Hillenbrand (NYSE:HI – Get Free Report) and ClearSign Technologies (NASDAQ:CLIR – Get Free Report) are both small-cap industrials companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, risk, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and valuation.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
89.1% of Hillenbrand shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 24.0% of ClearSign Technologies shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.0% of Hillenbrand shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 5.0% of ClearSign Technologies shares are owned 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.
Profitability
This table compares Hillenbrand and ClearSign Technologies’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Hillenbrand | -0.63% | 13.53% | 3.82% |
| ClearSign Technologies | -203.65% | -47.61% | -39.34% |
Earnings & Valuation
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Hillenbrand | $3.18 billion | 0.56 | -$211.00 million | ($0.25) | -101.45 |
| ClearSign Technologies | $3.60 million | 8.51 | -$5.30 million | ($0.11) | -5.31 |
ClearSign Technologies has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Hillenbrand. Hillenbrand is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than ClearSign Technologies, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Hillenbrand and ClearSign Technologies, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Hillenbrand | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 |
| ClearSign Technologies | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3.00 |
Hillenbrand presently has a consensus target price of $32.00, indicating a potential upside of 26.17%. ClearSign Technologies has a consensus target price of $2.00, indicating a potential upside of 242.29%. Given ClearSign Technologies’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe ClearSign Technologies is more favorable than Hillenbrand.
Risk & Volatility
Hillenbrand has a beta of 1.47, meaning that its share price is 47% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, ClearSign Technologies has a beta of 1.11, meaning that its share price is 11% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
ClearSign Technologies beats Hillenbrand on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Hillenbrand
Hillenbrand, Inc. operates as an industrial company in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Advanced Process Solutions and Molding Technology Solutions. The Advanced Process Solutions segment designs, engineers, manufactures, markets, and services process and material handling equipment and systems comprising compounding, extrusion, and material handling equipment, equipment system design services, as well as offers mixing technology, ingredient automation, and portion process; and provides screening and separating equipment for various industries, including plastics, food and pharmaceuticals, chemicals, fertilizers, minerals, energy, wastewater treatment, forest products, and other general industrials. The Molding Technology Solutions segment offers injection molding and extrusion equipment; hot runner systems; process control systems; mold bases and components; maintenance and repair services; and aftermarket parts and service for various industries, including automotive, consumer goods, medical, packaging, construction, and electronics. The company was founded in 1906 and is headquartered in Batesville, Indiana.
About ClearSign Technologies
ClearSign Technologies Corporation designs and develops products and technologies to enhance emission and operational performance, energy efficiency, emission reduction, safety, and overall cost-effectiveness of industrial and commercial systems in the United States, the People's Republic of China, and Hong Kong. The company's technologies include ClearSign core burner technology consists of an industrial burner body and a downstream porous ceramic or metal flame stabilizing structure; ClearSign core process burner technology that provides a direct burner replacement for traditional refinery process heaters; ClearSign core boiler burner technology; ClearSign core flaring burners that can be used individually, or in combination, to provide a flare product with extremely low nitrogen oxide emissions; and ClearSign eye flame sensor, an electrical flame sensor for industrial applications. It serves energy, institutional, commercial and industrial boiler, chemical, and petrochemical industries. The company was formerly known as ClearSign Combustion Corporation and changed its name ClearSign Technologies Corporation in November 2019. ClearSign Technologies Corporation was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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