Analyzing Lakeside (NASDAQ:LSH) and Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH)

Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) and Lakeside (NASDAQ:LSH) are both small-cap transportation companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk and valuation.

Profitability

This table compares Universal Logistics and Lakeside’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Universal Logistics	-2.46%	6.49%	2.26%
Lakeside	-26.59%	-172.78%	-39.90%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

25.5% of Universal Logistics shares are held by institutional investors. 73.6% of Universal Logistics shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 15.5% of Lakeside shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Universal Logistics and Lakeside”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Universal Logistics	$1.85 billion	0.23	$129.91 million	($1.52)	-10.47
Lakeside	$19.81 million	0.81	-$5.25 million	($0.60)	-1.54

Universal Logistics has higher revenue and earnings than Lakeside. Universal Logistics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Lakeside, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Universal Logistics and Lakeside, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Universal Logistics	2	1	0	0	1.33
Lakeside	1	0	0	0	1.00

Universal Logistics currently has a consensus price target of $17.00, suggesting a potential upside of 6.78%. Given Universal Logistics’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts clearly believe Universal Logistics is more favorable than Lakeside.

Risk & Volatility

Universal Logistics has a beta of 0.91, meaning that its stock price is 9% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Lakeside has a beta of 3.03, meaning that its stock price is 203% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Universal Logistics beats Lakeside on 9 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Universal Logistics

Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. provides transportation and logistics solutions in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Colombia. The company offers truckload services, which include dry van, flatbed, heavy-haul, and refrigerated operations; domestic and international freight forwarding, and customs brokerage services. It transports various commodities comprising automotive parts, machinery, building materials, paper, food, consumer goods, furniture, steel, and other metals. The company also provides value-added services for individual customer requirements, including material handling, consolidation, sequencing, sub-assembly, cross-dock, kitting, repacking, warehousing, and returnable container management; and intermodal support services comprising short-to-medium distance delivery of steamship and rail truck containers between the port or railhead, and the customer. It serves automotive, steel, and other metals, retail and consumer goods, energy, and manufacturing industries, as well as other transportation companies who aggregate loads from various shippers. The company was formerly known as Universal Truckload Services, Inc. and changed its name to Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. in April 2016. Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1932 and is headquartered in Warren, Michigan.

About Lakeside

Lakeside Holding Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides integrated cross-border supply chain solution in the United States, China, South Korea, and internationally. It offers a range of integrated services under cross-border ocean freight solutions and cross-border airfreight solutions, including cross-border freight consolidation and forwarding services, customs clearance services, warehousing and distribution services, and U.S. domestic ground transportation services. The company customers include logistics service companies serving e-commerce platforms, social commerce platforms, and manufacturers to sell and transport consumer and industrial goods. Lakeside Holding Limited was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Itasca, Illinois. Lakeside Holding Limited operates as a subsidiary of Jiushen Transport LLC.