ZipRecruiter (NYSE:ZIP – Get Free Report) and MediaAlpha (NYSE:MAX – Get Free Report) are both small-cap communication services companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, institutional ownership, valuation, earnings, dividends, risk and analyst recommendations.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for ZipRecruiter and MediaAlpha, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| ZipRecruiter | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 |
| MediaAlpha | 0 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2.56 |
ZipRecruiter currently has a consensus price target of $4.17, suggesting a potential downside of 1.03%. MediaAlpha has a consensus price target of $14.29, suggesting a potential upside of 18.85%. Given MediaAlpha’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe MediaAlpha is more favorable than ZipRecruiter.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
Volatility and Risk
ZipRecruiter has a beta of 1.44, indicating that its stock price is 44% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, MediaAlpha has a beta of 1.16, indicating that its stock price is 16% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Profitability
This table compares ZipRecruiter and MediaAlpha’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| ZipRecruiter | 6.20% | N/A | -3.73% |
| MediaAlpha | 7.94% | -301.42% | 28.23% |
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares ZipRecruiter and MediaAlpha”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| ZipRecruiter | $448.95 million | 0.77 | -$32.99 million | $0.35 | 12.03 |
| MediaAlpha | $1.11 billion | 0.66 | $25.62 million | $1.62 | 7.42 |
MediaAlpha has higher revenue and earnings than ZipRecruiter. MediaAlpha is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than ZipRecruiter, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
MediaAlpha beats ZipRecruiter on 9 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About ZipRecruiter
ZipRecruiter, Inc. operates an online employment marketplace that connects job seekers and employers. Its platform provides various solutions, such as job posting, online interviews, job alerts, match scores, and application updates. The company was incorporated in 2010 and is based in Santa Monica, California.
About MediaAlpha
MediaAlpha, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates an insurance customer acquisition platform in the United States. It optimizes customer acquisition in various verticals of property and casualty insurance, health insurance, and life insurance. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.
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