Elio Motors (OTCMKTS:ELIO) vs. Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) Financial Contrast

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) and Elio Motors (OTCMKTS:ELIO) are both small-cap auto/tires/trucks companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings, profitability and dividends.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations for Blue Bird and Elio Motors, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Blue Bird	0	1	7	0	2.88
Elio Motors	0	0	0	0	0.00

Blue Bird presently has a consensus price target of $63.42, indicating a potential upside of 25.48%. Given Blue Bird’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts clearly believe Blue Bird is more favorable than Elio Motors.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

93.6% of Blue Bird shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.1% of Blue Bird shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 81.4% of Elio Motors shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Blue Bird and Elio Motors’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Blue Bird	8.16%	61.66%	21.26%
Elio Motors	N/A	N/A	N/A

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Blue Bird and Elio Motors”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Blue Bird	$1.35 billion	1.19	$105.55 million	$3.50	14.44
Elio Motors	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Blue Bird has higher revenue and earnings than Elio Motors.

Risk and Volatility

Blue Bird has a beta of 1.62, indicating that its stock price is 62% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Elio Motors has a beta of 14.44, indicating that its stock price is 1,344% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Blue Bird beats Elio Motors on 8 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Blue Bird

Blue Bird Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs, engineers, manufactures, and sells school buses in the United States, Canada, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Bus and Parts. It offers Type C, Type D, and specialty buses; and alternative power options through its propane powered, gasoline powered, compressed natural gas powered, and electric powered school buses, as well as diesel engines. The company also sells replacement bus parts; and provides financing services and extended warranties related to its products. Blue Bird Corporation sells its products through drop ship and a network of dealers, as well as directly to fleet operators, the United States government, and state governments; independent service centers; and maintains a parts distribution center. Blue Bird Corporation was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Macon, Georgia.

About Elio Motors

Elio Motors, Inc., a development stage company, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells automobiles. The company focuses on developing the Elio, a three wheeled vehicle for mass production in the United States, which gives 84 miles per gallon. Elio Motors, Inc. was founded in 2009 and is based in Phoenix, Arizona.