Plug Power (NASDAQ:PLUG) vs. Schneider Electric (OTCMKTS:SBGSY) Critical Comparison

Schneider Electric (OTCMKTS:SBGSY) and Plug Power (NASDAQ:PLUG) are both industrials companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, dividends, risk, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability and analyst recommendations.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Schneider Electric and Plug Power”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Schneider Electric	$41.29 billion	3.59	$4.62 billion	N/A	N/A
Plug Power	$676.17 million	3.38	-$2.10 billion	($2.37)	-0.84

Schneider Electric has higher revenue and earnings than Plug Power.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

0.8% of Schneider Electric shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 43.5% of Plug Power shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.4% of Plug Power shares are owned by company 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.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for Schneider Electric and Plug Power, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Schneider Electric	0	2	4	3	3.11
Plug Power	6	6	5	1	2.06

Plug Power has a consensus price target of $2.42, suggesting a potential upside of 22.26%. Given Plug Power’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Plug Power is more favorable than Schneider Electric.

Profitability

This table compares Schneider Electric and Plug Power’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Schneider Electric	N/A	N/A	N/A
Plug Power	-292.84%	-90.22%	-50.27%

Volatility and Risk

Schneider Electric has a beta of 1.47, indicating that its stock price is 47% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Plug Power has a beta of 2.28, indicating that its stock price is 128% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Schneider Electric beats Plug Power on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Schneider Electric

Schneider Electric S.E. engages in the energy management and industrial automation businesses in the France, Western Europe, North America, the Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, and internationally. The company offers busway and cable management products, circuit breakers and switches, contactors and protection relays, electrical car charging, electrical protection and control products, energy management software solutions, load banks, power monitoring and control systems, power quality and power factor correction products, push buttons, switches, pilot lights and joysticks, surge protection and power conditioning services, switchboards and enclosures, and transfer switches. It also provides access control, controllers, expansion modules, servers and HMIs, fire and security products, sensors, valves and valve actuators, and variable speed and frequency drives; energy management and software solutions; feeder automation, grid automation, and SCADA software products; and medium voltage switchgears and transformers, outdoor equipment, substation automation products, and switchgear components. In addition, the company offers critical power and cooling services, data center cooling and software, IT power distribution products, prefabricated data center modules, racks and accessories, security and environmental monitoring, surge protection and power conditioning, and uninterruptible power supply products; and home automation and security, installation materials and systems, light switches, and electrical sockets. Further, the company provides human machine interface, industrial automation software and communication, interface relays, measurement and control relays, measurement and instrumentation products, motion controls and robotics, signaling units, solar and energy storage, power supplies, power protection and transformers, process control and safety, RFID systems, and other industrial automation and control products, as well as PLC, PAC, and dedicated controllers. Schneider Electric S.E.was founded in 1836 and is headquartered in Rueil-Malmaison, France.

About Plug Power

Plug Power Inc. develops hydrogen and fuel cell product solutions in North America, Europe, Asia, and internationally. The company offers GenDrive, a hydrogen-fueled proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell system that provides power to material handling electric vehicles; GenSure, a stationary fuel cell solution that offers modular PEM fuel cell power to support the backup and grid-support power requirements of the telecommunications, transportation, and utility sectors; ProGen, a fuel cell stack and engine technology used in mobility and stationary fuel cell systems, and as engines in electric delivery vans; GenFuel, a liquid hydrogen fueling delivery, generation, storage, and dispensing system; GenCare, an ongoing Internet of Things-based maintenance and on-site service program for GenDrive fuel cell systems, GenSure fuel cell systems, GenFuel hydrogen storage and dispensing products, and ProGen fuel cell engines; and GenKey, an integrated turn-key solution for transitioning to fuel cell power. It also provides electrolyzers, a hydrogen generator for clean hydrogen production; liquefaction systems that provides liquid hydrogen to customers; cryogenic equipment for the distribution of liquified hydrogen, oxygen, argon, nitrogen and other cryogenic gases, including trailers and mobile storage equipment; and liquid hydrogen, an alternative fuel to fossil-based energy. The company sells its products through a direct product sales force, original equipment manufacturers, and dealer networks. Plug Power Inc. was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Latham, New York.