IES (NASDAQ:IESC – Get Free Report) and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock (NASDAQ:GLDD – Get Free Report) are both industrials companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership, dividends, risk and analyst recommendations.
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares IES and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| IES | $3.99 billion | 3.45 | $303.06 million | $11.26 | 30.66 |
| Great Lakes Dredge & Dock | $888.28 million | 1.28 | $73.47 million | $1.07 | 15.89 |
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for IES and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| IES | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2.67 |
| Great Lakes Dredge & Dock | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
IES presently has a consensus price target of $334.50, suggesting a potential downside of 3.12%. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock has a consensus price target of $17.00, suggesting a potential upside of 0.00%. Given Great Lakes Dredge & Dock’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Great Lakes Dredge & Dock is more favorable than IES.
Profitability
This table compares IES and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| IES | 11.40% | 35.70% | 19.68% |
| Great Lakes Dredge & Dock | 8.27% | 16.46% | 6.48% |
Risk and Volatility
IES has a beta of 1.77, suggesting that its share price is 77% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock has a beta of 1.38, suggesting that its share price is 38% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
86.6% of IES shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 89.1% of Great Lakes Dredge & Dock shares are owned by institutional investors. 56.4% of IES shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 2.2% of Great Lakes Dredge & Dock shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Summary
IES beats Great Lakes Dredge & Dock on 12 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About IES
IES Holdings, Inc. engages in the design and installation of integrated electrical and technology systems, and provides infrastructure products and services in the United States. The Communications segment designs, installs, and maintains network infrastructure within data centers for co-location and managed hosting customers; corporate, educational, financial, hospitality, and healthcare buildings; e-commerce distribution centers; and high-tech manufacturing facilities. This segment also provides design and installation services for audio/visual, telephone, fire, and wireless access and intrusion alarm systems; and engages in designing/building, servicing, and maintaining data network systems. The Residential segment offers electrical installations to single-family housing and multi-family apartments; and cable television installations to residential and light commercial applications, as well as installs residential solar power for new construction and existing residences. The Infrastructure Solutions segment maintains and repairs alternating and direct current electric motors and generators, and power generating and distribution equipment; manufactures custom-engineered metal enclosed bus duct solutions used in power distribution; manufactures custom commercial and industrial generator enclosures; manufactures, re-manufactures, and repairs industrial lifting magnets; and maintains and repairs railroad main and auxiliary generators, main alternators, and traction motors. The Commercial & Industrial segment offers electrical and mechanical design, construction, and maintenance services for office buildings, manufacturing facilities, data centers, chemical plants, refineries, wind farms, solar facilities, municipal infrastructures, and health care facilities. The company was formerly known as Integrated Electrical Services, Inc. and changed its name to IES Holdings, Inc. in May 2016. IES Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
About Great Lakes Dredge & Dock
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. engages in the provision of dredging services. Its projects include channel and port maintenance, channel deepening and port expansion, coastal protection and restoration, as well as land reclamation. The company was founded by William A. Lydon and Frederick C. Drews in 1890 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.
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