Contrasting BE Semiconductor Industries (OTCMKTS:BESIY) & ASM International (OTCMKTS:ASMIY)

BE Semiconductor Industries (OTCMKTS:BESIY) and ASM International (OTCMKTS:ASMIY) are both large-cap technology companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, earnings and valuation.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

0.0% of ASM International shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.6% of BE Semiconductor Industries shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 24.4% of ASM International shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Risk & Volatility

BE Semiconductor Industries has a beta of 1.99, indicating that its stock price is 99% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, ASM International has a beta of 1.99, indicating that its stock price is 99% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Dividends

BE Semiconductor Industries pays an annual dividend of $1.57 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. ASM International pays an annual dividend of $3.23 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.3%. BE Semiconductor Industries pays out 51.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. ASM International pays out 12.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings for BE Semiconductor Industries and ASM International, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
BE Semiconductor Industries	0	2	5	2	3.00
ASM International	1	1	5	1	2.75

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares BE Semiconductor Industries and ASM International”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
BE Semiconductor Industries	$668.88 million	24.73	$148.94 million	$3.05	74.80
ASM International	$3.59 billion	13.06	$818.79 million	$25.50	37.61

ASM International has higher revenue and earnings than BE Semiconductor Industries. ASM International is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than BE Semiconductor Industries, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares BE Semiconductor Industries and ASM International’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
BE Semiconductor Industries	28.42%	46.44%	18.48%
ASM International	31.94%	22.22%	16.33%

About BE Semiconductor Industries

BE Semiconductor Industries N.V. engages in the development, manufacture, marketing, sale, and service of semiconductor assembly equipment for the semiconductor and electronics industries in China, the United States, Malaysia, Ireland, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Other Asia Pacific and Europe, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Die Attach, Packaging, and Plating. The company's principal products include die attach equipment, such as single chip, multi-chip, multi module, flip chip, thermal compression bonding, fan out wafer level packaging, hybrid and embedded bridge die bonding, and die sorting systems; and packaging equipment, including conventional, ultra-thin, and wafer level molding, as well as trim and form, and singulation systems. It also provides plating equipment, such as tin, copper, and precious metal and solar plating systems, as well as related process chemicals; and tooling, conversion kits, spare parts, and other services. The company's principal brand names include Datacon, Esec, Fico, and Meco. It offers its products primarily to multinational chip manufacturers, assembly subcontractors, and electronics and industrial companies. BE Semiconductor Industries N.V. was incorporated in 1995 and is headquartered in Duiven, the Netherlands.

About ASM International

ASM International NV, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, manufacture, marketing, and servicing of equipment and materials used to produce semiconductor devices in Europe, the United States, and Asia. The company’s products include wafer processing deposition systems for atomic layer deposition (ALD), epitaxy, silicon carbide, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and vertical furnace systems, including low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), diffusion, and oxidation products, as well as provides spare parts and support services. It also manufactures and sells equipment, which is used in wafer processing, encompassing the fabrication steps in which silicon wafers are layered with semiconductor devices. The company offers its products to semiconductor manufacturers. The company was formerly known as Advanced Semiconductor Materials International NV. ASM International NV was incorporated in 1968 and is headquartered in Almere, the Netherlands.