Comparing Shimizu (OTCMKTS:SHMUY) and Grafton Group (OTCMKTS:GROUF)

Shimizu (OTCMKTS:SHMUY) and Grafton Group (OTCMKTS:GROUF) are both construction companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, earnings, institutional ownership, dividends, analyst recommendations, valuation and profitability.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Shimizu and Grafton Group, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Shimizu	0	0	0	0	0.00
Grafton Group	0	0	1	0	3.00

Insider and Institutional Ownership

8.2% of Grafton Group shares are held by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Shimizu and Grafton Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Shimizu	6.11%	5.77%	2.16%
Grafton Group	N/A	N/A	N/A

Volatility and Risk

Shimizu has a beta of -0.02, indicating that its stock price is 102% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Grafton Group has a beta of 0.34, indicating that its stock price is 66% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Shimizu and Grafton Group”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Shimizu	$13.67 billion	0.85	$835.68 million	$4.90	13.96
Grafton Group	$3.32 billion	0.64	$180.09 million	N/A	N/A

Shimizu has higher revenue and earnings than Grafton Group.

Summary

Shimizu beats Grafton Group on 6 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Shimizu

Shimizu Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the construction, development, engineering, and life cycle valuation businesses in Japan and internationally. The company proposes, plans, designs, builds, repairs, manages, operates, and maintains offices, plants, schools, hospitals, and other buildings, such as nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, temples, shrines, and architectures; offers design, build, and renovation for tunnels, bridges, dams, urban infrastructure, energy facilities, and other public works; provides construction for manufacturing facilities, high-rise buildings, hospitals, bridges, subways, and other projects; and develops and rents real estate properties, including condominiums, data centers, office buildings, logistics facilities, and other properties. It also offers engineering, procurement, and construction services in solar and wind power projects, environmental clean-up engineering, turn-key order fulfillment of plants, and ICT systems and engineering projects. In addition, the company provides facility operation and management services; infrastructure management, maintenance, and concession services; and generates power using renewable energy and sells electricity, as well as involved in commercialization of smart cities and provision of services using ICT technology. Further, it engages in the lease and sale of construction equipment and materials; provision of interior finishing and rebar works; insurance agency, security, and travel agency services; supply of PCR test kits; and rental of various tower cranes, crawler cranes, and other construction machinery and equipment. Additionally, the company offers construction equipment consulting services, such as construction planning, maintenance, and management services; property and building management services; and real estate consulting and brokerage services, as well as tenant leasing services. Shimizu Corporation was founded in 1804 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

About Grafton Group

Grafton Group plc engages in the distribution, retailing, and manufacturing businesses in Ireland, the Netherlands, Finland, and the United Kingdom. Its Distribution segment distributes building materials, paint, tools, ironmongery, fixings, and accessories, workwear and PPE, and spare parts; materials and plant for mechanical services, heating, plumbing, and air movement; and trade, DIY, and self-build markets with building materials, timber, doors and floors, plumbing and heating, bathrooms, and landscaping products under the Selco, Leyland SDM, Chadwicks, MacBlair, Isero, Polvo, Gunters en Meuser, TG Lynes, and IKH brands. The company’s Retailing segment retails home and garden products through stores, including DIY products, paints, lighting products, homestyle products, housewares, bathroom products, and kitchens, as well as gardening and Christmas products under the Woodie’s brand. Its Manufacturing segment manufactures dry mortars and wooden staircases; and drainage, ducting and roofline systems under the CPI Mortar, StairBox, and MFP brand names. Grafton Group plc was founded in 1902 and is based in Dublin, Ireland.