ProPetro (NYSE:PUMP – Get Free Report) and Dawson Geophysical (NASDAQ:DWSN – Get Free Report) are both small-cap energy companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, profitability, earnings and valuation.
Profitability
This table compares ProPetro and Dawson Geophysical’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| ProPetro | -1.31% | -0.06% | -0.04% |
| Dawson Geophysical | -13.89% | -44.29% | -22.22% |
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for ProPetro and Dawson Geophysical, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| ProPetro | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2.13 |
| Dawson Geophysical | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 |
Volatility & Risk
ProPetro has a beta of 1.07, meaning that its share price is 7% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Dawson Geophysical has a beta of -0.02, meaning that its share price is 102% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
84.7% of ProPetro shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 7.9% of Dawson Geophysical shares are held by institutional investors. 1.6% of ProPetro shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of Dawson Geophysical shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares ProPetro and Dawson Geophysical”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| ProPetro | $1.30 billion | 0.75 | -$137.86 million | ($0.17) | -55.44 |
| Dawson Geophysical | $64.31 million | 0.94 | -$4.12 million | ($0.12) | -16.21 |
Dawson Geophysical has lower revenue, but higher earnings than ProPetro. ProPetro is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Dawson Geophysical, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
ProPetro beats Dawson Geophysical on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About ProPetro
ProPetro Holding Corp. operates as an integrated oilfield services company. The company provides hydraulic fracturing, wireline, cementing, and other complementary oilfield completion services to upstream oil and gas companies in the Permian Basin. ProPetro Holding Corp. was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Midland, Texas.
About Dawson Geophysical
Dawson Geophysical Company provides onshore seismic data acquisition and processing services in the United States and Canada. The company acquires and processes 2-D, 3-D, and multi-component seismic data for its clients, including oil and gas companies, and independent oil and gas operators, as well as providers of multi-client data libraries and carbon capture sequestration projects. Its seismic crews supply seismic data primarily to companies engaged in the exploration and development of oil and natural gas on land and in land-to-water transition areas, as well as potash mining industry. The company was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Midland, Texas. Dawson Geophysical Company is a subsidiary of Wilks Brothers, LLC.
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