Critical Contrast: Axion Power International (OTCMKTS:AXPWQ) & LightPath Technologies (NASDAQ:LPTH)

LightPath Technologies (NASDAQ:LPTH) and Axion Power International (OTCMKTS:AXPWQ) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, earnings, dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, valuation and profitability.

Volatility & Risk

LightPath Technologies has a beta of 0.97, meaning that its stock price is 3% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Axion Power International has a beta of -10.04, meaning that its stock price is 1,104% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares LightPath Technologies and Axion Power International’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
LightPath Technologies	-43.41%	-32.64%	-10.70%
Axion Power International	N/A	N/A	N/A

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares LightPath Technologies and Axion Power International”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
LightPath Technologies	$52.79 million	12.22	-$14.87 million	($0.52)	-21.50
Axion Power International	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Axion Power International has lower revenue, but higher earnings than LightPath Technologies.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

56.3% of LightPath Technologies shares are owned by institutional investors. 24.8% of LightPath Technologies shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.1% of Axion Power International shares are owned 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.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for LightPath Technologies and Axion Power International, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
LightPath Technologies	1	1	4	1	2.71
Axion Power International	0	0	0	0	0.00

LightPath Technologies currently has a consensus target price of $12.10, indicating a potential upside of 8.23%. Given LightPath Technologies’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe LightPath Technologies is more favorable than Axion Power International.

Summary

LightPath Technologies beats Axion Power International on 8 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About LightPath Technologies

LightPath Technologies, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and distributes optical components and assemblies. The company offers precision molded glass aspheric optics, molded and diamond-turned infrared aspheric lenses, and other optical components used to produce products that manipulate light; and infrared products, including catalog and custom infrared optics. Its products are used in defense products, medical devices, laser aided industrial tools, automotive safety applications, barcode scanners, optical data storage, hybrid fiber coax datacom, telecommunications, machine vision and sensors, and other sectors. The company sells its products directly to customers in Europe and Asia. LightPath Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.

About Axion Power International

Axion Power International, Inc. focuses on PbC battery technology business. It offers hybrid asymmetric energy storage devices. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Boardman, Ohio.