Hovnanian Enterprises (NYSE:HOV – Get Free Report) and Leggett & Platt (NYSE:LEG – Get Free Report) are both small-cap consumer discretionary companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings and valuation.
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for Hovnanian Enterprises and Leggett & Platt, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Hovnanian Enterprises | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.50 |
| Leggett & Platt | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2.40 |
Hovnanian Enterprises presently has a consensus price target of $74.00, indicating a potential downside of 36.32%. Leggett & Platt has a consensus price target of $10.67, indicating a potential upside of 15.94%. Given Leggett & Platt’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Leggett & Platt is more favorable than Hovnanian Enterprises.
Volatility & Risk
Profitability
This table compares Hovnanian Enterprises and Leggett & Platt’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Hovnanian Enterprises | 0.64% | 8.64% | 2.17% |
| Leggett & Platt | 5.64% | 13.31% | 3.86% |
Institutional and Insider Ownership
65.4% of Hovnanian Enterprises shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 64.2% of Leggett & Platt shares are held by institutional investors. 22.7% of Hovnanian Enterprises shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 2.4% of Leggett & Platt shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares Hovnanian Enterprises and Leggett & Platt”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Hovnanian Enterprises | $2.98 billion | 0.23 | $63.87 million | $0.95 | 122.31 |
| Leggett & Platt | $3.89 billion | 0.32 | $235.40 million | $1.56 | 5.90 |
Leggett & Platt has higher revenue and earnings than Hovnanian Enterprises. Leggett & Platt is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Hovnanian Enterprises, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
Leggett & Platt beats Hovnanian Enterprises on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Hovnanian Enterprises
Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc., through its subsidiaries, designs, constructs, markets, and sells residential homes in the United States. It offers single-family detached homes, attached townhomes and condominiums, urban infill, and active lifestyle homes with amenities, such as clubhouses, swimming pools, tennis courts, tot lots, and open areas. The company markets and builds homes for first-time buyers, first-time and second-time move-up buyers, luxury buyers, active lifestyle buyers, and empty nesters. It also provides mortgage loans, title insurance, and homeowner’s insurance services. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Matawan, New Jersey.
About Leggett & Platt
Leggett & Platt, Inc. engages in the manufacture and distribution of furniture and engineered components and products among homes, offices, automobiles, and commercial aircraft. It operates through the following segments: Bedding Products, Specialized Products, and Furniture, Flooring & Textile Products. The Bedding Products segment supplies products and components for the home, including mattress springs and specialty foam, as well as adjustable beds, bedding machinery, steel rod, and drawn wire. The Specialized Products segment supplies titanium, nickel, and stainless-steel tubing for the aerospace industry, and serves the construction market with its hydraulic cylinders group. The Flooring, Furniture & Textile Products segment produces an extensive line of components and engineered systems for office, residential, and contract furniture manufacturers. The company was founded by J. P. Products and C. B. Platt in 1883 and is headquartered in Carthage, MO.
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