Creative Realities (NASDAQ:CREX – Get Free Report) and BlackLine (NASDAQ:BL – Get Free Report) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation and institutional ownership.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
41.3% of Creative Realities shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 95.1% of BlackLine shares are owned by institutional investors. 14.7% of Creative Realities shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 8.6% of BlackLine shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of current ratings for Creative Realities and BlackLine, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Creative Realities | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
| BlackLine | 2 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2.21 |
Profitability
This table compares Creative Realities and BlackLine’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Creative Realities | -2.56% | 2.38% | 1.02% |
| BlackLine | 13.05% | 15.95% | 3.70% |
Risk and Volatility
Creative Realities has a beta of 1.49, indicating that its stock price is 49% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, BlackLine has a beta of 0.97, indicating that its stock price is 3% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Creative Realities and BlackLine”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Creative Realities | $50.85 million | 0.58 | -$3.51 million | ($0.11) | -25.45 |
| BlackLine | $653.34 million | 4.72 | $165.81 million | $1.29 | 38.62 |
BlackLine has higher revenue and earnings than Creative Realities. Creative Realities is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than BlackLine, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
BlackLine beats Creative Realities on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Creative Realities
Creative Realities, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides digital marketing technology and solutions in the United States and internationally. It offers digital signage and media solutions to enhance communications in a wide-ranging variety of out-of-home environments. The company’s solutions include digital merchandising systems and omni-channel customer engagement systems; interactive digital shopping assistants; advisors and kiosks; and other interactive marketing technologies, such as mobile, social media, point-of-sale transactions, beaconing, and web-based media that enables its customers to engage with their consumers. It also provides hardware system design/engineering, hardware installation, content development, content scheduling, post-deployment network and field support, and media sales, as well as media management and distribution software platforms and networks; device and product management; and customized software service layers, systems, experiences, workflows, and integrated solutions. The company sells its solutions to the automotive, retail, digital out of home comprising advertising networks and retail media networks, foodservice/quick-serve restaurants, financial services, gaming, and sports and entertainment venues. Creative Realities, Inc. is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.
About BlackLine
BlackLine, Inc. operates a cloud-based software platform which is designed to transform accounting and finance operations for organizations of all types and sizes. Its scalable platform supports critical accounting processes such as the financial close, account reconciliations, intercompany accounting, and controls assurance. The company was founded by Therese Tucker in May 2001 and is headquartered in Woodland Hills, CA.
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