Head to Head Survey: Post (NYSE:POST) and Want Want China (OTCMKTS:WWNTY)

Want Want China (OTCMKTS:WWNTY) and Post (NYSE:POST) are both mid-cap consumer staples companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends, institutional ownership and profitability.

Profitability

This table compares Want Want China and Post’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Want Want China	N/A	N/A	N/A
Post	4.01%	13.36%	3.65%

Volatility and Risk

Want Want China has a beta of 0.16, indicating that its stock price is 84% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Post has a beta of 0.39, indicating that its stock price is 61% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

94.8% of Post shares are held by institutional investors. 14.1% of Post shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Want Want China and Post”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Want Want China	$3.44 billion	1.47	$540.41 million	N/A	N/A
Post	$8.16 billion	0.47	$335.70 million	$5.94	14.34

Want Want China has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Post.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Want Want China and Post, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Want Want China	0	0	0	0	0.00
Post	0	4	4	0	2.50

Post has a consensus price target of $117.00, suggesting a potential upside of 37.40%. Given Post’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Post is more favorable than Want Want China.

Summary

Post beats Want Want China on 10 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Want Want China

Want Want China Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures, distributes, and sells food and beverages. The company operates through four segments: Rice Crackers, Dairy Products and Beverages, Snack Foods, and Other Products. It offers sugar coated crackers, savoury crackers, fried crackers, and gift packs; flavored milk, room temperature yogurt, yogurt drinks, ready-to-drink coffee, juice and sports drinks, herbal tea, and milk powder; candies, popsicles, ball cakes and jellies, beans, nuts, and other snacks; and wine and other food products. The company also trades in food and beverages, and related activities online, as well as raw materials, machineries, etc.; sells chemical materials and plastic films/bags; manufactures and sells machineries and related services; manufactures dehydrating, deoxidating, preservative, and related products; manufactures and sells packaging materials, packing bags, carton boxes, and cans; provides consultancy, information, business, and network technology services; processes and sells rice and oil products; and manufactures and sells rice flour. In addition, it engages in the agricultural planting and management, and livestock and poultry breeding businesses. It serves customers through a sales and distribution network primarily in the People's Republic of China. The company also exports its products to North America, East Asia, South East Asia, and Europe. Want The company was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong.

About Post

Post Holdings, Inc. operates as a consumer packaged goods holding company in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Post Consumer Brands, Weetabix, Foodservice, and Refrigerated Retail. The Post Consumer Brands segment manufactures, markets, and sells branded and private label ready-to-eat (RTE) cereals under Honey Bunches of Oats, Pebbles, and Malt-O-Meal brand names; hot cereal; peanut butter under the Peter Pan brand; and branded and private label dog and cat food products under Rachael Ray Nutrish, Nature's Recipe, 9Lives, Kibbles 'n Bits and Gravy Train brand names. The Weetabix segment primarily manufactures, markets, and distributes branded and private label RTE cereal under Weetabix and Alpen brands; hot cereals and other cereal-based food products; breakfast drinks; protein-based shakes under the UFIT brand, and nutritional snacks, such as muesli. The Foodservice segment produces and distributes egg products primarily under Papetti's and Abbotsford Farms brands, as well as potato products in the foodservice and food ingredient channels. The segment also manufactures certain meat products. The Refrigerated Retail segment produces and distributes side dish, potato, sausage products under Bob Evans, Bob Evans Farms, and Simply Potatoes brands; eggs and egg products under Bob Evans Egg Whites and Egg Beaters brands; and cheese, and other dairy and refrigerated products under Crystal Farms brand. It serves grocery stores, mass merchandise customers, supercenters, club stores, natural/specialty stores, dollar stores, discounters, wholesalers, convenience stores, pet supply retailers, drug store customers, foodservice distributors, and national restaurant chains, as well as sells its products in the military, ecommerce, and foodservice channels. The company was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri.