Critical Contrast: FirstCash (NASDAQ:FCFS) and Agritek (OTCMKTS:AGTK)

FirstCash (NASDAQ:FCFS) and Agritek (OTCMKTS:AGTK) are both business services companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability, dividends, earnings and risk.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

80.3% of FirstCash shares are held by institutional investors. 2.9% of FirstCash shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 9.9% of Agritek 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.

Profitability

This table compares FirstCash and Agritek’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
FirstCash	8.88%	17.44%	7.92%
Agritek	N/A	N/A	N/A

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares FirstCash and Agritek”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
FirstCash	$3.39 billion	2.24	$258.82 million	$6.93	24.81
Agritek	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

FirstCash has higher revenue and earnings than Agritek.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for FirstCash and Agritek, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
FirstCash	0	2	4	1	2.86
Agritek	0	0	0	0	0.00

FirstCash currently has a consensus target price of $167.00, suggesting a potential downside of 2.86%. Given FirstCash’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe FirstCash is more favorable than Agritek.

Volatility & Risk

FirstCash has a beta of 0.49, indicating that its share price is 51% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Agritek has a beta of -0.33, indicating that its share price is 133% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

FirstCash beats Agritek on 10 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About FirstCash

FirstCash Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates retail pawn stores in the United States, Mexico, and rest of Latin America. The company operates in three segments: U.S. Pawn, Latin America Pawn, and Retail POS Payment Solutions segments. Its pawn stores lend money on the collateral of pledged personal property, including jewelry, electronics, tools, appliances, sporting goods, and musical instruments; and retails merchandise acquired through collateral forfeitures on forfeited pawn loans and over-the-counter purchases of merchandise directly from customers. The company also provides retail POS payment solutions, which focuses on LTO products and facilitating other retail financing payment options across the network of traditional and e-commerce merchant partners. It serves cash and credit-constrained consumers. The company was formerly known as FirstCash, Inc and changed its name to FirstCash Holdings, Inc. in December 2021. FirstCash Holdings, Inc was incorporated in 1988 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas.

About Agritek

Agritek Holdings, Inc. distributes hemp and cannabis products under the Hemp Pops, MD Vapes, Rehab Rx, Higher Society, and California Premiums brands in the United States. Its products include human ingestible, such as tinctures, capsules, and gummies; CBD edibles; topicals; and pet products. The company also offers business services, including operational and compliance consulting, funding and financing, dispensary and retail, commercial production and equipment build out, multichannel supply chain, and consumer product, as well as branding, marketing, and sales solutions. In addition, it is involved in the acquisition and leasing of real estate properties, such as cultivation space and related facilities to licensed marijuana growers and dispensary owners. Agritek Holdings, Inc. distributes its products through e-commerce websites comprising RehabRx.com and Hemppops.com; third-party e-commerce websites; and various brick and mortar retailers. The company was formerly known as MediSwipe Inc. and changed its name to Agritek Holdings, Inc. in April 2014. Agritek Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida.