Comparing Palfinger (OTCMKTS:PLFRY) and Proterra (NASDAQ:PTRA)

Palfinger (OTCMKTS:PLFRY) and Proterra (NASDAQ:PTRA) are both industrials companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends, risk, valuation, earnings and institutional ownership.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Palfinger and Proterra’s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Palfinger	N/A	N/A	N/A	$1.17	24.71
Proterra	$309.36 million	0.05	-$237.95 million	($2.17)	-0.03

Palfinger has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Proterra. Proterra is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Palfinger, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares Palfinger and Proterra’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Palfinger	N/A	N/A	N/A
Proterra	-123.30%	-65.70%	-31.92%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Palfinger and Proterra, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Palfinger	0	0	0	0	N/A
Proterra	0	1	1	0	2.50

Proterra has a consensus price target of $4.10, indicating a potential upside of 6,019.40%. Given Proterra’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Proterra is more favorable than Palfinger.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

0.2% of Palfinger shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 58.0% of Proterra shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.8% of Proterra shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

About Palfinger

Palfinger AG produces and sells crane and lifting solutions worldwide. It offers loader cranes, timber and recycling cranes, knuckle boom cranes, telescopic cranes, stiff boom cranes, winches and offshore equipment, offshore cranes, davit systems, boats, wind cranes, hooklifts, access platforms, tail lifts, passenger lifts, mobile cranes, truck mounted forklifts, railway systems, rope access, bridge inspection units, skiploaders, and lifesaving equipment. The company also provides contract manufacturing services. It serves construction and infrastructure, transport and logistics, railways, waste management and recycling, forestry, state institutions, offshore, wind, cruise, navy and coast guard, aquaculture and fisheries, and trade and transport industries. The company provides its products and services through a network of approximately 5,000 service centers in 130 countries; and 200 independent general importers. Palfinger AG was founded in 1932 and is headquartered in Bergheim, Austria. Palfinger AG is a subsidiary of The Palfinger Family.

About Proterra

Proterra Inc. provides commercial vehicles in the United States, the European Union, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and Türkiye. The company's Proterra Powered & Energy business unit offers battery systems and electrification solutions for commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers serving delivery trucks, school buses, coach buses, construction and mining equipment, and other applications; and turnkey fleet-scale, high-power charging solutions and software services, ranging from fleet and energy management software-as-a-service to fleet planning, hardware, infrastructure, installation, utility engagement, and charging optimization. Its Proterra Transit business unit designs, develops, manufactures, and sells electric transit buses as an OEM for North American public transit agencies, airports, universities, and other commercial transit fleets. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Burlingame, California. On August 07, 2023, Proterra Inc., along with its affiliate, filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.