Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ:BLDP – Get Free Report) and Orion Energy Systems (NASDAQ:OESX – Get Free Report) are both small-cap industrials companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, risk, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations and dividends.
Profitability
This table compares Ballard Power Systems and Orion Energy Systems’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Ballard Power Systems | -72.78% | -13.23% | -11.44% |
| Orion Energy Systems | -0.20% | 10.23% | 3.31% |
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Ballard Power Systems and Orion Energy Systems”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Ballard Power Systems | $99.40 million | 4.95 | -$90.91 million | ($0.26) | -5.38 |
| Orion Energy Systems | $86.31 million | 0.62 | -$3.16 million | ($0.08) | -163.50 |
Orion Energy Systems has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Ballard Power Systems. Orion Energy Systems is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Ballard Power Systems, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of recent ratings for Ballard Power Systems and Orion Energy Systems, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Ballard Power Systems | 3 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1.94 |
| Orion Energy Systems | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2.25 |
Ballard Power Systems currently has a consensus target price of $3.13, indicating a potential upside of 123.79%. Orion Energy Systems has a consensus target price of $36.50, indicating a potential upside of 179.05%. Given Orion Energy Systems’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Orion Energy Systems is more favorable than Ballard Power Systems.
Volatility & Risk
Ballard Power Systems has a beta of 2.21, indicating that its share price is 121% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Orion Energy Systems has a beta of 0.93, indicating that its share price is 7% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
28.0% of Ballard Power Systems shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 52.6% of Orion Energy Systems shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.2% of Ballard Power Systems shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 5.3% of Orion Energy Systems shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Summary
Orion Energy Systems beats Ballard Power Systems on 10 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Ballard Power Systems
Ballard Power Systems is a Canadian company that designs, develops and manufactures proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell products and systems. Its offerings include fuel cell stacks, modules and engines, along with related services and technical support. The company focuses on applications where fuel cells can provide electric power, particularly heavy-duty transportation. Its products are used or developed for buses, trucks, rail and marine vessels, as well as stationary and other power applications.
About Orion Energy Systems
Orion Energy Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: OESX) is an energy-efficiency technology company that designs, manufactures and delivers lighting and energy-management solutions for commercial and industrial facilities. Its offerings are intended to help organizations improve illumination, reduce energy consumption and modernize building operations. The company’s products and services include LED lighting fixtures and retrofit systems, intelligent lighting controls, and related energy-management technologies.
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