Head-To-Head Contrast: Li Ning (OTCMKTS:LNNGY) & GAP (NYSE:GAP)

Li Ning (OTCMKTS:LNNGY) and GAP (NYSE:GAP) are both mid-cap retail/wholesale companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, valuation, earnings, risk, dividends and profitability.

Profitability

This table compares Li Ning and GAP’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Li Ning	N/A	N/A	N/A
GAP	5.31%	22.98%	6.70%

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Li Ning and GAP”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Li Ning	$4.12 billion	1.47	$408.36 million	N/A	N/A
GAP	$15.37 billion	0.49	$816.00 million	$2.15	9.67

GAP has higher revenue and earnings than Li Ning.

Volatility and Risk

Li Ning has a beta of 0.36, indicating that its share price is 64% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, GAP has a beta of 2.11, indicating that its share price is 111% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Li Ning and GAP, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Li Ning	0	0	0	2	4.00
GAP	0	4	12	2	2.89

GAP has a consensus price target of $30.29, suggesting a potential upside of 45.64%. Given GAP’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe GAP is more favorable than Li Ning.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

58.8% of GAP shares are owned by institutional investors. 31.0% of GAP shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Dividends

Li Ning pays an annual dividend of $1.76 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.0%. GAP pays an annual dividend of $0.70 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.4%. GAP pays out 32.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. GAP has increased its dividend for 1 consecutive years. GAP is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Summary

GAP beats Li Ning on 12 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Li Ning

Li Ning Company Limited, a sports brand company, engages in the research and development, design, manufacture, marketing, distribution, and retail of sporting goods in the People’s Republic of China. The company offers sporting goods, including professional and leisure footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessories under the LI-NING brand. It also develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and/or sells outdoor sports products under the AIGLE brand; table tennis products under the Double Happiness brand name; fashionable fitness products for dance and yoga under the Danskin brand; and badminton products under the Kason brand name. The company also provides brand licensing, administrative, and property management services. It operates conventional stores, flagship stores, China LI-NING stores, LI-NING 1990 stores, factory outlets, and multi-brand stores under the LI-NING brand. The company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People’s Republic of China.

About GAP

Gap, Inc. operates as a global apparel retail company, which offers clothing, apparel, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, and children. The firm operates through the following segments: Gap Global, Old Navy Global, Banana Republic Global, Athleta, and Other. The Gap Global segment includes apparel and accessories for men and women under the Gap brand, along with the GapKids, BabyGap, GapMaternity, GapBody, and GapFit collections. The Old Navy Global segment offers clothing and accessories for adults and children. The Banana Republic Global segment provides clothing, eyewear, jewelry, shoes, handbags, and fragrances. The Athleta segment offers fitness apparel for women. The company founded by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher in July 1969 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.