Trimble (NASDAQ:TRMB – Get Free Report) and GEA Group (OTCMKTS:GEAGF – Get Free Report) are both large-cap industrials companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation, risk and earnings.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
93.2% of Trimble shares are held by institutional investors. 0.6% of Trimble shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.
Volatility & Risk
Trimble has a beta of 1.38, indicating that its share price is 38% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, GEA Group has a beta of 0.2, indicating that its share price is 80% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Valuation & Earnings
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Trimble | $3.59 billion | 3.50 | $424.00 million | $1.90 | 28.31 |
| GEA Group | $6.22 billion | 1.70 | $468.31 million | $2.32 | 27.95 |
GEA Group has higher revenue and earnings than Trimble. GEA Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Trimble, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Profitability
This table compares Trimble and GEA Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Trimble | 12.38% | 11.61% | 7.32% |
| GEA Group | 7.49% | 18.50% | 7.55% |
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for Trimble and GEA Group, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Trimble | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 2.83 |
| GEA Group | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4.00 |
Trimble currently has a consensus target price of $87.33, suggesting a potential upside of 62.35%. Given Trimble’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Trimble is more favorable than GEA Group.
Summary
Trimble beats GEA Group on 8 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Trimble
Trimble Inc. provides technology solutions that enable professionals and field mobile workers to enhance or transform their work processes worldwide. The company's Buildings and Infrastructure segment offers field and office software for project design and visualization; systems to guide and control construction equipment; software for 3D design and data sharing; systems to monitor, track, and manage assets, equipment, and workers; software to share and communicate data; program management solutions for construction owners; 3D conceptual design and modeling software; building information modeling software; enterprise resource planning, project management, and project collaboration solutions; integrated site layout and measurement systems; cost estimating, scheduling, and project controls solutions; and applications for sub-contractors and trades. Its Geospatial segment provides surveying and geospatial products, and geographic information systems. The company's Resources and Utilities segment offers precision agriculture products and services, such as guidance and positioning systems, including autonomous steering systems, automated and variable-rate application and technology systems, and information management solutions; manual and automated navigation guidance for tractors and other farm equipment; solutions to automate application of pesticide and seeding; water solutions; and agricultural software. Its Transportation segment offers solutions for long haul trucking and freight shipper markets; mobility solutions comprising route management, safety and compliance, end-to-end vehicle management, video intelligence, and supply chain communications; and fleet and transportation management systems, analytics, routing, mapping, reporting, and predictive modeling solutions. The company was formerly known as Trimble Navigation Limited and changed its name to Trimble Inc. in October 2016. Trimble Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Westminster, Colorado.
About GEA Group
GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft engages in the development and production of systems and components to the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. It operates through Separation & Flow Technologies, Liquid & Power Technologies, Food & Health Technologies, Farm Technologies, and Heating & Refrigeration Technologies segments. The Separation & Flow Technologies segment manufacture process-related components and machinery including notably separators, decanters, homogenizers, valves, and pumps. The Liquid & Power Technologies segment offers brewing systems, liquid processing and filling, concentration, precision fermentation, crystallization, purification, drying, powder handling, and packaging, as well as systems for emission control for dairy, beverage, food, chemical, and other industries. The Food & Health Technologies segment engages in the preparation, marination, and processing of meat, poultry, seafood, and vegan products, pasta and confectionery products, baking, slicing, packaging, and frozen food processing for food processing industry; and provides tablet presses for pharmaceutical industry. The Farm Technologies segment offers customer solution for milk production and livestock farming, which includes automatic milking and feeding system, conventional milking solutions, manure handling, and digital herd management tool. The Heating & Refrigeration Technologies segment provides energy solution in the field of industrial refrigeration and heating for an array of industries including food, beverage, dairy, and oil and gas. The company was formerly known as mg technologies ag and changed its name to GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft in 2005. GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft was founded in 1881 and is headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany.
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