Comparing ARM (NASDAQ:ARM) & Tower Semiconductor (NASDAQ:TSEM)

Tower Semiconductor (NASDAQ:TSEM) and ARM (NASDAQ:ARM) are both large-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, institutional ownership, risk, analyst recommendations, earnings and valuation.

Profitability

This table compares Tower Semiconductor and ARM’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Tower Semiconductor	13.20%	7.37%	6.34%
ARM	18.81%	15.03%	11.39%

Institutional and Insider Ownership

70.5% of Tower Semiconductor shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 7.5% of ARM shares are held by institutional investors. 1.0% of Tower Semiconductor shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Tower Semiconductor and ARM”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Tower Semiconductor	$1.51 billion	7.28	$207.86 million	$1.72	57.78
ARM	$4.41 billion	33.78	$792.00 million	$0.78	180.87

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

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings for Tower Semiconductor and ARM, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Tower Semiconductor	0	2	3	0	2.60
ARM	0	7	19	1	2.78

Tower Semiconductor presently has a consensus target price of $119.25, indicating a potential upside of 19.99%. ARM has a consensus target price of $179.80, indicating a potential upside of 27.45%. Given ARM’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe ARM is more favorable than Tower Semiconductor.

Volatility & Risk

Tower Semiconductor has a beta of 0.94, indicating that its stock price is 6% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, ARM has a beta of 4.11, indicating that its stock price is 311% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

ARM beats Tower Semiconductor on 12 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Tower Semiconductor

Tower Semiconductor Ltd., an independent semiconductor foundry, focus on specialty process technologies to manufacture analog intensive mixed-signal semiconductor devices in Israel, the United States, Japan, Europe, and internationally. It provides various customizable process technologies, including SiGe, BiCMOS, mixed signal/CMOS, RF CMOS, CMOS image sensor, integrated power management, and MEMS. The Company also provides design enablement platform for quick and accurate design cycle, as well as transfer optimization and development process services to integrated device manufacturers and fabless companies. It serves various markets, such as consumer electronics, personal computers, communications, automotive, industrial, aerospace, military, and medical device products. The company was incorporated in 1993 and is headquartered in Migdal Haemek, Israel.

About ARM

Arm Holdings Plc engages in the licensing, marketing, research, and development of microprocessors, systems IP, graphics processing units, physical IP and associated systems IP, software, and tools. It operates through the following geographical segments: United Kingdom, United States, and Other Countries. The company was founded on November 12, 1990 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom.