Head-To-Head Contrast: Palomar (NASDAQ:PLMR) & World Access (OTCMKTS:WAXS)

Palomar (NASDAQ:PLMR) and World Access (OTCMKTS:WAXS) are both finance companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends and valuation.

Profitability

This table compares Palomar and World Access’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Palomar	18.61%	23.28%	6.45%
World Access	N/A	N/A	N/A

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Palomar and World Access”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Palomar	$1.09 billion	3.11	$197.07 million	$7.44	17.38
World Access	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Palomar has higher revenue and earnings than World Access.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

90.2% of Palomar shares are held by institutional investors. 3.7% of Palomar shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 16.4% of World Access shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings for Palomar and World Access, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Palomar	0	2	4	0	2.67
World Access	0	0	0	0	0.00

Palomar presently has a consensus target price of $162.75, suggesting a potential upside of 25.87%. Given Palomar’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Palomar is more favorable than World Access.

Summary

Palomar beats World Access on 8 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Palomar

Palomar Holdings, Inc., a specialty insurance company, provides property and casualty insurance to residential and businesses in the United States. The company offers personal and commercial specialty property insurance products, including residential and commercial earthquake, fronting, commercial all risk, specialty homeowners, inland marine, Hawaii hurricane, and residential flood, as well as other products, such as assumed reinsurance. It markets and distributes its products through retail agents, wholesale brokers, program administrators, and carrier partnerships. The company was formerly known as GC Palomar Holdings and changed its name to Palomar Holdings, Inc. The company was incorporated in 2013 and is headquartered in La Jolla, California.

About World Access

World Access, Inc. operates as a global services company providing solutions in customer care to organizations in the travel, financial, health care, and call center industries. It consists of three full service companies and three specialized services companies. World Access Service Corporation serves companies located in the US and companies that have travelers or employees visiting North America. World Access Canada serves companies located in Canada; and World Access Asia serves companies located in eastern Asia, including Japan. World Access Europe provides members of World Access with logistical and medical support throughout the region. Other companies include World Access Provider Network Services; and World Access Transport Services that manages and coordinates all medical evacuation and repatriation activities for World Access. The company is based in Atlanta, Georgia. In April 2001, the company filed voluntary petitions for Chapter 11 relief in the United States Bankruptcy Court on behalf of itself and certain of its U.S. subsidiaries.