Natural Gas Services Group (NYSE:NGS – Get Free Report) and Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL – Get Free Report) are both small-cap energy companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends, institutional ownership and profitability.
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Natural Gas Services Group and Bristow Group, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Natural Gas Services Group | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2.50 |
| Bristow Group | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2.75 |
Natural Gas Services Group currently has a consensus price target of $50.50, suggesting a potential upside of 58.03%. Bristow Group has a consensus price target of $60.00, suggesting a potential upside of 46.32%. Given Natural Gas Services Group’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Natural Gas Services Group is more favorable than Bristow Group.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
Dividends
Natural Gas Services Group pays an annual dividend of $0.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.9%. Bristow Group pays an annual dividend of $0.50 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.2%. Natural Gas Services Group pays out 37.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Bristow Group pays out 14.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years.
Profitability
This table compares Natural Gas Services Group and Bristow Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Natural Gas Services Group | 10.81% | 8.10% | 3.70% |
| Bristow Group | 6.66% | 9.82% | 4.45% |
Risk & Volatility
Natural Gas Services Group has a beta of 0.42, suggesting that its stock price is 58% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Bristow Group has a beta of 1.19, suggesting that its stock price is 19% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Natural Gas Services Group and Bristow Group”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Natural Gas Services Group | $172.32 million | 2.39 | $19.93 million | $1.61 | 19.85 |
| Bristow Group | $1.49 billion | 0.82 | $129.07 million | $3.47 | 11.82 |
Bristow Group has higher revenue and earnings than Natural Gas Services Group. Bristow Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Natural Gas Services Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
Bristow Group beats Natural Gas Services Group on 11 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Natural Gas Services Group
Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. provides natural gas compression equipment and services to the energy industry in the United States. It engineers and fabricates, operates, rents, and maintains natural gas compressors for oil and natural gas production and plant facilities. It also designs, fabricates, and assembles compressor units for rental or sale; and designs, manufactures, and sells a line of reciprocating natural gas compressor frames, cylinders, and parts. In addition, the company offers flare stacks and related ignition and control devices for the onshore and offshore incineration of gas compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gases. Further, it provides aftermarket services for its compressor and flare sales business; and exchange and rebuild program for small horsepower screw compressors. It markets its products to exploration and production companies that utilize compressor units for artificial lift applications; and oil and natural gas exploration and production companies. Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Midland, Texas.
About Bristow Group
Bristow Group Inc. provides vertical flight solutions. The company primarily offers aviation services to integrated, national, and independent offshore energy companies and government agencies. It also provides personnel transportation, search and rescue, medevac, ad hoc helicopter, fixed wing transportation, unmanned systems, and ad-hoc helicopter services, as well as logistical and maintenance support, training services, and flight and maintenance crews. The company has a fleet of aircrafts. It has customers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the Dutch Caribbean, the Falkland Islands, India, Ireland, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Spain, Suriname, Trinidad, the United Kingdom, and United States. Bristow Group Inc. is based in Houston, Texas.
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