Reviewing Great Lakes Dredge & Dock (NASDAQ:GLDD) and Williams Industries (OTCMKTS:WMSI)

Williams Industries (OTCMKTS:WMSI) and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock (NASDAQ:GLDD) are both construction companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, profitability, valuation and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares Williams Industries and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Williams Industries	N/A	N/A	N/A
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock	8.63%	15.72%	5.85%

Insider and Institutional Ownership

89.1% of Great Lakes Dredge & Dock shares are held by institutional investors. 47.4% of Williams Industries shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 2.0% of Great Lakes Dredge & Dock shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for Williams Industries and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Williams Industries	0	0	0	0	0.00
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock	0	0	1	0	3.00

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock has a consensus target price of $14.00, suggesting a potential upside of 28.21%. Given Great Lakes Dredge & Dock’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Great Lakes Dredge & Dock is more favorable than Williams Industries.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Williams Industries and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Williams Industries	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock	$762.69 million	0.97	$57.26 million	$1.02	10.71

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock has higher revenue and earnings than Williams Industries.

Summary

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock beats Williams Industries on 8 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Williams Industries

Williams Industries, Incorporated manufactures and sells welded steel plate girders, rolled steel beams, stay-in-place bridge decking, and light structural and other metal products in the United States. The company also offers steel, precast concrete and miscellaneous metals erection and installation services, as well as rigging and specialized hauling services. It also rents cranes. The company provides its services and products for industrial, governmental, commercial, and institutional construction markets. Williams Industries, Incorporated was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Manassas, Virginia.

About Great Lakes Dredge & Dock

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. engages in the provision of dredging services. Its projects include channel and port maintenance, channel deepening and port expansion, coastal protection and restoration, as well as land reclamation. The company was founded by William A. Lydon and Frederick C. Drews in 1890 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.