Hawaiian Electric Industries (NYSE:HE – Get Free Report) and Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ:BLDP – Get Free Report) are both utilities companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation, institutional ownership, dividends and profitability.
Profitability
This table compares Hawaiian Electric Industries and Ballard Power Systems’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Hawaiian Electric Industries | 4.19% | 9.03% | 1.64% |
| Ballard Power Systems | -78.60% | -13.48% | -11.64% |
Institutional and Insider Ownership
59.9% of Hawaiian Electric Industries shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 28.0% of Ballard Power Systems shares are held by institutional investors. 0.2% of Hawaiian Electric Industries shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of Ballard Power Systems shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Risk and Volatility
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Hawaiian Electric Industries and Ballard Power Systems”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Hawaiian Electric Industries | $3.09 billion | 0.72 | $126.28 million | $0.74 | 17.37 |
| Ballard Power Systems | $99.40 million | 13.10 | -$90.91 million | ($0.27) | -16.00 |
Hawaiian Electric Industries has higher revenue and earnings than Ballard Power Systems. Ballard Power Systems is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Hawaiian Electric Industries, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of recent recommendations for Hawaiian Electric Industries and Ballard Power Systems, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Hawaiian Electric Industries | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.50 |
| Ballard Power Systems | 3 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1.87 |
Hawaiian Electric Industries currently has a consensus target price of $13.25, suggesting a potential upside of 3.07%. Ballard Power Systems has a consensus target price of $3.59, suggesting a potential downside of 16.96%. Given Hawaiian Electric Industries’ higher probable upside, equities analysts clearly believe Hawaiian Electric Industries is more favorable than Ballard Power Systems.
Summary
Hawaiian Electric Industries beats Ballard Power Systems on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Hawaiian Electric Industries
Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the electric utility businesses in the United States. It operates in three segments: Electric Utility, Bank, and Other. The Electric Utility segment engages in the production, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, and Molokai. Its renewable energy sources and potential sources include wind, solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, wave, hydroelectric, municipal waste, and other biofuels. This segment serves suburban communities, resorts, the United States Armed Forces installations, and agricultural operations. The Bank segment operates a federally chartered savings bank that offers banking and other financial services to consumers and businesses, including savings and checking accounts; and loans comprising residential and commercial real estate, residential mortgage, construction and development, multifamily residential and commercial real estate, consumer, and commercial loans. The Other segment invests in non-regulated renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure in the State of Hawaii. Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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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