Head to Head Review: Crawford & Company (NYSE:CRD.A) & Skyward Specialty Insurance Group (NASDAQ:SKWD)

Crawford & Company (NYSE:CRD.A) and Skyward Specialty Insurance Group (NASDAQ:SKWD) are both finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability, dividends, institutional ownership and earnings.

Volatility and Risk

Crawford & Company has a beta of 0.85, indicating that its share price is 15% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Skyward Specialty Insurance Group has a beta of 0.32, indicating that its share price is 68% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Crawford & Company and Skyward Specialty Insurance Group”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Crawford & Company	$1.31 billion	0.43	$19.63 million	$0.53	22.55
Skyward Specialty Insurance Group	$1.42 billion	1.98	$170.03 million	$4.28	14.72

Skyward Specialty Insurance Group has higher revenue and earnings than Crawford & Company. Skyward Specialty Insurance Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Crawford & Company, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

22.6% of Crawford & Company shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 94.8% of Skyward Specialty Insurance Group shares are held by institutional investors. 54.3% of Crawford & Company shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 8.5% of Skyward Specialty Insurance Group shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Crawford & Company and Skyward Specialty Insurance Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Crawford & Company	2.01%	29.17%	6.80%
Skyward Specialty Insurance Group	10.62%	18.70%	3.54%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Crawford & Company and Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Crawford & Company	0	0	1	0	3.00
Skyward Specialty Insurance Group	0	3	7	2	2.92

Crawford & Company currently has a consensus price target of $14.00, indicating a potential upside of 17.15%. Skyward Specialty Insurance Group has a consensus price target of $71.60, indicating a potential upside of 13.61%. Given Crawford & Company’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe Crawford & Company is more favorable than Skyward Specialty Insurance Group.

Summary

Skyward Specialty Insurance Group beats Crawford & Company on 9 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Crawford & Company

Crawford & Company is a provider of claims management and related services for insurers, businesses, and other organizations. Its work includes investigating and adjusting property and casualty claims, administering workers’ compensation and liability claims, and supporting clients with medical management and other claims-related services. The company also provides catastrophe response and specialized loss-adjusting services, as well as managed repair solutions that connect claimants with contractors.

About Skyward Specialty Insurance Group

Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc. is a specialty property and casualty insurer that provides coverage for businesses and other organizations with specialized or complex risks. It distributes its products primarily through insurance agents, brokers and other underwriting partners. Its offerings span areas such as casualty, professional liability, property, energy, aviation, agriculture, surety and accident and health insurance. The company also works with program administrators to provide coverage tailored to particular industries and customer needs.