ARQ (NASDAQ:ARQ – Get Free Report) and Concrete Pumping (NASDAQ:BBCP – Get Free Report) are both small-cap business services companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations and dividends.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares ARQ and Concrete Pumping”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| ARQ | $120.34 million | 1.00 | -$52.61 million | ($1.29) | -2.16 |
| Concrete Pumping | $392.87 million | 1.40 | $6.37 million | $0.14 | 78.00 |
Profitability
This table compares ARQ and Concrete Pumping’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| ARQ | -43.93% | -2.67% | -2.00% |
| Concrete Pumping | 2.23% | 3.47% | 1.03% |
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for ARQ and Concrete Pumping, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| ARQ | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2.60 |
| Concrete Pumping | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2.25 |
ARQ currently has a consensus price target of $7.50, indicating a potential upside of 168.82%. Concrete Pumping has a consensus price target of $10.25, indicating a potential downside of 6.14%. Given ARQ’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts clearly believe ARQ is more favorable than Concrete Pumping.
Risk & Volatility
ARQ has a beta of 1.99, meaning that its share price is 99% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Concrete Pumping has a beta of 0.94, meaning that its share price is 6% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
18.5% of ARQ shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 34.2% of Concrete Pumping shares are held by institutional investors. 20.1% of ARQ shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 28.2% of Concrete Pumping shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Summary
Concrete Pumping beats ARQ on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About ARQ
Arq, Inc. is a holding company. It engages in the provision of environmental and emission control equipment to the power generation industry. The company operates through the following Segments: Refined Coal and Advanced Purification Technologies. The Refined Coal segment includes the Tinuum Group, Tinuum Services, and GWN Manager. The Advanced Purification Technologies segment refers to the sale of Activated Carbon Injection and Dry Sorbent Injection equipment systems, chemical sales, consulting services, and other sales related to the reduction of emissions in the coal-fired electric generation process and the electric utility industry. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Greenwood Village, CO.
About Concrete Pumping
Concrete Pumping Holdings, Inc. provides concrete pumping and waste management services in the United States and the United Kingdom. The company offers concrete pumping services to general contractors and concrete finishing companies in the commercial, infrastructure, and residential sectors under the Brundage-Bone and Capital Pumping brands; and industrial cleanup and containment services primarily to customers in the construction industry under the Eco-Pan brand. It leases and rents concrete pumping equipment, pans, and containers. As of October 31, 2023, the company owned a fleet of approximately 930 boom pumps, 90 placing booms, 20 telebelts, 300 stationary pumps, and 115 waste management trucks. Concrete Pumping Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Thornton, Colorado.
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