Reviewing Bel Fuse (NASDAQ:BELFB) and Acorn Energy (OTCMKTS:ACFN)

Acorn Energy (OTCMKTS:ACFN) and Bel Fuse (NASDAQ:BELFB) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, risk, earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation and profitability.

Volatility & Risk

Acorn Energy has a beta of 0.1, meaning that its share price is 90% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Bel Fuse has a beta of 1.56, meaning that its share price is 56% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Acorn Energy and Bel Fuse’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Acorn Energy	56.00%	78.08%	28.31%
Bel Fuse	10.04%	16.34%	6.76%

Institutional & Insider Ownership

58.4% of Bel Fuse shares are held by institutional investors. 35.1% of Acorn Energy shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 5.4% of Bel Fuse shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Acorn Energy and Bel Fuse, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Acorn Energy	0	0	0	0	0.00
Bel Fuse	0	1	6	0	2.86

Bel Fuse has a consensus target price of $173.00, indicating a potential downside of 14.01%. Given Bel Fuse’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Bel Fuse is more favorable than Acorn Energy.

Dividends

Acorn Energy pays an annual dividend of $0.14 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.8%. Bel Fuse pays an annual dividend of $0.28 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.1%. Acorn Energy pays out 5.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Bel Fuse pays out 5.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Acorn Energy is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Acorn Energy and Bel Fuse”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Acorn Energy	$12.63 million	3.51	$6.29 million	$2.65	6.69
Bel Fuse	$534.79 million	4.76	$40.96 million	$5.20	38.69

Bel Fuse has higher revenue and earnings than Acorn Energy. Acorn Energy is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Bel Fuse, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Bel Fuse beats Acorn Energy on 10 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Acorn Energy

Acorn Energy, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops and markets wireless remote monitoring and control systems for various markets in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments, Power Generation (PG) Monitoring and Cathodic Protection (CP) Monitoring. The PG segment provides wireless remote monitoring and control systems, and services for critical assets, which include stand-by power generators, pumps, pumpjacks, light towers, turbines, compressors, fire pumps, and other industrial equipment; and Internet of Things applications. The CP segment offers remote monitoring and control products for cathodic protection systems utilized in gas pipelines for gas utilities market and pipeline operators. The company was incorporated in 1986 and is based in Wilmington, Delaware.

About Bel Fuse

Bel Fuse Inc. designs, manufactures, markets, and sells products that power, protect, and connect electronic circuits. The company’s products are used in the networking, telecommunications, computing, general industrial, high-speed data transmission, military, commercial aerospace, transportation, and e-Mobility industries. It provides power solutions and protection products, including front-end power supplies, board-mount power products, industrial and transportation power products, external power products, and circuit protection products. The company also offers connectivity solutions, such as expanded beam fiber optic connectors, cable assemblies, and active optical devices; copper-based connectors/cable assemblies; radio frequency connectors, cable assemblies, microwave devices, and low loss cables; and ethernet, I/O, and industrial and power connectivity products. In addition, it provides magnetic solutions comprising integrated connector modules, power transformers, SMD power inductors and SMPS transformers, and ethernet discrete components. The company sells its products through direct strategic account managers, regional sales managers working with independent sales representative organizations, and authorized distributors in the United States, the People’s Republic of China, Macao, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Germany, India, Switzerland, and internationally. Bel Fuse Inc. was incorporated in 1949 and is headquartered in West Orange, New Jersey.