Ascent Industries (NASDAQ:ACNT) & Dover (NYSE:DOV) Head-To-Head Contrast

Dover (NYSE:DOV) and Ascent Industries (NASDAQ:ACNT) are both industrials companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, risk, dividends, valuation and analyst recommendations.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

84.5% of Dover shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 26.0% of Ascent Industries shares are held by institutional investors. 1.3% of Dover shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 9.3% of Ascent Industries shares are held by 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.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Dover and Ascent Industries”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Dover	$7.83 billion	2.92	$2.70 billion	$16.58	10.04
Ascent Industries	$172.59 million	0.69	-$13.60 million	($0.29)	-43.69

Dover has higher revenue and earnings than Ascent Industries. Ascent Industries is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Dover, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares Dover and Ascent Industries’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Dover	29.29%	18.19%	9.86%
Ascent Industries	-2.51%	-2.52%	-1.63%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent recommendations for Dover and Ascent Industries, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Dover	0	5	7	0	2.58
Ascent Industries	0	0	0	0	0.00

Dover currently has a consensus price target of $213.92, indicating a potential upside of 28.51%. Given Dover’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Dover is more favorable than Ascent Industries.

Volatility and Risk

Dover has a beta of 1.27, indicating that its share price is 27% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Ascent Industries has a beta of 0.71, indicating that its share price is 29% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Dover beats Ascent Industries on 13 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Dover

Dover Corporation provides equipment and components, consumable supplies, aftermarket parts, software and digital solutions, and support services worldwide. The company's Engineered Products segment provides various equipment, component, software, solution, and services that are used in vehicle aftermarket, waste handling, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, industrial winch and hoist, and fluid dispensing end-market. This segment offers manual and power clamp, rotary and linear mechanical indexer, conveyor, pick and place unit, glove port, and manipulator, as well as end-of-arm robotic gripper, slide, and end effector; winches, hoists, bearings, drives, and electric monitoring system; and radio frequency and microwave filters and switches, and signal intelligence solutions. Its Clean Energy & Fueling segment offers component, equipment, and software and service solution enabling safe storage and transport of fuel, cryogenic gases, and hazardous fluids, as well as operation of retail fueling and vehicle wash establishment. The company's Imaging & Identification segment provides precision marking and coding, product traceability equipment, brand protection, and digital textile printing equipment and solution, as well as related consumable, software, and service to packaged and consumer goods, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, fashion and apparel, and other end-market. Its Pumps & Process Solutions segment manufactures specialty pump, connector, flow meter, fluid connecting solution, plastics and polymer processing equipment, and engineered components for rotating and reciprocating machines. The company's Climate & Sustainability Technologies segment manufactures refrigeration system, refrigeration display case, commercial glass refrigerator and freezer door, and brazed plate heat exchanger for industrial heating and cooling, and residential climate control applications. The company was incorporated in 1947 and is headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois.

About Ascent Industries

Ascent Industries Co. an industrials company, produces and distributes stainless steel pipe and tube and specialty chemicals in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Tubular Products and Specialty Chemicals. It manufactures welded pipes and tubes, primarily from stainless steel, duplex, and nickel alloys; and ornamental stainless steel tubes for automotive, commercial transportation, marine, food services, construction, furniture, healthcare, and other industries. The company also produces defoamers, surfactants, and lubricating agents for end users, including companies that supply agrochemical paper, metal working, coatings, water treatment, paint, mining, oil and gas, and janitorial and other applications. In addition, it provides contract manufacturing services, as well as operates as a multi-purpose plant to process various difficult to handle materials, including flammable solvents, viscous liquids, and granular solids. The company was formerly known as Synalloy Corporation and changed its name to Ascent Industries Co. in August 2022. Ascent Industries Co. was founded in 1945 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.