AXT (NASDAQ:AXTI – Get Free Report) and Ascent Solar Technologies (NASDAQ:ASTI – Get Free Report) are both technology companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, risk, dividends, valuation and profitability.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
49.5% of AXT shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 10.6% of Ascent Solar Technologies shares are owned by institutional investors. 6.0% of AXT shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 4.1% of Ascent Solar Technologies shares are owned by 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.
Profitability
This table compares AXT and Ascent Solar Technologies’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| AXT | 3.23% | 0.96% | 0.70% |
| Ascent Solar Technologies | -4,217.19% | -85.21% | -64.83% |
Valuation and Earnings
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| AXT | $88.33 million | 50.82 | -$21.26 million | $0.02 | 3,423.00 |
| Ascent Solar Technologies | $191,335.00 | 111.84 | -$7.83 million | ($1.48) | -1.47 |
Ascent Solar Technologies has lower revenue, but higher earnings than AXT. Ascent Solar Technologies is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than AXT, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for AXT and Ascent Solar Technologies, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| AXT | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2.33 |
| Ascent Solar Technologies | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
AXT presently has a consensus price target of $77.00, indicating a potential upside of 12.47%. Ascent Solar Technologies has a consensus price target of $20.00, indicating a potential upside of 817.43%. Given Ascent Solar Technologies’ higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Ascent Solar Technologies is more favorable than AXT.
Risk and Volatility
AXT has a beta of 1.86, meaning that its share price is 86% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Ascent Solar Technologies has a beta of 1.76, meaning that its share price is 76% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
AXT beats Ascent Solar Technologies on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About AXT
AXT, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and distributes compound and single element semiconductor substrates. The company offers indium phosphide for use in data center connectivity using light/lasers, high-speed data transfer in data centers, 5G communications, fiber optic lasers and detectors, consumer devices, passive optical networks, silicon photonics, photonic integrated circuits, thermo-photovoltaics, RF amplifier and switching, infrared light-emitting diode (LEDS) motion control, lidar for robotics and autonomous vehicles, and infrared thermal imaging. It also provides semi-insulating gallium arsenide (GaAs) substrates for use in Wi-Fi and IoT devices, transistors, direct broadcast television, power amplifiers, satellite communications, and solar cells; and semi-conducting GaAs substrates that are used in LEDs, screen displays using micro-LEDs, printer head lasers and LEDs, 3-D sensing using VCSELs, data center communication using VCSELs, sensors for industrial robotics/near-infrared sensors, optical couplers, solar cells, night vision goggles, lidar for robotics and autonomous vehicles, and other lasers, as well as laser machining, cutting, and drilling. In addition, the company offers germanium substrates for use in multi-junction solar cells for satellites, optical sensors and detectors, terrestrial concentrated photo voltaic cells, infrared detectors, and carrier wafer for LED. Further, it provides 6N+ and 7N+ purified gallium, boron trioxide, gallium-magnesium alloy, pyrolytic boron nitride (pBN) crucibles, and pBN insulating parts. It sells its products through direct salesforce in the United States, China, and Europe, as well as through independent sales representatives and distributors in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and internationally. The company was formerly known as American Xtal Technology, Inc. and changed its name to AXT, Inc. in July 2000. AXT, Inc. was incorporated in 1986 and is headquartered in Fremont, California.
About Ascent Solar Technologies
Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc., a solar technology company, engages in the manufacture and sale of photovoltaic solar modules in the United States. The company markets and sells its products through OEMs, system integrators, distributors, retailers, and value-added resellers. It serves agrivoltaics, aerospace, satellites, near earth orbiting vehicles, and fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicles. Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Thornton, Colorado.
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