Spark Networks (NYSE:LOV) & UniFirst (NYSE:UNF) Head-To-Head Review

Spark Networks (NYSE:LOV – Get Rating) and UniFirst (NYSE:UNF – Get Rating) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, risk, analyst recommendations, earnings, profitability, institutional ownership and valuation.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Spark Networks and UniFirst’s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Spark Networks	$216.90 million	0.01	-$68.15 million	($8.43)	-0.11
UniFirst	$2.00 billion	1.77	$103.40 million	$5.50	34.49

UniFirst has higher revenue and earnings than Spark Networks. Spark Networks is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than UniFirst, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Spark Networks and UniFirst, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Spark Networks	0	0	1	0	3.00
UniFirst	1	0	0	0	1.00

Spark Networks currently has a consensus target price of $3.00, indicating a potential upside of 219.08%. UniFirst has a consensus target price of $225.00, indicating a potential upside of 18.62%. Given Spark Networks’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Spark Networks is more favorable than UniFirst.

Volatility and Risk

Spark Networks has a beta of 1.34, meaning that its share price is 34% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, UniFirst has a beta of 0.91, meaning that its share price is 9% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

77.7% of UniFirst shares are held by institutional investors. 4.7% of Spark Networks shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.2% of UniFirst shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Spark Networks and UniFirst’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Spark Networks	-17.33%	-93.97%	-11.35%
UniFirst	5.04%	6.91%	5.45%

Summary

UniFirst beats Spark Networks on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Spark Networks

(Get Rating)

Spark Networks SE operates as a social dating platform for meaningful relationships. Its premium and freemium dating apps include Zoosk, EliteSingles, SilverSingles, Christian Mingle, Jdate, and JSwipe, among others. It operates through the following segments: Zoosk and Spark. The company was founded on April 5, 2017 and is headquartered in Berlin, Germany.

About UniFirst

(Get Rating)

UniFirst Corp. engages in the provision of workplace uniforms and protective work wear clothing. It operates through following segments: the United States and Canadian Rental and Cleaning, Manufacturing (MFG), Specialty Garments, First Aid, and Corporate. The U.S. and Canadian Rental and Cleaning segment purchases, rents, cleans, delivers, and sells uniforms, protective clothing, and non-garment items. The MFG segment designs and manufactures uniforms and non-garment items. The Specialty Garments segment is involved in nuclear and cleanroom applications and provides cleanroom cleaning services. The First Aid segment focuses on first aid cabinet services and other safety supplies. The Corporate segment includes distribution, sales and marketing, information systems, engineering, materials management, manufacturing planning, finance, budgeting, human resources, and other general and administrative costs and interest expense. The company was founded by Aldo Croatti in 1936 and is headquartered in Wilmington, MA.