Analyzing MIND Technology (NASDAQ:MIND) & Cactus (NYSE:WHD)

MIND Technology (NASDAQ:MIND) and Cactus (NYSE:WHD) are both energy companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, profitability, earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations and risk.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for MIND Technology and Cactus, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
MIND Technology	1	0	0	0	1.00
Cactus	0	4	3	0	2.43

Cactus has a consensus target price of $66.60, indicating a potential upside of 10.50%. Given Cactus’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Cactus is more favorable than MIND Technology.

Profitability

This table compares MIND Technology and Cactus’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
MIND Technology	-6.77%	-5.77%	-4.85%
Cactus	6.01%	16.66%	10.81%

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares MIND Technology and Cactus”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
MIND Technology	$40.95 million	0.91	$750,000.00	($0.26)	-15.81
Cactus	$1.08 billion	4.48	$166.01 million	$1.17	51.52

Cactus has higher revenue and earnings than MIND Technology. MIND Technology is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Cactus, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Volatility and Risk

MIND Technology has a beta of 0.33, suggesting that its share price is 67% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Cactus has a beta of 1.42, suggesting that its share price is 42% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

9.8% of MIND Technology shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 85.1% of Cactus shares are held by institutional investors. 3.3% of MIND Technology shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 12.9% of Cactus shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Cactus beats MIND Technology on 13 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About MIND Technology

MIND Technology, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides technology to the oceanographic, hydrographic, defense, seismic, and maritime security industries worldwide. Its primary products include the GunLink seismic source acquisition and control systems that provide operators of marine seismic surveys with precise monitoring and control of energy sources; the BuoyLink RGPS tracking system, which is used to offer precise positioning of marine seismic energy sources and streamers; Sleeve Gun energy sources; SeaLink towed seismic streamer system; and Sea Serpent line of passive sonar arrays for maritime security and anti-submarine warfare applications. The company also provides streamer weight collars, depth and pressure transducers, air control valves, and source array systems; spare and replacement parts; and repair and engineering services, training and field service operations, and umbilical terminations. The company was formerly known as Mitcham Industries, Inc. MIND Technology, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas.

About Cactus

Cactus, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, sells, and leases pressure control and spoolable pipes in the United States, Australia, Canada, the Middle East, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Pressure Control and Spoolable Technologies. The Pressure Control segment designs, manufactures, sells, and rents a range of wellhead and pressure control equipment under the Cactus Wellhead brand name through service centers. Its products are sold and rented primarily for onshore unconventional oil and gas wells for drilling, completion, and production phases of the wells. This segment also provides field services to install, maintain, and handle the equipment. The Spoolable Technologies segment designs, manufactures, and sells spoolable pipes and associated end fittings under the FlexSteel brand name. Its products are primarily used to transport oil, gas, and other liquids. This segment also provides field services and rental items through service centers and pipe yards, as well as offers equipment and services internationally. In addition, the company offers repair and refurbishment services. Cactus, Inc. was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.