IT Tech Packaging (NYSE:ITP) vs. Clearwater Paper (NYSE:CLW) Financial Review

Clearwater Paper (NYSE:CLW) and IT Tech Packaging (NYSE:ITP) are both small-cap materials companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation, earnings, dividends and profitability.

Profitability

This table compares Clearwater Paper and IT Tech Packaging’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Clearwater Paper	-3.24%	-7.95%	-4.06%
IT Tech Packaging	-12.35%	-5.92%	-5.09%

Volatility and Risk

Clearwater Paper has a beta of 0.24, meaning that its share price is 76% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, IT Tech Packaging has a beta of -0.24, meaning that its share price is 124% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

90.0% of Clearwater Paper shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 3.0% of IT Tech Packaging shares are held by institutional investors. 2.4% of Clearwater Paper shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 3.2% of IT Tech Packaging shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings for Clearwater Paper and IT Tech Packaging, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Clearwater Paper	1	5	2	0	2.12
IT Tech Packaging	0	0	0	0	0.00

Clearwater Paper presently has a consensus price target of $18.50, suggesting a potential downside of 15.66%. Given Clearwater Paper’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Clearwater Paper is more favorable than IT Tech Packaging.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Clearwater Paper and IT Tech Packaging”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Clearwater Paper	$1.56 billion	0.23	-$18.60 million	($3.04)	-7.22
IT Tech Packaging	$78.94 million	0.04	-$9.95 million	($1.02)	-0.17

IT Tech Packaging has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Clearwater Paper. Clearwater Paper is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than IT Tech Packaging, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Clearwater Paper beats IT Tech Packaging on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Clearwater Paper

Clearwater Paper Corporation manufactures and supplies bleached paperboards, and consumer and parent roll tissues in the United States and internationally. It operates through Pulp and Paperboard, and Consumer Products segments. The Pulp and Paperboard segment manufactures and markets bleached paperboard; Solid Bleached Sulfate paperboard that is used to produce folding cartons, liquid packaging, cups and plates, blister and carded packaging, and top sheet and commercial printing items; and hardwood and softwood pulp, as well as offers services that include custom sheeting, slitting, and cutting. It sells its products to carton converters, folding carton converters, merchants, and commercial printers. The Consumer Products segment provides a line of at-home tissue products, including bath tissues, paper towels, facial tissues, and napkins; recycled fiber value grade products; and away-from-home tissues. This segment sells its products to retailers, including grocery, club, mass merchants, and discount stores. The company was incorporated in 2005 and is based in Spokane, Washington.

About IT Tech Packaging

IT Tech Packaging, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and distribution of paper products in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through three segments: Dongfang Paper, Tengsheng Paper, and Baoding Shengde. It offers corrugating medium papers to companies making corrugating cardboards; and offset printing papers to printing companies. The company also provides tissue paper products, including toilet papers, boxed and soft-packed tissues, handkerchief tissues, and paper napkins, as well as bathroom and kitchen paper towels under the Dongfang Paper brand. In addition, it produces and sells non-medical single-use face masks, and medical face masks. The company was formerly known as Orient Paper, Inc. and changed its name to IT Tech Packaging, Inc. in August 2018. The company is headquartered in Baoding, the People's' Republic of China.