Head to Head Survey: JBT Marel (NYSE:JBTM) versus Manitowoc (NYSE:MTW)

JBT Marel (NYSE:JBTM) and Manitowoc (NYSE:MTW) are both industrials companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, profitability, dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership and valuation.

Risk and Volatility

JBT Marel has a beta of 0.92, suggesting that its stock price is 8% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Manitowoc has a beta of 1.77, suggesting that its stock price is 77% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares JBT Marel and Manitowoc’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
JBT Marel	4.89%	8.75%	4.80%
Manitowoc	0.87%	3.86%	1.43%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

98.9% of JBT Marel shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 78.7% of Manitowoc shares are held by institutional investors. 0.6% of JBT Marel shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 4.0% of Manitowoc shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares JBT Marel and Manitowoc”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
JBT Marel	$3.80 billion	1.52	-$50.50 million	$3.67	30.33
Manitowoc	$2.24 billion	0.36	$7.20 million	$0.55	40.14

Manitowoc has lower revenue, but higher earnings than JBT Marel. JBT Marel is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Manitowoc, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for JBT Marel and Manitowoc, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
JBT Marel	0	2	5	0	2.71
Manitowoc	2	1	0	0	1.33

JBT Marel presently has a consensus price target of $165.20, indicating a potential upside of 48.43%. Manitowoc has a consensus price target of $14.00, indicating a potential downside of 36.58%. Given JBT Marel’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe JBT Marel is more favorable than Manitowoc.

Summary

JBT Marel beats Manitowoc on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About JBT Marel

JBT Marel Corporation provides technology solutions to food and beverage industry in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. It offers value-added processing that includes chilling, mixing/grinding, injecting, blending, marinating, tumbling, flattening, forming, portioning, coating, cooking, frying, freezing, extracting, pasteurizing, sterilizing, concentrating, high pressure processing, weighing, inspecting, filling, closing, sealing, end of line material handling, and packaging solutions to the food, beverage, and health market. In addition, it offers automated guided vehicle systems for material movement in the manufacturing, warehouse, and medical facilities. It serves baby food, bakery and confectionery, citrus processing, fruits and nuts, juices, non-food, pet food, pharmaceutical, plant- based beverages and protein, poultry, meat, and seafood, ready meals, oils, soups, sauces, seasoning and dressings, automotive, building material, tissue, paper, and packaging, hospitals, pharma and life sciences, fast moving consumer goods, manufacturing, warehousing, and other industries. The company markets and sells its products and solutions through direct sales force, independent distributors, sales representatives, and technical service teams. The company was formerly known as John Bean Technologies Corporation and changed its name to JBT Marel Corporation in January 2025. JBT Marel Corporation was incorporated in 1994 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

About Manitowoc

The Manitowoc Company, Inc. provides engineered lifting solutions in the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. It designs, manufactures, and distributes crawler-mounted lattice-boom cranes under the Manitowoc brand; a line of top-slewing and self-erecting tower cranes under the Potain brand; mobile hydraulic cranes under the Grove, Shuttlelift, and National Crane brands; and hydraulic boom trucks under the National Crane brand. The company also provides aftermarket services, such as sale of parts and accessories, field service work, routine maintenance services, technical support, erection and decommissioning services, crane and component remanufacturing, training, and telematics services. Its crane products are used in various applications, including energy production/distribution and utilities; petrochemical and industrial; infrastructure, such as road, bridge, and airport construction; and commercial and residential construction. The company serves a range of customers, including dealers, rental companies, contractors, and government entities in the petrochemical, industrial, commercial construction, power and utilities, infrastructure, and residential construction end markets. The Manitowoc Company, Inc. was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.