Comparing BE Semiconductor Industries (OTCMKTS:BESIY) and Nikon (OTCMKTS:NINOY)

BE Semiconductor Industries (OTCMKTS:BESIY) and Nikon (OTCMKTS:NINOY) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, profitability, earnings and valuation.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares BE Semiconductor Industries and Nikon”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
BE Semiconductor Industries	$657.41 million	N/A	$196.93 million	$2.31	58.35
Nikon	$4.70 billion	0.69	$40.41 million	$0.11	88.49

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

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for BE Semiconductor Industries and Nikon, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
BE Semiconductor Industries	0	4	1	2	2.71
Nikon	0	0	0	0	0.00

Profitability

This table compares BE Semiconductor Industries and Nikon’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
BE Semiconductor Industries	28.10%	34.64%	14.08%
Nikon	0.85%	0.90%	0.53%

Volatility and Risk

BE Semiconductor Industries has a beta of 1.85, suggesting that its share price is 85% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Nikon has a beta of 0.59, suggesting that its share price is 41% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

0.1% of Nikon shares are held by institutional investors. 1.6% of BE Semiconductor Industries shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Dividends

BE Semiconductor Industries pays an annual dividend of $2.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.6%. Nikon pays an annual dividend of $0.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.1%. BE Semiconductor Industries pays out 91.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Nikon pays out 181.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future.

Summary

BE Semiconductor Industries beats Nikon on 11 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About BE Semiconductor Industries

BE Semiconductor Industries N.V. engages in the development, manufacture, marketing, sale, and service of semiconductor assembly equipment for the semiconductor and electronics industries in China, the United States, Malaysia, Ireland, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Other Asia Pacific and Europe, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Die Attach, Packaging, and Plating. The company's principal products include die attach equipment, such as single chip, multi-chip, multi module, flip chip, thermal compression bonding, fan out wafer level packaging, hybrid and embedded bridge die bonding, and die sorting systems; and packaging equipment, including conventional, ultra-thin, and wafer level molding, as well as trim and form, and singulation systems. It also provides plating equipment, such as tin, copper, and precious metal and solar plating systems, as well as related process chemicals; and tooling, conversion kits, spare parts, and other services. The company's principal brand names include Datacon, Esec, Fico, and Meco. It offers its products primarily to multinational chip manufacturers, assembly subcontractors, and electronics and industrial companies. BE Semiconductor Industries N.V. was incorporated in 1995 and is headquartered in Duiven, the Netherlands.

About Nikon

Nikon Corporation manufactures and sells optical instruments in Japan, North America, Europe, China, Thailand, and internationally. It operates through Imaging Products Business, Precision Equipment Business, Healthcare Business, Components Business, and Industrial equipment and Others segments. The Imaging Products Business segment provides digital SLR cameras, compact digital cameras, and interchangeable camera lenses. The Precision Equipment Business segment offers FPD lithography systems and semiconductor lithography systems. The Healthcare Business segment provides biological microscopes, cell culture observation systems, and ultra-wide field retinal imaging devices, as well as products and services related to the contract cell development and manufacturing field. The Components Business segment offers optical components, optical parts, encoders, and material processing products and services; EUV-related components and space-related solutions; and photomask substrates for FPDs. The Industrial equipment and Others segment provides industrial microscopes, non-contact 3D metrology systems, measuring instruments, X-ray/CT inspection systems, and surveying instruments. In addition, it sells used equipment; provides maintenance services for FPD/semiconductor lithography systems; sells and services cameras, microscopes, measuring instruments, and X-ray inspection equipment; and develops and supports computer software. Further, the company is involved in the procurement, logistics, and welfare activities; development, manufacturing, and testing services for eyeglass and lenses; and assembly of camera units. Nikon Corporation was incorporated in 1917 and is headquartered in Minato, Japan.