Ecovyst (NYSE:ECVT – Get Free Report) and American Vanguard (NYSE:AVD – Get Free Report) are both small-cap basic materials companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, profitability, earnings, valuation, analyst recommendations and dividends.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
86.7% of Ecovyst shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 79.0% of American Vanguard shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.5% of Ecovyst shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 7.6% of American Vanguard shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Volatility & Risk
Ecovyst has a beta of 1.25, suggesting that its share price is 25% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, American Vanguard has a beta of 1.26, suggesting that its share price is 26% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Profitability
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Ecovyst | -14.34% | 8.93% | 3.38% |
| American Vanguard | -23.72% | -26.21% | -9.97% |
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Ecovyst and American Vanguard, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Ecovyst | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2.60 |
| American Vanguard | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
Ecovyst presently has a consensus target price of $11.50, indicating a potential upside of 38.64%. American Vanguard has a consensus target price of $12.00, indicating a potential upside of 154.18%. Given American Vanguard’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe American Vanguard is more favorable than Ecovyst.
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Ecovyst and American Vanguard”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Ecovyst | $779.15 million | 1.21 | -$6.65 million | ($0.93) | -8.92 |
| American Vanguard | $530.07 million | 0.25 | -$126.34 million | ($3.98) | -1.19 |
Ecovyst has higher revenue and earnings than American Vanguard. Ecovyst is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than American Vanguard, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
Ecovyst beats American Vanguard on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Ecovyst
Ecovyst Inc. offers specialty catalysts and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Ecoservices and Advanced Materials & Catalysts. The Ecoservices segment provides sulfuric acid recycling services and end-to-end logistics for production of alkylate for refineries; and virgin sulfuric acid for mining, water treatment, and industrial applications. The Advanced Materials & Catalysts segment offers advanced materials and specialty catalyst products and process solutions to producers and licensors of polyethylene and advanced silicas. This segment also supplies specialty zeolites and zeolite-based catalysts to customers for refining of oil primarily hydrocracking catalyst and dewaxing, sustainable fuels, and emission control systems for both on-road and non-road diesel engines. The company was formerly known as PQ Group Holdings Inc. and changed its name to Ecovyst Inc. in August 2021. Ecovyst Inc. was founded in 1831 and is headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania.
About American Vanguard
American Vanguard Corporation, through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and markets specialty chemicals for agricultural, commercial, and consumer uses in the United States and internationally. It manufactures and formulates chemicals, including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, soil health, plant nutrition, molluscicides, growth regulators, soil fumigants, and biorationals in liquid, powder, and granular forms for crops, turf and ornamental plants, and human and animal health protection. The company also markets, sells, and distributes end-use chemical and biological products for crop applications; and distributes chemicals for turf and ornamental markets. It distributes its products through national distribution companies, and buying groups or co-operatives; and through sales offices, sales force executives, sales agents, and wholly owned distributors. American Vanguard Corporation was incorporated in 1969 and is headquartered in Newport Beach, California.
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