inc. | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3.00 |
Competitively the average target price of 2U Inc. is $87.25, which is potential 32.08% upside.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
Institutional investors owned 40.9% of Gridsum Holding Inc. shares and 0% of 2U Inc. shares. Gridsum Holding Inc.’s share owned by insiders are 5.3%. Insiders Competitively, owned 1.3% of 2U Inc. shares.
Performance
Here are the Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Half Yearly, Yearly and YTD Performance of both pretenders.
| Performance (W) | Performance (M) | Performance (Q) | Performance (HY) | Performance (Y) | Performance (YTD) | |
| Gridsum Holding Inc. | 1.29% | 79.09% | -6.86% | -33.22% | -61.6% | 76.68% |
| 2U Inc. | -1.95% | 22.8% | 22.47% | -20.03% | -17.62% | 40.41% |
For the past year Gridsum Holding Inc. has stronger performance than 2U Inc.
Summary
On 7 of the 10 factors 2U Inc. beats Gridsum Holding Inc.
Gridsum Holding Inc. provides data analysis software for multinational and domestic enterprises, and government agencies in China. Its proprietary distributed data architecture allows its customers to collect and analyze vast amounts of information; and Gridsum Big Data platform performs multi-dimensional correlation analysis and analyzes complex real-time events. The company offers Web Dissector to analyze customer Websites by monitoring and analyzing key performance indicators; Mobile Dissector to understand mobile app user activity; SEM Dissector for search engine marketing; SEO Dissector, a search engine optimization tool; Ad Dissector, an advertisement performance monitoring and optimization product; Contribution Dissector to evaluate the performance of advertising campaigns; Audience Dissector, an audience analysis product; Recommendation Engine, a data driven content recommendation solution. It also provides Government Web Dissector, a digital intelligence solution; Government Website Group Integrated Management Platform, an integrated management platform; Streaming Dissector, a real-time viewership analysis and operational efficiency monitor for digital online video; Video Dissector, an online video content analytics tool; TV Dissector, an analytics tool; Rating Plus, a television viewing data analytics tool; and Media Dissector, a mass, social, and user-generated content media monitoring and analytics tool. In addition, the company offers Law Dissector, a search and statistical analysis tool; Smart Push, a legal research tool; Information Dissector, an insightful analytical system; Social Listening, a could-based social listening solution; Gridsum Dashboard, a data visualization tool; and Gridsum Report Center, an automated report generation and distribution tool. Further, it develops new media analytics and information discovery solutions to address a range of customer needs. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Beijing, China.
2U, Inc. provides cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions for nonprofit colleges and universities to deliver education to students. Its cloud-based SaaS platform solutions include online campus, an online learning platform that enables its clients to offer educational content together with instructor-led classes in a live, intimate, and engaging setting through proprietary Web-based and mobile applications. The companyÂ’s integrated back-end applications launch, operate, and support clients’ programs, as well as provide clients with real-time data and analytical insight related to student performance and engagement, student satisfaction, and enrollment. It also offers a suite of technology-enabled services, including content development and student acquisition, admissions application advisory, student and faculty support, student field placement, accessibility, immersion support, faculty recruitment, and state authorization services. The company was formerly known as 2Tor Inc. and changed its name to 2U, Inc. in October 2012. 2U, Inc. was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Lanham, Maryland.