Head-To-Head Contrast: Vishay Precision Group (NYSE:VPG) vs. Kyocera (OTCMKTS:KYOCY)

Kyocera (OTCMKTS:KYOCY) and Vishay Precision Group (NYSE:VPG) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership, dividends and profitability.

Risk and Volatility

Kyocera has a beta of 0.32, indicating that its stock price is 68% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Vishay Precision Group has a beta of 0.86, indicating that its stock price is 14% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Kyocera and Vishay Precision Group”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Kyocera	$13.23 billion	1.51	$159.04 million	$0.22	64.36
Vishay Precision Group	$306.52 million	1.70	$9.91 million	$0.60	65.36

Kyocera has higher revenue and earnings than Vishay Precision Group. Kyocera is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Vishay Precision Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

7.4% of Kyocera shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 87.6% of Vishay Precision Group shares are held by institutional investors. 7.7% of Vishay Precision Group shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Kyocera and Vishay Precision Group, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Kyocera	0	1	0	0	2.00
Vishay Precision Group	0	2	2	0	2.50

Vishay Precision Group has a consensus price target of $38.83, suggesting a potential downside of 0.97%. Given Vishay Precision Group’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Vishay Precision Group is more favorable than Kyocera.

Profitability

This table compares Kyocera and Vishay Precision Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Kyocera	2.25%	1.37%	0.99%
Vishay Precision Group	2.65%	2.02%	1.45%

Summary

Vishay Precision Group beats Kyocera on 12 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Kyocera

Kyocera Corporation develops, produces, and distributes products based on fine ceramic technologies in Japan, rest of Asia, Europe, the United States, and internationally. It operates through Core Components Business, Electronic Components Business, and Solutions Business segments. The Core Components Business segment offers components, such as fine ceramic components for semiconductor processing equipment, automotive camera modules, and ceramic packages, as well as organic packages and boards to protect electronic components and ICs to industrial machinery, automotive-related, and the information and communication-related markets; optical components, and jewelry and applied ceramic related products; and medical devices comprising prosthetic joints and dental implants. The Electronic Components Business segment provides various electronic components and devices, including capacitors, crystal devices, connectors, and power semiconductor devices for diverse fields comprising information and communications, industrial equipment, automotive-related, and consumer markets, as well as sensors and control components. The Solutions Business segment offers cutting tools, as well as pneumatic and power tools for automotive-related and general industrial, and construction markets; printers for offices; and communication terminals, such as mobile phones, as well as information systems and telecommunication services. This segment also provides MFPs, commercial inkjet printers, communication modules, displays, and printing devices, as well as information systems and telecommunication, smart energy-related products and services, and solution services, such as document management system. The company was formerly known as Kyoto Ceramic Kabushiki Kaisha and changed its name to Kyocera Corporation in 1982. Kyocera Corporation was incorporated in 1946 and is headquartered in Kyoto, Japan.

About Vishay Precision Group

Vishay Precision Group, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets specialized sensors, weighing solutions, and measurement systems in the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, Asia, and Canada. It operates through three segments: Sensors, Weighing Solutions, and Measurement Systems. Its product portfolio includes precision resistors, strain gages, load cells and force measurement transducers, on-board weighing systems, and process weighing products; rolling force measuring load cell systems and pressure transmitters; web tension measurement load cells and systems; and optical strip width gages; and laser velocimeters for speed and length measurements and closed-loop crop optimization control systems for optimal strip cuts. The company also offers data acquisition systems and sensors for product safety testing; thermal-mechanical simulation systems for metallurgical research; and conditioning, data acquisition and control systems, as well as electronic displays, signal processors, microelectromechanical system sensors, cabling, system software, and communications software/hardware. Its products are used in industrial comprising waste management, bulk hauling, logging, scales manufacturing, engineering systems, pharmaceutical, oil, chemical, steel, paper, and food industries, as well as test and measurement, steel, medical, construction, agricultural, and consumer markets. The company offers its products under the Alpha Electronics, Powertron, Vishay Foil Resistors, Micro-Measurements, APR, Celtron, Revere, Sensortronics, Tedea-Huntleigh, Stress-tek, Vulcan, BLH Nobel, KELK, and DTS brands. Vishay Precision Group, Inc. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania.