Critical Review: Axion Power International (OTCMKTS:AXPWQ) & Stoneridge (NYSE:SRI)

Axion Power International (OTCMKTS:AXPWQ) and Stoneridge (NYSE:SRI) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, profitability, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk and valuation.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for Axion Power International and Stoneridge, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Axion Power International	0	0	0	0	0.00
Stoneridge	2	1	0	0	1.33

Stoneridge has a consensus price target of $16.00, indicating a potential upside of 111.17%. Given Stoneridge’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Stoneridge is more favorable than Axion Power International.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

98.1% of Stoneridge shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.1% of Axion Power International shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 11.0% of Stoneridge shares are owned by 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.

Volatility & Risk

Axion Power International has a beta of -10.15, indicating that its stock price is 1,115% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Stoneridge has a beta of 1.85, indicating that its stock price is 85% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Axion Power International and Stoneridge”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Axion Power International	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Stoneridge	$861.26 million	0.25	-$102.83 million	($4.41)	-1.72

Axion Power International has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Stoneridge.

Profitability

This table compares Axion Power International and Stoneridge’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Axion Power International	N/A	N/A	N/A
Stoneridge	-15.24%	-22.50%	-8.17%

Summary

Stoneridge beats Axion Power International on 6 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Axion Power International

Axion Power International, Inc. focuses on PbC battery technology business. It offers hybrid asymmetric energy storage devices. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Boardman, Ohio.

About Stoneridge

Stoneridge, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs and manufactures engineered electrical and electronic systems, components, and modules for the automotive, commercial, off-highway, motorcycle, and agricultural vehicle markets in North America, South America, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Control Devices, Electronics, and Stoneridge Brazil. The Control Devices segment offers actuators, sensors, switches, actuators, and connectors that monitor, measure, or activate specific functions within a vehicle. The Electronics segment designs and manufactures driver information systems, vision and safety systems, connectivity and compliance products, and electronic control units. Its products collect, store, and display vehicle information, such as speed, pressure, maintenance data, trip information, operator performance, temperature, distance traveled, and driver messages related to vehicle performance. This segment also offers electronic control units that regulate, coordinate, monitor, and direct the operation of the electrical system within a vehicle. The Stoneridge Brazil segment designs, manufactures, and sells vehicle tracking devices and monitoring services; vehicle security alarms and convenience accessories, including parking sensors and rearview cameras; in-vehicle audio and infotainment devices; and driver information systems and telematics solutions. The company provides its products and systems to various original equipment manufacturers and tier 1 customers, as well as aftermarket distributors. Stoneridge, Inc. was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Novi, Michigan.