Comparing Dole (NYSE:DOLE) and The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN)

Dole (NYSE:DOLE) and The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) are both small-cap consumer staples companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings, profitability, dividends and analyst recommendations.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Dole and The Hain Celestial Group”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Dole	$9.17 billion	0.14	$51.32 million	$0.62	22.65
The Hain Celestial Group	$1.25 billion	0.01	-$304.92 million	($3.25)	-0.04

Dole has higher revenue and earnings than The Hain Celestial Group. The Hain Celestial Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Dole, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for Dole and The Hain Celestial Group, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Dole	0	3	0	1	2.50
The Hain Celestial Group	3	4	0	0	1.57

Dole currently has a consensus target price of $14.00, indicating a potential downside of 0.33%. The Hain Celestial Group has a consensus target price of $0.85, indicating a potential upside of 531.48%. Given The Hain Celestial Group’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe The Hain Celestial Group is more favorable than Dole.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

97.0% of The Hain Celestial Group shares are held by institutional investors. 1.7% of The Hain Celestial Group shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Dole and The Hain Celestial Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Dole	0.97%	7.08%	2.33%
The Hain Celestial Group	-23.73%	-7.11%	-1.24%

Volatility and Risk

Dole has a beta of 0.75, suggesting that its stock price is 25% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, The Hain Celestial Group has a beta of 1.04, suggesting that its stock price is 4% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Dole beats The Hain Celestial Group on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Dole

Dole plc is an international fresh produce company that sources, grows, packs, ships, markets and distributes fruit and vegetables. Its products include bananas, pineapples and other fresh fruit, as well as vegetables and packaged salads sold under the Dole brand and other labels. The company serves retail, wholesale and food-service customers across a range of markets. Its operations span multiple regions, connecting produce growers and farms with customers through its global sourcing, logistics and distribution network.

About The Hain Celestial Group

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. is a natural and organic products company that develops, markets and distributes food, beverage and personal-care products. Its portfolio includes plant-based foods, snacks, pantry staples, beverages, baby and children’s products, and personal-care items sold through grocery stores, mass retailers, specialty retailers, e-commerce channels and other outlets. The company’s brands have included Celestial Seasonings, Earth’s Best, Terra, Garden of Eatin’, Sensible Portions, Imagine, Alba Botanica, Avalon Organics and JASON.