The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) & Dole (NYSE:DOLE) Head to Head Survey

Dole (NYSE:DOLE) and The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) are both small-cap consumer staples companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, risk, earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations and valuation.

Profitability

This table compares Dole and The Hain Celestial Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Dole	0.97%	7.05%	2.32%
The Hain Celestial Group	-23.73%	-7.11%	-1.24%

Risk & Volatility

Dole has a beta of 0.75, meaning that its share price is 25% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, The Hain Celestial Group has a beta of 1.04, meaning that its share price is 4% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

97.0% of The Hain Celestial Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 41.8% of Dole shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.7% of The Hain Celestial Group shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Dole and The Hain Celestial Group”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Dole	$9.17 billion	0.15	$51.32 million	$0.98	14.52
The Hain Celestial Group	$1.35 billion	0.01	-$304.92 million	($3.25)	-0.05

Dole has higher revenue and earnings than The Hain Celestial Group. The Hain Celestial Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Dole, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Dole and The Hain Celestial Group, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Dole	1	2	0	1	2.25
The Hain Celestial Group	3	4	0	0	1.57

Dole presently has a consensus price target of $14.00, suggesting a potential downside of 1.62%. The Hain Celestial Group has a consensus price target of $0.85, suggesting a potential upside of 476.01%. Given The Hain Celestial Group’s higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe The Hain Celestial Group is more favorable than Dole.

Summary

Dole beats The Hain Celestial Group on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Dole

Dole plc is an international fresh produce company that sources, grows, packs, ships, markets and distributes fruit and vegetables. Its products include bananas, pineapples and other fresh fruit, as well as vegetables and packaged salads sold under the Dole brand and other labels. The company serves retail, wholesale and food-service customers across a range of markets. Its operations span multiple regions, connecting produce growers and farms with customers through its global sourcing, logistics and distribution network.

About The Hain Celestial Group

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. is a natural and organic products company that develops, markets and distributes food, beverage and personal-care products. Its portfolio includes plant-based foods, snacks, pantry staples, beverages, baby and children’s products, and personal-care items sold through grocery stores, mass retailers, specialty retailers, e-commerce channels and other outlets. The company’s brands have included Celestial Seasonings, Earth’s Best, Terra, Garden of Eatin’, Sensible Portions, Imagine, Alba Botanica, Avalon Organics and JASON.