Hillman Solutions (NASDAQ:HLMN) versus Aspen Aerogels (NYSE:ASPN) Head-To-Head Comparison

Hillman Solutions (NASDAQ:HLMN) and Aspen Aerogels (NYSE:ASPN) are both small-cap construction companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, dividends, earnings, risk and institutional ownership.

Risk & Volatility

Hillman Solutions has a beta of 1.67, meaning that its stock price is 67% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Aspen Aerogels has a beta of 2.65, meaning that its stock price is 165% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Hillman Solutions and Aspen Aerogels’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Hillman Solutions	1.44%	8.86%	4.47%
Aspen Aerogels	-78.53%	2.92%	1.85%

Institutional and Insider Ownership

98.1% of Hillman Solutions shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 97.6% of Aspen Aerogels shares are owned by institutional investors. 4.9% of Hillman Solutions shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 3.4% of Aspen Aerogels shares are owned by company 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.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Hillman Solutions and Aspen Aerogels”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Hillman Solutions	$1.47 billion	1.31	$17.25 million	$0.11	88.82
Aspen Aerogels	$452.70 million	1.22	$13.38 million	($3.81)	-1.77

Hillman Solutions has higher revenue and earnings than Aspen Aerogels. Aspen Aerogels is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Hillman Solutions, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings for Hillman Solutions and Aspen Aerogels, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Hillman Solutions	0	4	4	0	2.50
Aspen Aerogels	1	2	6	1	2.70

Hillman Solutions presently has a consensus price target of $11.83, indicating a potential upside of 21.12%. Aspen Aerogels has a consensus price target of $19.50, indicating a potential upside of 189.75%. Given Aspen Aerogels’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Aspen Aerogels is more favorable than Hillman Solutions.

Summary

Hillman Solutions beats Aspen Aerogels on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Hillman Solutions

Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Hillman is a leading North American provider of complete hardware solutions, delivered with industry best customer service to over 40,000 locations. Hillman designs innovative product and merchandising solutions for complex categories that deliver an outstanding customer experience to home improvement centers, mass merchants, national and regional hardware stores, pet supply stores, and OEM & Industrial customers. Leveraging a world-class distribution and sales network, Hillman delivers a “small business” experience with “big business” efficiency.

About Aspen Aerogels

Aspen Aerogels, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells aerogel insulation products primarily for use in the energy infrastructure and sustainable insulation materials markets in the United States, Asia, Canada, Europe, and Latin America. It operates in two segments, Energy Industrial and Thermal Barrier. The company offers PyroThin thermal barriers for use in lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles and energy storage industries; Pyrogel XTE that reduces the risk of corrosion under insulation in energy infrastructure operating systems; and Pyrogel HPS for applications within the power generation market. It also offers Pyrogel XTF to provide protection against fire; Cryogel Z for sub-ambient and cryogenic applications in the energy infrastructure market; Spaceloft Subsea for use in pipe-in-pipe applications in offshore oil production; and Cryogel X201, which is used in designing cold systems, such as refrigerated appliances, cold storage equipment, and aerospace systems. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Northborough, Massachusetts.