Contrasting 5N Plus (OTCMKTS:FPLSF) and Akzo Nobel (OTCMKTS:AKZOD)

5N Plus (OTCMKTS:FPLSF) and Akzo Nobel (OTCMKTS:AKZOD) are both materials companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability and valuation.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares 5N Plus and Akzo Nobel”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
5N Plus	$391.06 million	5.37	$50.57 million	$0.65	35.91
Akzo Nobel	$10.86 billion	1.47	$940.40 million	$1.58	14.76

Akzo Nobel has higher revenue and earnings than 5N Plus. Akzo Nobel is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than 5N Plus, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for 5N Plus and Akzo Nobel, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
5N Plus	0	1	3	0	2.75
Akzo Nobel	0	0	0	0	0.00

Volatility & Risk

5N Plus has a beta of 1.85, indicating that its share price is 85% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Akzo Nobel has a beta of 0.76, indicating that its share price is 24% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

0.1% of 5N Plus shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.2% of Akzo Nobel shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.9% of 5N Plus shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares 5N Plus and Akzo Nobel’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
5N Plus	13.99%	28.72%	11.85%
Akzo Nobel	9.76%	9.43%	3.69%

Summary

5N Plus beats Akzo Nobel on 9 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About 5N Plus

5N Plus Inc. produces and sells specialty metals and chemicals in North America, Europe, and Asia. It operates through two segments, Specialty Semiconductors and Performance Materials. The company offers semiconductor compounds, semiconductor wafers, metals, epitaxial semiconductor substrates, and solar cells. It also provides active pharmaceutical ingredients, animal feed additives, specialized chemicals, commercial grade metals, alloys, engineered powders, and recycling services. The company serves renewable energy, security, space, pharmaceutical, medical imaging, manufacturing, electronic, consumer, and industrial application markets. 5N Plus Inc. is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

About Akzo Nobel

Akzo Nobel N.V. operates as a paints and coatings company in the Netherlands and internationally. The company operates through Decorative Paints and Performance Coatings segments. It provides decorative paints, including paints, lacquers, and varnishes; mixing machines, color concepts, and training courses for the building and renovation industry; and specialty coatings for metal, wood, and other building materials. The company offers its decorative paints under the Alba, Astral, Bruguer, Coral, Dulux, Flexa, Inca, Levis, Marshall, Nordsjo, Sadolin, Sikkens, and Vivechrome brands. It also offers performance coatings to protect and enhance ships, cars, aircraft, yachts, architectural components, consumer goods, and oil and gas facilities. The company was formerly known as Akzo NV and changed its name to Akzo Nobel N.V. in 1994. Akzo Nobel N.V. was founded in 1646 and is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.