Icahn Enterprises (NASDAQ:IEP – Get Free Report) and Dynagas LNG Partners (NYSE:DLNG – Get Free Report) are both energy companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings, profitability, institutional ownership, valuation and risk.
Profitability
This table compares Icahn Enterprises and Dynagas LNG Partners’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Icahn Enterprises | -9.25% | -20.22% | -3.71% |
| Dynagas LNG Partners | 42.33% | 13.05% | 6.74% |
Risk & Volatility
Icahn Enterprises has a beta of 0.74, suggesting that its stock price is 26% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Dynagas LNG Partners has a beta of 0.58, suggesting that its stock price is 42% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Dividends
Icahn Enterprises pays an annual dividend of $2.00 per share and has a dividend yield of 39.4%. Dynagas LNG Partners pays an annual dividend of $0.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.3%. Icahn Enterprises pays out -129.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Dynagas LNG Partners pays out 11.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Icahn Enterprises is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Icahn Enterprises and Dynagas LNG Partners”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Icahn Enterprises | $9.66 billion | 0.40 | -$299.00 million | ($1.54) | -3.30 |
| Dynagas LNG Partners | $157.20 million | 0.74 | $61.60 million | $1.68 | 1.90 |
Dynagas LNG Partners has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Icahn Enterprises. Icahn Enterprises is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Dynagas LNG Partners, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
87.1% of Icahn Enterprises shares are held by institutional investors. 90.1% of Icahn Enterprises shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Icahn Enterprises and Dynagas LNG Partners, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Icahn Enterprises | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.00 |
| Dynagas LNG Partners | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 |
Summary
Dynagas LNG Partners beats Icahn Enterprises on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Icahn Enterprises
Icahn Enterprises L.P. is a diversified holding company that invests in and operates businesses across several industries. Its activities include energy, automotive services, food packaging, real estate and home fashion, alongside its investment operations. The company conducts much of its business through subsidiaries and other controlled entities, including operations serving customers in the United States and international markets. Its roots date to 1987, when it was formed as American Real Estate Partners; it adopted the Icahn Enterprises name in 2007.
About Dynagas LNG Partners
Dynagas LNG Partners LP (NYSE: DLNG) is a maritime transportation company focused on the ownership and operation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers. The partnership provides seaborne LNG transportation services to energy companies, utilities and other commercial customers under primarily long-term charter arrangements. The company’s fleet has included conventional and ice-class LNG carriers designed to transport LNG safely and efficiently between production regions, receiving terminals and other destinations.
Receive News & Ratings for Icahn Enterprises Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Icahn Enterprises and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
