Noodles & Company (NASDAQ:NDLS – Get Free Report) and Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS – Get Free Report) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, valuation, dividends and analyst recommendations.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
65.7% of Noodles & Company shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 39.2% of Las Vegas Sands shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.8% of Noodles & Company shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.6% of Las Vegas Sands shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Noodles & Company and Las Vegas Sands”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Noodles & Company | $495.69 million | 0.18 | -$42.57 million | ($4.01) | -3.75 |
| Las Vegas Sands | $13.02 billion | 1.97 | $1.63 billion | $2.44 | 16.78 |
Las Vegas Sands has higher revenue and earnings than Noodles & Company. Noodles & Company is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Las Vegas Sands, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Profitability
This table compares Noodles & Company and Las Vegas Sands’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Noodles & Company | -4.71% | N/A | -3.40% |
| Las Vegas Sands | 11.85% | 177.43% | 9.31% |
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for Noodles & Company and Las Vegas Sands, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Noodles & Company | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.50 |
| Las Vegas Sands | 1 | 9 | 10 | 0 | 2.45 |
Las Vegas Sands has a consensus price target of $53.28, suggesting a potential upside of 30.17%. Given Las Vegas Sands’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Las Vegas Sands is more favorable than Noodles & Company.
Risk and Volatility
Noodles & Company has a beta of 1.33, suggesting that its stock price is 33% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Las Vegas Sands has a beta of 0.78, suggesting that its stock price is 22% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Las Vegas Sands beats Noodles & Company on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Noodles & Company
Noodles & Co. engages in the business of development and operation of fast-casual restaurants that serve noodle and pasta dishes, soups, salads, and appetizers. The firm also offers pleasant dining, pick-up, and delivery experiences by quickly preparing fresh food with friendly service. The company was founded by Aaron Kennedy in 1995 and is headquartered in Broomfield, CO.
About Las Vegas Sands
Las Vegas Sands Corp., together with its subsidiaries, develops, owns, and operates integrated resorts in Macao and Singapore. It owns and operates The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, the Londoner Macao, The Parisian Macao, The Plaza Macao and Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Cotai Strip, and the Sands Macao in Macao, the People’s Republic of China; and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. The company’s integrated resorts feature accommodations, gaming, entertainment and retail malls, convention and exhibition facilities, celebrity chef restaurants, and other amenities. Las Vegas Sands Corp. was founded in 1988 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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