E.W. Scripps (NASDAQ:SSP – Get Free Report) and Dolphin Entertainment (NASDAQ:DLPN – Get Free Report) are both small-cap communication services companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, risk, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends and analyst recommendations.
Volatility & Risk
E.W. Scripps has a beta of 0.68, suggesting that its stock price is 32% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Dolphin Entertainment has a beta of 1.81, suggesting that its stock price is 81% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Profitability
This table compares E.W. Scripps and Dolphin Entertainment’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| E.W. Scripps | -58.02% | -4.58% | -0.53% |
| Dolphin Entertainment | -6.31% | -21.68% | -3.03% |
Analyst Ratings
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| E.W. Scripps | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
| Dolphin Entertainment | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.50 |
E.W. Scripps currently has a consensus target price of $5.90, indicating a potential upside of 113.77%. Given E.W. Scripps’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe E.W. Scripps is more favorable than Dolphin Entertainment.
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares E.W. Scripps and Dolphin Entertainment”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| E.W. Scripps | $2.15 billion | 0.12 | -$100.88 million | ($13.94) | -0.20 |
| Dolphin Entertainment | $56.70 million | 0.25 | -$3.09 million | ($0.29) | -3.79 |
Dolphin Entertainment has lower revenue, but higher earnings than E.W. Scripps. Dolphin Entertainment is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than E.W. Scripps, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
67.8% of E.W. Scripps shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 8.9% of Dolphin Entertainment shares are held by institutional investors. 5.2% of E.W. Scripps shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 19.3% of Dolphin Entertainment shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Summary
E.W. Scripps beats Dolphin Entertainment on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About E.W. Scripps
The E.W. Scripps Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a media enterprise through a portfolio of local television stations, national news, and entertainment networks in the United States. It operates through Local Media, Scripps Networks, and Other segments. The Local Media segment operates broadcast television stations, which produce news, information, sports, and entertainment content, as well as its related digital operations; runs network, syndicated, and original programming, and local sporting events; and provides core and political advertising services. The Scripps Networks segment offers national television networks through free over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite, connected TV, and digital distribution. This segment also provides Scripp News, a national news network, which provides politics, entertainment, science, and technology news; Court TV, which showcases live trials; entertainment brands, such as Bounce, Defy TV, Grit, ION Mystery, and Laff; and ION, a national network of broadcast stations and broadcast television spectrum, which distributes programming through Federal Communications Commission-licensed television stations, as well as affiliated TV stations through over-the-air broadcast and pay TV platforms. In addition, it provides content and services through digital platforms, including the Internet, smartphones, and tablets; Nuvyyo, which offers consumers DVR product solutions to watch and record free over-the-air HDTV on connected devices; and Scripps National Spelling Bee, which shows educational programs. The company serves audiences and businesses through cable and satellite service providers. The E.W. Scripps Company was founded in 1878 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.
About Dolphin Entertainment
Dolphin Entertainment, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an independent entertainment marketing and production company in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Entertainment Publicity, and Marketing and Content Production. The Entertainment Publicity and Marketing segment provides diversified marketing services, including public relations, entertainment and hospitality content marketing, strategic communications, strategic marketing consulting, social media and influencer marketing, digital marketing, creative branding, talent publicity, and entertainment marketing services, as well as produces promotional video content. The Content Production segment produces and distributes feature films and digital content. In addition, it offers strategic marketing and publicity services to individuals and corporates in the entertainment, hospitality, and music industries; and marketing direction, public relations counsel, and media strategy for video game publishers, as well as eSports leagues and other entities in the gaming industry. The company was formerly known as Dolphin Digital Media, Inc. and changed its name to Dolphin Entertainment, Inc. in July 2017. The company was incorporated in 1995 and is headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida.
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