Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD – Get Free Report) and Westport Fuel Systems (NASDAQ:WPRT – Get Free Report) are both industrials companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, dividends, institutional ownership, risk and earnings.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
98.5% of Middleby shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 21.3% of Westport Fuel Systems shares are owned by institutional investors. 9.7% of Middleby shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.8% of Westport Fuel Systems shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.
Profitability
This table compares Middleby and Westport Fuel Systems’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Middleby | -13.22% | 17.44% | 7.66% |
| Westport Fuel Systems | -493.15% | -51.88% | -37.23% |
Earnings and Valuation
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Middleby | $3.20 billion | 1.67 | -$277.73 million | ($9.26) | -12.73 |
| Westport Fuel Systems | $23.32 million | 1.43 | -$61.63 million | ($2.41) | -0.73 |
Westport Fuel Systems has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Middleby. Middleby is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Westport Fuel Systems, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Middleby and Westport Fuel Systems, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Middleby | 1 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 2.50 |
| Westport Fuel Systems | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.67 |
Middleby presently has a consensus target price of $160.38, suggesting a potential upside of 36.01%. Westport Fuel Systems has a consensus target price of $1.00, suggesting a potential downside of 43.18%. Given Middleby’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Middleby is more favorable than Westport Fuel Systems.
Risk & Volatility
Middleby has a beta of 1.32, meaning that its stock price is 32% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Westport Fuel Systems has a beta of 2.13, meaning that its stock price is 113% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Middleby beats Westport Fuel Systems on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Middleby
The Middleby Corporation designs, markets, manufactures, distributes, and services foodservice, food processing, and residential kitchen equipment worldwide. Its Commercial Foodservice Equipment Group segment offers conveyor, combi, convection, baking, proofing, deck, speed cooking, and hydrovection ovens; ranges, fryers, and rethermalizers; steam cooking, food warming, catering, induction cooking, and countertop cooking equipment; heated cabinets, charbroilers, ventless cooking systems, kitchen ventilation, toasters, griddles, charcoal grills, professional mixers, stainless steel fabrication, custom millwork, professional refrigerators, blast chillers, cold rooms, ice machines, and freezers; soft serve ice cream, coffee and beverage dispensing, home and professional craft brewing equipment; and fry dispensers, bottle filling and canning equipment, IoT solutions, and controls development and manufacturing. The company's Food Processing Equipment Group segment provides batch, baking, proofing, conveyor belt, and continuous processing ovens; frying and automated thermal processing systems; tumblers, massagers, grinders, slicers, reduction and emulsion systems, mixers, and blenders; battering, breading, and seeding equipment; water cutting systems, food presses, food suspension equipment, filling and depositing solutions, and forming equipment; and automated washing systems, auto-guided vehicles, food safety, food handling, freezing, and defrosting and packaging equipment. Its Residential Kitchen Equipment Group segment offers kitchen equipment comprising cookers, stoves, cooktops, microwaves, ovens, refrigerators, dishwashers, undercounter refrigeration, wine cellars, ice machines, beer dispensers, mixers, rotisseries, and ventilation and outdoor cooking equipment. The company was formerly known as Middleby Marshall Oven Company and changed its name to The Middleby Corporation in 1985. The company was founded in 1888 and is based in Elgin, Illinois.
About Westport Fuel Systems
Westport Fuel Systems Inc. engages in the engineering, manufacturing, and supplying alternative fuel systems and components for use in transportation applications in Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Original Equipment Manufacturers and Independent Aftermarket. It offers alternative fuel systems and components, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), renewable natural gas or biomethane, and hydrogen; and pressure regulators, injectors, electronic control units, valves and filters, complete bi-fuel, mono-fuel and dual-fuel LPG and natural gas conversion kits and high-pressure hydrogen components. The company provides Westport’s LNG high pressure direct injection 2.0 fuel system and bi-fuel products; offers turnkey solutions covering all process phases, including prototyping, development, calibration, validation, homologation, vehicle conversion and logistic services, as well as systems for diesel-powered vehicles; and supplies hydrogen fuel system components for light, medium, and heavy-duty applications. It offers its products under the AFS, BRC, Emer, GFI, HPDI, Stako, Prins, Zavoli, OMVL, TA Gas Technology, Vialle, and Valtek brands. The company was formerly known as Westport Innovations Inc. and changed its name to Westport Fuel Systems Inc. in June 2016. Westport Fuel Systems Inc. was incorporated in 1995 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.
Receive News & Ratings for Middleby Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Middleby and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
