Critical Survey: Gen Digital (NASDAQ:GEN) & Samsara (NYSE:IOT)

Samsara (NYSE:IOT) and Gen Digital (NASDAQ:GEN) are both large-cap technology companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation, institutional ownership, profitability and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares Samsara and Gen Digital’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Samsara	4.90%	4.13%	2.35%
Gen Digital	23.07%	56.80%	9.38%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings for Samsara and Gen Digital, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Samsara	0	6	14	2	2.82
Gen Digital	0	6	2	0	2.25

Samsara presently has a consensus price target of $51.68, indicating a potential upside of 22.35%. Gen Digital has a consensus price target of $31.20, indicating a potential upside of 1.83%. Given Samsara’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe Samsara is more favorable than Gen Digital.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Samsara and Gen Digital”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Samsara	$1.85 billion	13.39	-$9.12 million	$0.16	264.02
Gen Digital	$5.00 billion	3.64	$973.00 million	$1.99	15.40

Gen Digital has higher revenue and earnings than Samsara. Gen Digital is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Samsara, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Risk and Volatility

Samsara has a beta of 1.33, meaning that its stock price is 33% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Gen Digital has a beta of 1.24, meaning that its stock price is 24% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

96.0% of Samsara shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 81.4% of Gen Digital shares are owned by institutional investors. 35.1% of Samsara shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 9.7% of Gen Digital shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Samsara beats Gen Digital on 9 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Samsara

Samsara Inc. is a technology company that provides a cloud-based platform for managing connected operations. Its platform combines Internet of Things (IoT) devices, software and data analytics to help organizations monitor vehicles, equipment, worksites and other physical assets. The company’s products include vehicle telematics, fleet management tools, AI-enabled dash cameras, equipment monitoring and software for routing, driver safety and operational workflows. Its customers span industries such as transportation, construction, field services, manufacturing and the public sector.

About Gen Digital

Gen Digital Inc. is a global cybersecurity company that provides digital safety and identity protection services to consumers and small businesses. Its products include antivirus and malware protection, virtual private networks, password managers, scam protection, and identity monitoring and recovery services. The company offers services through brands including Norton, Avast, LifeLock, Avira, AVG, and CCleaner. Its products are available in markets around the world through direct subscriptions and other distribution channels.