Reviewing Cadiz (NASDAQ:CDZI) and Suez (OTCMKTS:SZEVF)

Cadiz (NASDAQ:CDZI) and Suez (OTCMKTS:SZEVF) are both utilities companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, risk, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, earnings and profitability.

Profitability

This table compares Cadiz and Suez’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Cadiz	-221.43%	-129.97%	-24.08%
Suez	N/A	N/A	N/A

Institutional and Insider Ownership

79.7% of Cadiz shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.3% of Cadiz shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings for Cadiz and Suez, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Cadiz	1	1	1	0	2.00
Suez	0	0	0	0	0.00

Cadiz currently has a consensus price target of $10.00, suggesting a potential upside of 225.20%. Given Cadiz’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Cadiz is more favorable than Suez.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Cadiz and Suez”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Cadiz	$14.99 million	17.25	-$34.15 million	($0.46)	-6.68
Suez	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Suez has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Cadiz.

Summary

Cadiz beats Suez on 6 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Cadiz

Cadiz Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides water solutions in the United States. The company operates through Land and Water Resources; and Water Filtration Technology segments. It offers water supply, water storage, water conveyance, and water filtration services. In addition, the company is involved in the cultivation of grain crops and alfalfa, as well as provides water filtration solutions for impaired or contaminated groundwater sources. It serves public water systems, government agencies, and other clients. Cadiz Inc. was founded in 1983 and is based in Los Angeles, California.

About Suez

SUEZ SA engages in the provision of water and waste management services through its subsidiaries. It operates through the following segments: Water, Recycling and Recovery, Environmental Technology and Solutions (ETS), and Other. The Water segment offers water distribution and treatment services, particularly under concession contracts. The Recycling and Recovery segment includes waste and waste treatment services for local authorities and industrial clients. The ETS segment consists of water services for the industrial customer segment, hazardous waste services as well as customized services, technologies and solutions for industrial or municipal customers, as well as consulting services. The Other segment refers to the holdings. The company was founded in 1822 and is headquartered in Paris, France.