Noble (NYSE:NE – Get Free Report) and SEACOR Marine (NYSE:SMHI – Get Free Report) are both energy companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability and risk.
Volatility & Risk
Noble has a beta of 1.05, meaning that its stock price is 5% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, SEACOR Marine has a beta of 1.19, meaning that its stock price is 19% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Noble and SEACOR Marine, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Noble | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2.44 |
| SEACOR Marine | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
Noble currently has a consensus price target of $46.57, suggesting a potential upside of 13.12%. SEACOR Marine has a consensus price target of $10.00, suggesting a potential upside of 8.98%. Given Noble’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe Noble is more favorable than SEACOR Marine.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
68.1% of Noble shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 59.1% of SEACOR Marine shares are held by institutional investors. 1.5% of Noble shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 16.8% of SEACOR Marine shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Noble and SEACOR Marine”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Noble | $3.29 billion | 2.00 | $216.72 million | $0.33 | 124.76 |
| SEACOR Marine | $227.83 million | 1.09 | -$27.84 million | ($1.42) | -6.46 |
Noble has higher revenue and earnings than SEACOR Marine. SEACOR Marine is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Noble, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Profitability
This table compares Noble and SEACOR Marine’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Noble | 1.79% | -0.76% | -0.46% |
| SEACOR Marine | -17.55% | -14.51% | -5.74% |
Summary
Noble beats SEACOR Marine on 12 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Noble
Noble Corporation plc, operating as Noble (NYSE: NE), provides contract drilling services to the offshore oil and gas industry. The company owns and operates a fleet of mobile offshore drilling units, including drillships, semisubmersible rigs and jackup rigs, and provides related services to energy companies exploring for and producing oil and natural gas. Noble serves customers in offshore markets around the world. Its operations support drilling in a range of water depths and environments, from shallow-water projects to deepwater and ultra-deepwater developments.
About SEACOR Marine
SEACOR Marine Holdings Inc. is an offshore marine transportation and support services company that serves the energy and offshore infrastructure industries. The company owns and operates a fleet of offshore support vessels designed to transport personnel, equipment and supplies between shore bases and offshore facilities. Its services support offshore oil and gas exploration, development, production and maintenance activities. SEACOR Marine also provides marine support for offshore wind and other offshore construction and infrastructure projects, with capabilities that include crew transportation, logistics, platform supply and other specialized vessel operations.
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