Research Frontiers (NASDAQ:REFR – Get Free Report) and Knowles (NYSE:KN – Get Free Report) are both technology companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends, profitability and analyst recommendations.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
11.9% of Research Frontiers shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 96.3% of Knowles shares are held by institutional investors. 6.5% of Research Frontiers shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.2% of Knowles shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.
Profitability
This table compares Research Frontiers and Knowles’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Research Frontiers | -344.56% | -168.54% | -85.08% |
| Knowles | 10.76% | 11.82% | 8.75% |
Risk & Volatility
Research Frontiers has a beta of 0.59, meaning that its share price is 41% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Knowles has a beta of 1.59, meaning that its share price is 59% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares Research Frontiers and Knowles”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Research Frontiers | $654,233.00 | 18.66 | -$2.05 million | ($0.07) | -5.00 |
| Knowles | $666.10 million | 4.17 | $44.20 million | $0.82 | 40.02 |
Knowles has higher revenue and earnings than Research Frontiers. Research Frontiers is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Knowles, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Research Frontiers and Knowles, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Research Frontiers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.00 |
| Knowles | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2.80 |
Knowles has a consensus target price of $41.00, suggesting a potential upside of 24.92%. Given Knowles’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Knowles is more favorable than Research Frontiers.
Summary
Knowles beats Research Frontiers on 13 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Research Frontiers
Research Frontiers Incorporated engages in the development and marketing of technology and devices to control the flow of light worldwide. It develops and licenses suspended particle device (SPD-Smart) light-control technology to companies that manufacture and market the SPD-Smart chemical emulsion, light-control film made from the chemical emulsion, the light-control panels made by laminating the film, and electronics to power end-products incorporating the film, as well as lamination services for and the end-products, such as windows, skylights, and sunroofs. The company's SPD-Smart light-control technology is used in various product applications, including windows, sunshades, skylights, and interior partitions for homes and buildings; automotive windows, sunroofs, sun-visors, sunshades, rear-view mirrors, instrument panels, and navigation systems; aircraft windows; museum display panels, and eyewear products; and flat panel displays for electronic products. It serves architectural, automotive, marine, and aerospace and appliance applications. The company was incorporated in 1965 and is headquartered in Woodbury, New York.
About Knowles
Knowles Corporation offers capacitors, radio frequency (RF) filtering products, balanced armature speakers, micro-acoustic microphones, and audio solutions in Asia, the United States, Europe, other Americas, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Precision Devices (PD); Medtech & Specialty Audio (MSA); and Consumer MEMS Microphones (CMM). The PD segment designs and delivers film, electrolytic, and mica capacitor products for use in power supplies and medical implants; electromagnetic interference filters; and RF filtering solutions for use in satellite communications and radar systems for defense applications. The MSA segment designs and manufactures balanced armature speakers and microphones for the hearing health, audio, and True Wireless Stereo (TWS) markets. The CMM segment designs and manufactures micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) microphones and audio solutions used in applications that serve the ear, mobile, TWS, Internet of Things, computing, and smartphones markets. The company serves the defense, medtech, electric vehicle, industrial, communications, and consumer electronics markets through original equipment manufacturers, their contract manufacturers, suppliers, sales representatives, and distributors. Knowles Corporation was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Itasca, Illinois.
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