Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LBTYK – Get Free Report) and Saga Communications (NASDAQ:SGA – Get Free Report) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, dividends, profitability, earnings, analyst recommendations and risk.
Volatility and Risk
Liberty Global has a beta of 0.89, indicating that its stock price is 11% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Saga Communications has a beta of -0.1, indicating that its stock price is 110% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Liberty Global and Saga Communications, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Liberty Global | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.00 |
| Saga Communications | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.67 |
Valuation & Earnings
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Liberty Global | $4.88 billion | 0.70 | -$7.14 billion | ($16.00) | -0.63 |
| Saga Communications | $107.11 million | 0.54 | -$7.90 million | ($1.35) | -6.71 |
Saga Communications has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Liberty Global. Saga Communications is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Liberty Global, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Profitability
This table compares Liberty Global and Saga Communications’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Liberty Global | -109.64% | -47.65% | -22.51% |
| Saga Communications | -8.24% | 3.88% | 2.90% |
Insider & Institutional Ownership
46.1% of Liberty Global shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 74.3% of Saga Communications shares are owned by institutional investors. 9.9% of Liberty Global shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 22.4% of Saga Communications shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Summary
Saga Communications beats Liberty Global on 8 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Liberty Global
Liberty Global Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides broadband internet, video, fixed-line telephony, and mobile communications services to residential and business customers. It offers value-added broadband services, such as WiFi features, security, anti-virus, firewall, spam protection, smart home services, online storage solutions, and web spaces; and Connect Box that delivers in-home Wi-Fi service. The company provides various tiers of digital video programming and audio services, as well as digital video recorders and multimedia home gateway systems; Horizon 5, a cloud-based, multi-screen entertainment platform that combines linear television, including recording and replay features and video-on-demand services; Horizon Go, an online mobile app; and channels, including general entertainment, sports, movies, series, documentaries, lifestyles, news, adult, children, and ethnic and foreign channels. In addition, it offers postpaid and prepaid mobile services; circuit-switched telephony services; and personal call manager, unified messaging, and a second or third phone line at an incremental cost. Further, the company offers business services comprising voice, advanced data, video, wireless, cloud-based services, and mobile and converged fixed-mobile services to small or home offices, small businesses, and medium and large enterprises, as well as on a wholesale basis to other operators. It operates in Belgium, Switzerland, Ireland, Slovakia, and internationally. Liberty Global Ltd. was founded in 2004 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
About Saga Communications
Saga Communications, Inc., a media company, engages in acquiring, developing, and operating broadcast properties in the United States. The company's radio stations employ various programming formats, including classic hits, country, classic country, hot/soft/urban adult contemporary, oldies, classic rock, rock, and news/talk. It owns and operates FM and AM radio stations, and metro signals serving various markets. Saga Communications, Inc. was incorporated in 1986 and is headquartered in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan.
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