Safe Bulkers (NYSE: SB) and Herc (NYSE:HRI) are both small-cap transportation companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership, risk, earnings, dividends and profitability.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
22.4% of Safe Bulkers shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 96.5% of Herc shares are held by institutional investors. 0.1% of Herc shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.
Safe Bulkers has a beta of 1.98, indicating that its stock price is 98% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Herc has a beta of 2.43, indicating that its stock price is 143% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Safe Bulkers and Herc, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Safe Bulkers | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
| Herc | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2.50 |
Safe Bulkers presently has a consensus price target of $3.60, indicating a potential upside of 8.76%. Herc has a consensus price target of $57.00, indicating a potential downside of 13.10%. Given Safe Bulkers’ higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Safe Bulkers is more favorable than Herc.
Profitability
This table compares Safe Bulkers and Herc’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Safe Bulkers | 3.26% | 16.52% | 7.76% |
| Herc | 9.14% | -0.88% | -0.08% |
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Safe Bulkers and Herc’s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Safe Bulkers | $148.03 million | 2.27 | -$84.67 million | ($0.98) | -3.38 |
| Herc | $1.75 billion | 1.07 | $160.30 million | $5.52 | 11.95 |
Herc has higher revenue and earnings than Safe Bulkers. Safe Bulkers is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Herc, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
Herc beats Safe Bulkers on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
Safe Bulkers Company Profile
Safe Bulkers, Inc. is a holding company. The Company’s principal business is the acquisition, ownership and operation of drybulk vessels. The Company’s vessels operate across the world, carrying drybulk cargo for the consumers of marine drybulk transportation services. The Company is an international provider of marine drybulk transportation services, transporting bulk cargoes, particularly coal, grain and iron ore, along shipping routes across the world. As of February 17, 2017 the Company’s fleet included 38 vessels, of which 14 are Panamax class vessels, nine are Kamsarmax class vessels, 12 are Post-Panamax class vessels and three are Capesize class vessels, with an aggregate carrying capacity of 3,421,800 deadweight tonnage (dwt). The Company’s fleet of Post-Panamax vessels includes Marina, Xenia, Sophia, Eleni, Martine, Andreas K, Panayiota K, Venus Heritage, Venus History, Venus Horizon and Troodos Sun. Its fleet of Capesize vessels includes Kanaris, Pelopidas and Lake Despina.
Herc Company Profile
Herc Holdings Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an equipment rental supplier. It rents aerial, earthmoving, material handling, trucks and trailers, air compressors, compaction, and lighting equipment, as well as generators, and safety supplies and expendables; and provides ProSolutions, an industry specific solution based services, such as pumping solutions, power generation, climate control, remediation and restoration, and studio and production equipment. The company also sells used equipment and contractor supplies, such as construction consumables, tools, small equipment, and safety supplies; provides repair, maintenance, equipment management, and safety training services, as well as offers ancillary services, such as equipment transport, rental protection, cleaning, refueling, and labor. It serves non-residential and residential construction, specialty trade, restoration, remediation and environment, and facility maintenance contractors; industrial manufacturing industries, including automotive and aerospace, power, metals and mining, agriculture, pulp, paper and wood, food and beverage, and refineries and petrochemical industries; infrastructure and government sectors; and commercial and retail service, hospitality, healthcare, recreation, entertainment production, and special event management customers through its sales team, industry catalogs, as well as through participation and sponsorship of industry events, trade shows, and Internet. As of December 31, 2017, it operated approximately 275 locations in the United States, Canada, China, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Herc Holdings Inc. is based in Bonita Springs, Florida.
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