Contrasting Stardust Power (NASDAQ:SDST) & Universal Electronics (NASDAQ:UEIC)

Universal Electronics (NASDAQ:UEIC) and Stardust Power (NASDAQ:SDST) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability and earnings.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

79.4% of Universal Electronics shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 32.8% of Stardust Power shares are held by institutional investors. 9.4% of Universal Electronics shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 55.3% of Stardust Power shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Universal Electronics and Stardust Power”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Universal Electronics	$394.88 million	0.14	-$24.03 million	($1.67)	-2.47
Stardust Power	N/A	N/A	-$23.75 million	($3.93)	-0.87

Stardust Power has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Universal Electronics. Universal Electronics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Stardust Power, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Volatility & Risk

Universal Electronics has a beta of 1.4, indicating that its stock price is 40% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Stardust Power has a beta of 0.26, indicating that its stock price is 74% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for Universal Electronics and Stardust Power, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Universal Electronics	1	2	0	0	1.67
Stardust Power	1	1	1	1	2.50

Universal Electronics presently has a consensus target price of $5.75, suggesting a potential upside of 39.56%. Stardust Power has a consensus target price of $17.25, suggesting a potential upside of 404.39%. Given Stardust Power’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Stardust Power is more favorable than Universal Electronics.

Profitability

This table compares Universal Electronics and Stardust Power’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Universal Electronics	-5.64%	-0.68%	-0.33%
Stardust Power	N/A	N/A	-185.06%

Summary

Stardust Power beats Universal Electronics on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Universal Electronics

Universal Electronics Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, ships, and supports control and sensor technology solutions in the United States, the People’s Republic of China, rest of Asia, Europe, Latin America, and internationally. The company offers voice-enabled automatically-programmed universal two-way radio frequency, as well as infrared remote controls to video service providers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), retailers, and private label customers; wall-mount and handheld thermostat controllers and connected accessories for smart energy management systems to OEM customers, hotels, hospitality, and system integrators; proprietary and standards-based RF sensors for residential security, safety, and home automation applications; and integrated circuits on which its software and universal device control database is embedded to OEMs, video service providers, and private label customers. It also provides software, firmware and technology solutions that can enable devices such as Smart TVs, hybrid set-top boxes, audio systems, smart speakers, game consoles, and other consumer electronic and smart home devices to wirelessly connect and interoperate within home networks; cloud-services that support its embedded software and hardware solutions; intellectual property that the company licenses to OEMs and video service providers; embedded and cloud-enabled software for firmware update provisioning and digital rights management validation services to consumer electronics brands; and AV accessories, including universal remote controls, television wall mounts and stands, and digital television antennas. In addition, the company QuickSet, a software application that can be embedded in entertainment or smart home platform or can be delivered as a cloud-based service, through QuickSet Cloud, to enable universal device setup, interoperability, and control. Universal Electronics Inc. was incorporated in 1986 and is based in Scottsdale, Arizona.

About Stardust Power

Stardust Power Inc. is a vertically-integrated lithium refinery that engages in producing battery-grade lithium. The company was founded in 2022 and is based in Greenwich, Connecticut.