Acorn Energy (NASDAQ:ACFN – Get Free Report) and Littelfuse (NASDAQ:LFUS – Get Free Report) are both technology companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, dividends, valuation and earnings.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of current recommendations for Acorn Energy and Littelfuse, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Acorn Energy | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 |
| Littelfuse | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3.00 |
Littelfuse has a consensus price target of $466.57, indicating a potential upside of 20.69%. Given Littelfuse’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Littelfuse is more favorable than Acorn Energy.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
96.1% of Littelfuse shares are held by institutional investors. 35.6% of Acorn Energy shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 1.0% of Littelfuse shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.
Risk & Volatility
Acorn Energy has a beta of 0.41, meaning that its stock price is 59% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Littelfuse has a beta of 1.5, meaning that its stock price is 50% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Profitability
This table compares Acorn Energy and Littelfuse’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Acorn Energy | 23.04% | 17.04% | 10.55% |
| Littelfuse | 1.37% | 15.86% | 10.16% |
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Acorn Energy and Littelfuse”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Acorn Energy | $11.48 million | 3.21 | $2.51 million | $0.88 | 16.55 |
| Littelfuse | $2.39 billion | 4.11 | -$71.70 million | $1.22 | 316.87 |
Acorn Energy has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Littelfuse. Acorn Energy is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Littelfuse, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
Littelfuse beats Acorn Energy on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Acorn Energy
Acorn Energy, Inc. is a technology company focused on energy infrastructure management and remote monitoring solutions. Through its operating businesses, the company develops systems that help customers monitor, control and maintain distributed energy assets and other critical infrastructure. Acorn Energy’s principal operating business is OmniMetrix, which provides remote monitoring and control solutions for backup power generators and cathodic protection systems. Its products use communications networks and cloud-based software to provide alerts, operating information and other data intended to help customers improve equipment reliability, maintenance and regulatory compliance.
About Littelfuse
Littelfuse, Inc. is a global manufacturer of products that help protect and control electrical systems. Its offerings include fuses and other circuit-protection components, power-control devices, sensors, and electronic components used in a range of applications. The company serves customers in markets including automotive, industrial, commercial vehicles, and electronics. Its products are used to protect equipment from electrical faults, manage power, and monitor conditions in systems and devices.
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