Head-To-Head Review: Central Puerto (NYSE:CEPU) and Oklo (NYSE:OKLO)

Central Puerto (NYSE:CEPU) and Oklo (NYSE:OKLO) are both mid-cap energy companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership, dividends and valuation.

Profitability

This table compares Central Puerto and Oklo’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Central Puerto	37.86%	15.69%	10.94%
Oklo	N/A	-8.57%	-8.30%

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for Central Puerto and Oklo, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Central Puerto	0	1	1	0	2.50
Oklo	2	8	11	2	2.57

Central Puerto presently has a consensus target price of $17.50, indicating a potential upside of 25.98%. Oklo has a consensus target price of $85.33, indicating a potential upside of 35.95%. Given Oklo’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Oklo is more favorable than Central Puerto.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

3.0% of Central Puerto shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 85.0% of Oklo shares are held by institutional investors. 0.1% of Central Puerto shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 18.9% of Oklo shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Risk & Volatility

Central Puerto has a beta of 0.83, meaning that its share price is 17% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Oklo has a beta of 1.16, meaning that its share price is 16% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Central Puerto and Oklo”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Central Puerto	$782.60 million	2.69	$277.08 million	$2.08	6.68
Oklo	N/A	N/A	-$105.66 million	($0.84)	-74.73

Central Puerto has higher revenue and earnings than Oklo. Oklo is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Central Puerto, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

About Central Puerto

Central Puerto S.A. engages in the electric power generation in Argentina. It operates through three segments: Electric Power Generation from Conventional Sources, Electric Power Generation from Renewable Sources, and Natural Gas Transport and Distribution. The company generates energy through thermal, hydroelectric, and wind farms. It also engages in the natural gas transport and distribution business. Central Puerto S.A. was founded in 1898 and is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

About Oklo

Oklo Inc. designs and develops fission power plants to provide reliable and commercial-scale energy to customers in the United States. It also provides used nuclear fuel recycling services. The company was founded in 2013 and is based in Santa Clara, California.