Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR – Get Free Report) and Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ:BLDP – Get Free Report) are both utilities companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, profitability, dividends, risk, institutional ownership and analyst recommendations.
Risk and Volatility
Portland General Electric has a beta of 0.52, meaning that its share price is 48% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Ballard Power Systems has a beta of 2.19, meaning that its share price is 119% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
28.0% of Ballard Power Systems shares are held by institutional investors. 0.5% of Portland General Electric shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of Ballard Power Systems shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Analyst Recommendations
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Portland General Electric | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
| Ballard Power Systems | 3 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1.87 |
Portland General Electric currently has a consensus target price of $51.00, indicating a potential downside of 1.64%. Ballard Power Systems has a consensus target price of $3.59, indicating a potential downside of 7.78%. Given Portland General Electric’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts plainly believe Portland General Electric is more favorable than Ballard Power Systems.
Profitability
This table compares Portland General Electric and Ballard Power Systems’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Portland General Electric | 7.12% | 7.57% | 2.33% |
| Ballard Power Systems | -78.60% | -13.48% | -11.64% |
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Portland General Electric and Ballard Power Systems”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Portland General Electric | $3.58 billion | 1.68 | $306.00 million | $2.24 | 23.15 |
| Ballard Power Systems | $99.40 million | 11.80 | -$90.91 million | ($0.27) | -14.41 |
Portland General Electric has higher revenue and earnings than Ballard Power Systems. Ballard Power Systems is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Portland General Electric, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
Portland General Electric beats Ballard Power Systems on 10 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Portland General Electric
Portland General Electric Company, an integrated electric utility company, engages in the generation, wholesale purchase, transmission, distribution, and retail sale of electricity in the state of Oregon. It operates six thermal plants, three wind farms, and seven hydroelectric facilities. As of December 31, 2023, the company owned an electric transmission system consisting of 1,254 circuit miles, including 287 circuit miles of 500 kilovolt line, 413 circuit miles of 230 kilovolt line, and 554 miles of 115 kilovolt line; and served 934 thousand retail customers in 51 cities. It also has 28,868 circuit miles of distribution lines. Portland General Electric Company was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon.
About Ballard Power Systems
Ballard Power Systems Inc. engages in the design, development, manufacture, sale, and service of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell products. The company offers its products for power product comprising for bus, truck, rail, marine, stationary, and emerging market, such as material handling, off-road, and other applications. It also engages in the delivery of services, including technology solutions, after sales services, and training; and provision of engineering services, product and systems integration services, and related technology transfer for a variety of PEM fuel cell applications. It operates in the United States, Germany, Canada, China, Poland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Belgium, India, Taiwan, Spain, Norway, Australia, Japan, and internationally. The company has a strategic alliance with Linamar Corporation for the co-development and sale of fuel cell powertrains and components for class 1 and 2 vehicles in North America and Europe. Ballard Power Systems Inc. was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Burnaby, Canada.
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