Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LBTYB – Get Free Report) and John Wiley & Sons (NYSE:WLYB – Get Free Report) are both mid-cap communication services companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, valuation, risk and analyst recommendations.
Risk and Volatility
Liberty Global has a beta of 0.46, indicating that its stock price is 54% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, John Wiley & Sons has a beta of 0.54, indicating that its stock price is 46% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of recent ratings for Liberty Global and John Wiley & Sons, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Liberty Global | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.00 |
| John Wiley & Sons | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 |
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Liberty Global and John Wiley & Sons”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Liberty Global | $4.88 billion | 0.84 | -$7.14 billion | ($8.98) | -1.34 |
| John Wiley & Sons | $1.67 billion | 1.57 | $221.62 million | $3.78 | 13.65 |
John Wiley & Sons has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Liberty Global. Liberty Global is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than John Wiley & Sons, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
0.5% of Liberty Global shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.5% of John Wiley & Sons shares are held by institutional investors. 6.5% of Liberty Global shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 29.7% of John Wiley & Sons shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Profitability
This table compares Liberty Global and John Wiley & Sons’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Liberty Global | -62.11% | -28.82% | -13.28% |
| John Wiley & Sons | 11.90% | 27.99% | 8.16% |
Summary
John Wiley & Sons beats Liberty Global on 10 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Liberty Global
Liberty Global Plc is an international television and broadband company, which engages in the provision of broadband communications services. It operates through the following geographical segments: U.K. and Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland, Central and Eastern Europe, and Central and Corporate. Its products include broadband, WiFi, connectivity products, TV platforms, and TV content. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
About John Wiley & Sons
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. engages in the provision of research and learning materials. It operates through the following segments: Research, Learning, and Held for Sale or Sold. The Research segment consists of research publishing and research solutions. The Learning segment includes academic and professional reporting lines and consists of publishing and related knowledge solutions. The Held for Sale or Sold segment offers businesses held-for-sale including Wiley Edge and CrossKnowledge, University Services and Tuition Manager, and Test Prep and Advancement Courses. The company was founded by Charles Wiley in 1807 and is headquartered in Hoboken, NJ.
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