Contrasting JC Decaux (OTCMKTS:JCDXF) and USA Today (NYSE:TDAY)

USA Today (NYSE:TDAY) and JC Decaux (OTCMKTS:JCDXF) are both business services companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, profitability, institutional ownership, valuation and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares USA Today and JC Decaux’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
USA Today	4.11%	42.98%	3.97%
JC Decaux	N/A	N/A	N/A

Risk and Volatility

USA Today has a beta of 1.52, meaning that its stock price is 52% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, JC Decaux has a beta of 0.42, meaning that its stock price is 58% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings for USA Today and JC Decaux, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
USA Today	0	2	1	0	2.33
JC Decaux	0	2	0	1	2.67

USA Today presently has a consensus price target of $5.55, suggesting a potential downside of 4.97%. Given USA Today’s higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe USA Today is more favorable than JC Decaux.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

76.7% of USA Today shares are held by institutional investors. 4.2% of USA Today shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares USA Today and JC Decaux”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
USA Today	$2.51 billion	0.34	-$26.35 million	$0.21	27.81
JC Decaux	$3.93 billion	N/A	$280.16 million	N/A	N/A

JC Decaux has higher revenue and earnings than USA Today.

Summary

USA Today beats JC Decaux on 8 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About USA Today

Gannett Co Inc. invests in, owns, and operates local media assets in the United States. The company’s principal products include 125 daily newspapers with total paid circulation of approximately 1.4 million; 314 weekly newspapers with total paid circulation of approximately 315,000 and total free circulation of approximately 1.9 million; 124 shoppers with total circulation of approximately 3.0 million; and 538 locally-focused Websites, including Internet and mobile devices with approximately 224 million page views per month. Its principal products also comprise 2 yellow page directories with a total distribution of approximately 230,000 that cover a population of approximately 411,000 people; 68 business publications; and Propel digital marketing and business services. In addition, the company produces niche publications that address specific local market interests, such as recreation, sports, healthcare, and real estate. Further, it provides print and online products that offer local market news and information on various topics comprising local news and politics, community and regional events, youth sports, opinion and editorial pages, local schools, obituaries, weddings, and police reports, as well as print and digital advertising products, as well as commercial printing and regional business-oriented publications services. The company reaches approximately 20 million people per week; and serves approximately 220,000 business customers. New Media Investment Group Inc. was founded in 1997 and is based in New York, New York.

About JC Decaux

JCDecaux SE operates as an outdoor advertising company worldwide. It operates through three segments: Street Furniture, Transport, and Billboard. The Street Furniture segment provides advertising services in shopping malls; rents street furniture; and sells and rents equipment, such as automatic public toilets, bikes, etc., as well as provides cleaning, maintenance, and other services. The Transport segment provides advertising services in public transport systems, such as airports, metros, buses, trams, and trains. The Billboard segment is involved in advertising on private property, including traditional large format or back-light billboards; neon-light billboards; and advertising wall wraps. The company was founded in 1964 and is based in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. JCDecaux SE is a subsidiary of JCDecaux Holding SAS.