RF Industries (NASDAQ:RFIL) vs. Corning (NYSE:GLW) Financial Survey

Corning (NYSE:GLW) and RF Industries (NASDAQ:RFIL) are both technology companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, profitability, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, earnings and valuation.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Corning and RF Industries, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Corning	0	7	13	0	2.65
RF Industries	0	2	2	0	2.50

Corning presently has a consensus price target of $177.56, suggesting a potential upside of 33.67%. RF Industries has a consensus price target of $14.50, suggesting a potential upside of 105.09%. Given RF Industries’ higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe RF Industries is more favorable than Corning.

Risk & Volatility

Corning has a beta of 1.13, suggesting that its share price is 13% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, RF Industries has a beta of 1.34, suggesting that its share price is 34% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

69.8% of Corning shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 23.5% of RF Industries shares are held by institutional investors. 0.3% of Corning shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 20.4% of RF Industries shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Corning and RF Industries’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Corning	11.20%	20.09%	8.00%
RF Industries	2.83%	15.32%	7.80%

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Corning and RF Industries”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Corning	$15.63 billion	7.32	$1.60 billion	$2.19	60.65
RF Industries	$80.59 million	0.95	$80,000.00	$0.22	32.14

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

Summary

Corning beats RF Industries on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Corning

Corning Incorporated engages in the display technologies, optical communications, environmental technologies, specialty materials, and life sciences businesses in the United States and internationally. The company's Display Technologies segment offers glass substrates for flat panel displays, including liquid crystal displays and organic light-emitting diodes that are used in televisions, notebook computers, desktop monitors, tablets, and handheld devices. Its Optical Communications segment provides optical fibers and cables; and hardware and equipment products, such as cable assemblies, fiber optic hardware and connectors, optical components and couplers, closures, network interface devices, and other accessories for the telecommunications industry, businesses, governments, and individuals. The company's Specialty Materials segment manufactures products that offer material formulations for glass, glass ceramics, crystals, precision metrology instruments, and software, as well as glass wafers and substrates, tinted sunglasses, and radiation shielding products for various markets comprising mobile consumer electronics, semiconductor equipment optics and consumables, aerospace and defense optics, radiation shielding products, sunglasses, and telecommunications components. Its Environmental Technologies segment provides ceramic substrates and filter products for emissions control in mobile, gasoline, and diesel applications. The company's Life Sciences segment offers laboratory products, including consumables, such as plastic vessels, liquid handling plastics, specialty surfaces, cell culture media, and serum, as well as general labware, and glassware and equipment under the Corning, Pyrex, Falcon, and Axygen brands. The company was formerly known as Corning Glass Works and changed its name to Corning Incorporated in April 1989. Corning Incorporated was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Corning, New York.

About RF Industries

RF Industries, Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets interconnect products and systems in the United States, Canada, Italy, Mexico, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, RF Connector and Cable Assembly, and Custom Cabling Manufacturing and Assembly. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes various coaxial connectors and cable assemblies that are integrated with coaxial connectors; custom copper and fiber cable assemblies, complex hybrid fiber optic and power solution cables, adapters, and electromechanical wiring harnesses for communication, computer, LAN, automotive, and medical equipment; energy-efficient cooling systems for wireless base stations and remote equipment shelters; and custom-designed pole-ready 5G small cell integrated enclosures. It also designs and manufactures cable assemblies and wiring harnesses for blue chip industrial, oilfield, instrumentation, medical, and military customers; connectivity solutions to telecommunications and data communications distributors; thermal control systems; and radio frequency and microwave distribution system products, such as dividers, directional couplers, and filters. The company sells its products through warehousing distributors and in-house marketing and sales team. It serves telecommunications carriers and equipment manufacturers, wireless and network infrastructure carriers, and original equipment manufacturers. The company was formerly known as Celltronics, Inc. and changed its name RF Industries, Ltd. in November 1990. RF Industries, Ltd. was incorporated in 1979 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.