Contrasting Brown Forman (NYSE:BF.A) and Willamette Valley Vineyards (NASDAQ:WVVI)

Brown Forman (NYSE:BF.A) and Willamette Valley Vineyards (NASDAQ:WVVI) are both consumer staples companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, valuation, dividends and profitability.

Risk & Volatility

Brown Forman has a beta of 0.4, meaning that its share price is 60% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Willamette Valley Vineyards has a beta of 0.29, meaning that its share price is 71% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

3.8% of Brown Forman shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 12.2% of Willamette Valley Vineyards shares are owned by institutional investors. 4.0% of Brown Forman shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 8.5% of Willamette Valley Vineyards shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Brown Forman and Willamette Valley Vineyards’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Brown Forman	20.64%	19.93%	9.85%
Willamette Valley Vineyards	-2.47%	-3.90%	-0.85%

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Brown Forman and Willamette Valley Vineyards”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Brown Forman	$3.98 billion	3.44	$869.00 million	$2.12	14.04
Willamette Valley Vineyards	$37.20 million	0.36	-$920,000.00	($0.63)	-4.32

Brown Forman has higher revenue and earnings than Willamette Valley Vineyards. Willamette Valley Vineyards is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Brown Forman, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for Brown Forman and Willamette Valley Vineyards, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Brown Forman	0	0	0	0	0.00
Willamette Valley Vineyards	1	0	0	0	1.00

Summary

Brown Forman beats Willamette Valley Vineyards on 9 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Brown Forman

Brown-Forman Corporation manufactures, bottles, imports, exports, markets, and sells various alcoholic beverages. It provides spirits, wines, whiskey spirits, whiskey-based flavored liqueurs, ready-to-drink and ready-to-pour products, ready-to-drink cocktails, vodkas, tequilas, champagnes, brandy, bourbons, and liqueurs. The company offers its products primarily under the Jack Daniel's, Woodford Reserve, Canadian Mist, GlenDronach, BenRiach, Glenglassaugh, Old Forester, Early Times, Slane Irish Whiskey, Coopers' Craft, el Jimador, Herradura, New Mix, Pepe Lopez, Antiguo, Finlandia, Korbel Champagne, and Sonoma-Cutrer brands. It is also involved in the sale of used barrels, bulk whiskey, and wine; and provision of contract bottling services. The company serves retail customers and consumers through distributors or state governments; and retailers, wholesalers, and provincial governments directly. It has operations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Mexico, and internationally. Brown-Forman Corporation was founded in 1870 and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.

About Willamette Valley Vineyards

Willamette Valley Vineyards, Inc. produces and sells wine in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Direct Sales and Distributor Sales. It primarily offers Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Gruner Veltliner, Rose, Brut, Brut Rose, and Riesling branded wines under the Willamette Valley Vineyards label; Semi-Sparkling Muscat branded wine under the Tualatin Estate Vineyards label; Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Malbec, The Griffin, and Viognier branded wines under the Griffin Creek label; and Brut, Brut Rose, and Blanc de Blancs under the Domaine Willamette label. The company also provides Pinot Noir and Chardonnay branded wine under the Elton label; Chrysologue, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon branded wine under the Pambrun label; and Frontiere Syrah, Lisette Rose, Graviére Syrah, Voyageur Syrah, Bourgeois Grenache, and Voltigeur Viognier branded wine under the Maison Bleue label, as well as offers wines under the Natoma, Pere Ami, and Metis labels. It owns and leases approximately 1,018 acres of land. The company markets and sells its wine products through direct sales at the retail locations; mailing lists; and distributors and wine brokers. Willamette Valley Vineyards, Inc. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Turner, Oregon.