American Realty Investors (NYSE:ARL) versus Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta (NYSE:VTMX) Critical Survey

Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta (NYSE:VTMX) and American Realty Investors (NYSE:ARL) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, profitability, earnings and valuation.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta and American Realty Investors”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta	$252.33 million	10.84	$223.35 million	$0.02	1,616.35
American Realty Investors	$47.32 million	5.74	-$14.70 million	$0.36	46.74

Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta has higher revenue and earnings than American Realty Investors. American Realty Investors is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta and American Realty Investors’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta	1.83%	0.19%	0.12%
American Realty Investors	11.74%	0.33%	0.25%

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta and American Realty Investors, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta	3	1	2	0	1.83
American Realty Investors	0	1	0	0	2.00

Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta currently has a consensus price target of $33.33, suggesting a potential upside of 3.11%. Given Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta’s higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta is more favorable than American Realty Investors.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

6.6% of Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta shares are held by institutional investors. 90.8% of American Realty Investors shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Risk and Volatility

Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta has a beta of 0.7, indicating that its stock price is 30% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, American Realty Investors has a beta of 0.74, indicating that its stock price is 26% less volatile than the S&P 500.

About Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta

Corporación Inmobiliaria Vesta, S.A.B. de C.V., together with its subsidiaries, acquires, develops, manages, operates, and leases industrial buildings and distribution facilities in Mexico. The company was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico.

About American Realty Investors

American Realty Investors, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, acquires, develops, owns, and manages multifamily and commercial real estate properties in the Southern United States. It operates through two segments, Residential and Commercial. The company leases apartment units to residents; and office, industrial, and retail space to various for-profit businesses, as well as local, state, and federal agencies. It also offers tenant services, including parking and storage space rental; and sells land and properties. The company was incorporated in 1999 and is based in Dallas, Texas. American Realty Investors, Inc. is a subsidiary of Realty Advisors, Inc.