Head to Head Survey: Owens Corning (NYSE:OC) & Trex (NYSE:TREX)

Owens Corning (NYSE:OC) and Trex (NYSE:TREX) are both mid-cap industrials companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, risk, dividends, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, earnings and valuation.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

88.4% of Owens Corning shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 96.0% of Trex shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.9% of Owens Corning shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.9% of Trex shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for Owens Corning and Trex, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Owens Corning	1	5	9	3	2.78
Trex	2	10	10	0	2.36

Owens Corning currently has a consensus target price of $163.54, indicating a potential upside of 39.29%. Trex has a consensus target price of $49.30, indicating a potential upside of 11.45%. Given Owens Corning’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe Owens Corning is more favorable than Trex.

Profitability

This table compares Owens Corning and Trex’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Owens Corning	-6.81%	20.52%	6.21%
Trex	14.68%	18.03%	11.76%

Volatility & Risk

Owens Corning has a beta of 1.32, indicating that its share price is 32% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Trex has a beta of 1.48, indicating that its share price is 48% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Owens Corning and Trex”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Owens Corning	$10.10 billion	0.92	-$522.00 million	($8.06)	-14.57
Trex	$1.17 billion	3.91	$190.41 million	$1.68	26.33

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

Summary

Trex beats Owens Corning on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Owens Corning

Owens Corning manufactures and sells building and construction materials in the United States, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. It operates in three segments: Roofing, Insulation, and Composites. The Roofing segment manufactures and sells laminate and strip asphalt roofing shingles, oxidized asphalt materials, and roofing components used in residential and commercial construction, and specialty applications. This segment sells its products through distributors, home centers, and lumberyards, as well as to roofing contractors for built-up roofing asphalt systems; and manufacturers in automotive, chemical, rubber, and construction industries. The Insulation segment manufactures and sells thermal and acoustical batts, loosefill insulation, spray foam insulation, foam sheathing and accessories under the Owens Corning PINK, and FIBERGLAS brands; and glass fiber pipe insulation, energy efficient flexible duct media, bonded and granulated mineral wool insulation, cellular glass insulation, and foam insulation under the FOAMULAR, FOAMGLAS, and Paroc brand names used in construction applications. This segment sells its products primarily to the insulation installers, home centers, lumberyards, retailers, and distributors. The Composites segment manufactures, fabricates, and sells glass reinforcements in the form of fiber; and glass fiber products in the form of fabrics, non-wovens, and composite lumber. Its products are used in building structures, roofing shingles, tubs and showers, pools, decking, flooring, pipes and tanks, poles, electrical equipment, and wind-energy turbine blades. This segment sells its products directly to parts molders, fabricators, and shingle manufacturers. The company was incorporated in 1938 and is headquartered in Toledo, Ohio.

About Trex

Trex Company, Inc. manufactures and distributes composite decking, railing, and outdoor living products and accessories for residential and commercial markets in the United States. It offers decking products and accessories under the names Trex Transcend, Trex Select, Trex Signature, Trex Transcend Lineage, and Trex Enhance for protection against fading, staining, mold, and scratching; Trex Hideaway, a hidden fastening system; and Trex DeckLighting, a LED dimmable deck lighting for use on posts, floors, and steps. The company also provides Trex Transcend Railing products that are used in Trex decking products and other decking materials; Trex Select Railing products for a simple clean finished look; Trex Enhance Railing system; Trex Signature aluminum railing for a contemporary look; and Trex Select T-Rail railing products. In addition, it offers Trex Seclusions, a fencing product that includes structural posts, bottom and top rails, pickets, and decorative post caps. Further, the company acts as a licensor in various licensing agreements with third parties to manufacture and sell products under the Trex name, including Trex Outdoor Furniture; Trex RainEscape, an above joist deck drainage system; Trex Pergola, a cellular PVC product; Trex Latticeworks outdoor lattice boards; Trex Cornhole boards; Diablo Trex Blade, a saw blade for wood-alternative composite decking; Trex SpiralStairs and structural steel posts; and Trex Outdoor Kitchens, cabinetry, and Storage products. It sells its products through wholesale distributors, retail lumber dealers, and Home Depot and Lowe’s stores. Trex Company, Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Winchester, Virginia.