Reliance (NYSE:RS – Get Free Report) and Applied Visual Sciences (OTCMKTS:APVS – Get Free Report) are both industrials companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, dividends, institutional ownership, valuation, analyst recommendations and risk.
Profitability
This table compares Reliance and Applied Visual Sciences’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Reliance | 5.65% | 12.51% | 8.47% |
| Applied Visual Sciences | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Reliance and Applied Visual Sciences, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Reliance | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2.33 |
| Applied Visual Sciences | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Insider & Institutional Ownership
79.3% of Reliance shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.4% of Reliance shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 33.0% of Applied Visual Sciences shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Reliance and Applied Visual Sciences”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Reliance | $15.81 billion | 1.38 | $739.40 million | $17.20 | 24.84 |
| Applied Visual Sciences | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Reliance has higher revenue and earnings than Applied Visual Sciences.
Volatility & Risk
Reliance has a beta of 0.96, suggesting that its stock price is 4% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Applied Visual Sciences has a beta of 6.79, suggesting that its stock price is 579% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Reliance beats Applied Visual Sciences on 8 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Reliance
Reliance, Inc. operates as a diversified metal solutions provider and the metals service center company in the United States, Canada, and internationally. The company distributes a line of approximately 100,000 metal products, including alloy, aluminum, brass, copper, carbon steel, stainless steel, titanium, and specialty steel products; and provides metals processing services to general manufacturing, non-residential construction, transportation, aerospace, energy, electronics and semiconductor fabrication, and heavy industries. It sells its products directly to original equipment manufacturers, which primarily include small machine shops and fabricators. The company was formerly known as Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. and changed its name to Reliance, Inc. in February 2024. Reliance, Inc. was founded in 1939 and is based in Scottsdale, Arizona.
About Applied Visual Sciences
Applied Visual Sciences, Inc., a software technology company, designs and develops computer-vision detection solutions based on image processing science for aviation/homeland security and healthcare markets. It utilizes imaging technologies and analytics to create integrated information management technology products and services that address problems for corporations and governmental agencies. The company offers PinPoint, an intelligent computer-vision automated target recognition technology for the detection of guns, explosives, and other threat items contained in baggage in the airport environment or for building security applications; and Signature Mapping platform technology for use in the imaging field of diagnostic radiology and pathology. It also provides Signature Mapping Detection System, an automated hardware-software laboratory solution used to operate various infectious disease applications through multi-threaded detection algorithms. In addition, the company offers Signature Mapping Tuberculosis Detection software, an automated hardware and software technology platform; and Signature Mapping Breast Cancer Detection, a breast cancer detection solution. Applied Visual Sciences, Inc. markets its products through direct sales and indirect distribution channels worldwide. The company was formerly known as Guardian Technologies International, Inc. and changed its name to Applied Visual Sciences, Inc. in July 2010. Applied Visual Sciences, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is based in Leesburg, Virginia.
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