Greenbrier Companies (NYSE:GBX – Get Free Report) and Laser Photonics (NASDAQ:LASE – Get Free Report) are both small-cap industrials companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, valuation, earnings, risk, institutional ownership and profitability.
Risk and Volatility
Greenbrier Companies has a beta of 1.42, suggesting that its share price is 42% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Laser Photonics has a beta of 2.44, suggesting that its share price is 144% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
95.6% of Greenbrier Companies shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 1.9% of Laser Photonics shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.7% of Greenbrier Companies shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.6% of Laser Photonics shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Analyst Recommendations
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Greenbrier Companies | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.75 |
| Laser Photonics | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.00 |
Greenbrier Companies currently has a consensus target price of $45.00, indicating a potential upside of 5.50%. Given Greenbrier Companies’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Greenbrier Companies is more favorable than Laser Photonics.
Profitability
This table compares Greenbrier Companies and Laser Photonics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Greenbrier Companies | 4.07% | 6.49% | 2.55% |
| Laser Photonics | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Greenbrier Companies and Laser Photonics”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Greenbrier Companies | $3.24 billion | 0.41 | $204.10 million | $3.37 | 12.66 |
| Laser Photonics | $6.17 million | 5.77 | -$88.82 million | ($1.77) | -0.40 |
Greenbrier Companies has higher revenue and earnings than Laser Photonics. Laser Photonics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Greenbrier Companies, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
Greenbrier Companies beats Laser Photonics on 11 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Greenbrier Companies
The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets railroad freight car equipment in North America, Europe, and South America. It operates through three segments: Manufacturing; Maintenance Services; and Leasing & Management Services. The Manufacturing segment offers covered hopper cars, gondolas, open top hoppers, boxcars, center partition cars, tank cars, sustainable conversions, double-stack railcars, auto-max ii, multi-max, and multi-max plus products, intermodal cars, automobile transport, coil steel and metals, flat cars, sliding wall cars, pressurized tank cars, and non-pressurized tank cars. The Maintenance Services segment provides wheel services, including reconditioning of wheels and axles, new axle machining and finishing, and downsizing; operates a railcar repair, refurbishment, and maintenance network; and reconditions and manufactures railcar cushioning units, couplers, yokes, side frames, bolsters, and various other parts. The Leasing & Management Services segment offers operating leases and per diem leases for a fleet of approximately 13,400 railcars; and management services comprising railcar maintenance management, railcar accounting services, fleet management and logistics, administration, and railcar re-marketing. This segment provides management services for railroads, shippers, carriers, institutional investors, and other leasing and transportation companies. It serves railroads, leasing companies, financial institutions, shippers, carriers, and transportation companies. The company was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
About Laser Photonics
Laser Photonics Corporation provides integrated laser blasting solutions for corrosion control, rust removal, de-coating, pre- and post-welding, laser cleaning, and surface conditioning in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. It offers laser cleaning systems, such as CleanTech Titan FX for cleaning, rust removal, and surface conditioning; CleanTech Titan Express, a high-power fiber laser for cleaning and surface conditioning; CleanTech MegaCenter, an industrial-grade laser parts cleaning, rust removal, and surface conditioning system; CleanTech Handheld LPC-50-CTHD, an entry-level dual axis laser cleaning and surface treatment system; CleanTech Handheld LPC-100-CTHD, an air-cooled pulsed laser systems; CleanTech Handheld LPC-200-CTHD for cleaning rust, remove paints, and other coatings; CleanTech Handheld LPC-300-CTHD, a air-cooled laser system; CleanTech Handheld LPC-1000-CTHS, a single axis laser cleaning and surface treatment system; CleanTech Handheld LPC-1000-CTHD, a portable handheld roughing laser cleaner; CleanTech Handheld-1500-CTHS, an handheld laser cleaning, roughing, and surface preparation system; CleanTech Handheld-1500-CTHD, a dual axis fiber laser system; CleanTech Handheld LPC-2000-CTHD for cleaning rust and remove coatings; CleanTech LPC-3000-CTHD for cleaning and removing rust, corrosion, and other materials; CleanTech Laser Blaster Cabinet, a laser cleaning machine; CleanTech Robotic Cell Enclosure, an AI-capable laser cleaning system that eliminates the concerns over human hazard and eye safety; CleanTech EZ- Rider, a laser cleaning tool; and CleanTech Robot, an industrial robotic laser cleaning system. The company also provides laser cutting machines; laser engraving machines; laser marking machines; laser welding machines; 3D metal printers; laser glass scribing systems; ITO removal systems; glass cutting lasers; glass wafer dicing products; laser glass marking; microscope slide and covers laser cutting systems; precision glass scribers; semiconductor laser systems; OEM laser marking and engraving parts; fiber lasers; scanning and cutting heads; mobile handheld laser HD cart; mobile rugged cases; enclosures; fume extractors; rotary indexers; water chiller machines; X-Y tables; USB controllers; and custom lasers. Laser Photonics Corporation was incorporated in 2019 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.
Receive News & Ratings for Greenbrier Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Greenbrier Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
