Contrasting Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) and Coursera (NYSE:COUR)

Coursera (NYSE:COUR) and Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability, dividends, risk and institutional ownership.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Coursera and Service Corporation International”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Coursera	$1.07 billion	0.85	-$51.00 million	($0.72)	-4.99
Service Corporation International	$4.31 billion	2.38	$542.61 million	$4.03	18.71

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

Insider and Institutional Ownership

89.6% of Coursera shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 85.5% of Service Corporation International shares are held by institutional investors. 16.3% of Coursera shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 3.4% of Service Corporation International 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 Coursera and Service Corporation International’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Coursera	-14.35%	3.23%	1.96%
Service Corporation International	12.70%	34.96%	2.93%

Risk and Volatility

Coursera has a beta of 1.26, indicating that its share price is 26% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Service Corporation International has a beta of 0.77, indicating that its share price is 23% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Coursera and Service Corporation International, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Coursera	1	6	5	1	2.46
Service Corporation International	1	0	4	0	2.60

Coursera presently has a consensus target price of $6.36, indicating a potential upside of 77.01%. Service Corporation International has a consensus target price of $95.67, indicating a potential upside of 26.87%. Given Coursera’s higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe Coursera is more favorable than Service Corporation International.

Summary

Service Corporation International beats Coursera on 9 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Coursera

Coursera is an online learning platform founded in 2012 by Stanford University professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller. It works with universities and companies to offer digital learning programs to individuals, businesses, governments and educational institutions around the world. Its offerings include individual courses, multi-course Specializations, professional certificates, guided projects and online degree programs. The platform also provides learning and workforce-development services for organizations through Coursera for Business and other institutional offerings.

About Service Corporation International

Service Corporation International (SCI) is a provider of funeral, cremation and cemetery services in the United States and Canada. Its offerings include funeral and memorial services, cremation, cemetery property and merchandise, as well as advance-planning arrangements. The company serves families through a network of funeral homes and cemeteries, including locations that operate under brands such as Dignity Memorial, Funeraria del Angel and National Cremation Society. Founded in 1962 by Robert L. Waltrip, Service Corporation International is headquartered in Houston, Texas.