Largo (NYSE:LGO – Get Free Report) and National Steel (NYSE:SID – Get Free Report) are both small-cap materials companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, profitability, valuation, dividends, earnings, institutional ownership and analyst recommendations.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
64.1% of Largo shares are held by institutional investors. 0.3% of Largo shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.0% of National Steel shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Risk and Volatility
Largo has a beta of 1.52, meaning that its stock price is 52% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, National Steel has a beta of 1.61, meaning that its stock price is 61% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Earnings & Valuation
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Largo | $127.06 million | 0.61 | -$30.34 million | ($1.07) | -0.70 |
| National Steel | $45.11 billion | 0.04 | -$358.62 million | ($0.34) | -3.66 |
Largo has higher earnings, but lower revenue than National Steel. National Steel is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Largo, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Profitability
This table compares Largo and National Steel’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Largo | -35.10% | -22.61% | -14.29% |
| National Steel | -5.26% | -14.90% | -2.38% |
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of current ratings for Largo and National Steel, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Largo | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3.00 |
| National Steel | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.00 |
Largo presently has a consensus target price of $2.10, suggesting a potential upside of 181.88%. National Steel has a consensus target price of $1.40, suggesting a potential upside of 12.45%. Given Largo’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe Largo is more favorable than National Steel.
Summary
Largo beats National Steel on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Largo
Largo Inc. engages in the development and sale of vanadium-based energy storage systems in Canada. The company operates through, Sales & Trading, Mine Properties, Corporate, Exploration and Evaluation Properties, and Largo Clean Energy and Largo Physical Vanadium Segments. Its products include VPURE+ vanadium flakes that are used in the production of master alloys and aerospace applications; VPURE vanadium flakes ferrovanadium and vanadium carbon nitride for the steel industry; and VPURE+ vanadium powder for catalyst applications. The company offers renewable energy storage solutions through Largo Clean Energy. Its products are sourced from vanadium deposits at the Maracás Menchen Mine in Brazil. The company was formerly known as Largo Resources Ltd. and changed its name to Largo Inc. in November 2021. The company was incorporated in 1988 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
About National Steel
Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional operates as an integrated steel producer in Brazil and Latin America. It operates through five segments: Steel Industry, Mining, Logistics, Energy, and Cement. The company offers flat steel products, such as hot and cold rolled, galvanized, galvalume, pre-painted, and metal sheets products; coil, sheets, and derivatives; tiles and derivatives, pipes, and profiles; long steel products; steel packaging solutions for the food industry; chemical packaging solution; and carbochemical products. It also provides steel cutting services; produces and sells cement; operates railway and port facilities; and generates electric power from its thermoelectric co-generation and hydroelectric power plants. In addition, the company explores for iron ore reserves at Casa de Pedra and Engenho mines located in the city of Congonhas; and limestone and dolomite at the Bocaina mine located in the city of Arcos in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, as well as produces tin. Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil.
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