Head-To-Head Comparison: Holcim (OTCMKTS:HCMLY) & Aspen Aerogels (NYSE:ASPN)

Holcim (OTCMKTS:HCMLY) and Aspen Aerogels (NYSE:ASPN) are both construction companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership, profitability, earnings and dividends.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Holcim and Aspen Aerogels”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Holcim	$30.00 billion	1.56	$3.32 billion	N/A	N/A
Aspen Aerogels	$452.70 million	1.26	$13.38 million	($3.81)	-1.82

Holcim has higher revenue and earnings than Aspen Aerogels.

Profitability

This table compares Holcim and Aspen Aerogels’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Holcim	N/A	N/A	N/A
Aspen Aerogels	-78.53%	2.92%	1.85%

Volatility & Risk

Holcim has a beta of 1.04, suggesting that its stock price is 4% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Aspen Aerogels has a beta of 2.73, suggesting that its stock price is 173% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Holcim and Aspen Aerogels, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Holcim	0	2	3	2	3.00
Aspen Aerogels	1	2	6	1	2.70

Aspen Aerogels has a consensus target price of $19.50, indicating a potential upside of 180.78%. Given Aspen Aerogels’ higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Aspen Aerogels is more favorable than Holcim.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

0.0% of Holcim shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 97.6% of Aspen Aerogels shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.4% of Aspen Aerogels shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Aspen Aerogels beats Holcim on 7 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Holcim

Holcim AG, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a building materials and solutions company worldwide. It operates through North America; Latin America; Europe; Asia, Middle East & Africa; and Solutions & Products segments. The company offers cement, clinker, and other cementitious materials; ready-mix concrete; aggregates, such as crushed stone, gravel, and sand; and precast, concrete products, asphalts, mortars, roofing systems, insulation tile adhesives, facade solutions, and contracting and services. It also engages in distribution and retail activities comprising product availability and deliveries, in-store animation and shopping experience, one-stop retail shop, digital services and solutions, and financing and cash-flow solutions; and waste management services. The company's products are used in infrastructure projects, such as tunnels, railways and train stations, airports and ports, and bridges; housing projects, including individual and collective housing; commercial projects comprising offices, retail, and public buildings; and industrial projects consisting of renewable energy, oil and gas, and mining. It sells under the ECOPact, ECOPlanet, ECOCycle, Airium, DYNAMax, Aggneo, Ductal, Hydromedia, TectorPrint, Aggregate Industries, Disensa, Duro-Last, Elevate, Geocycle, Holcim, Lafarge, Malarkey Roofing Products, and PRB Group brands. The company was formerly known as LafargeHolcim Ltd and changed its name to Holcim AG in May 2021. The company was founded in 1833 and is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland.

About Aspen Aerogels

Aspen Aerogels, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells aerogel insulation products primarily for use in the energy infrastructure and sustainable insulation materials markets in the United States, Asia, Canada, Europe, and Latin America. It operates in two segments, Energy Industrial and Thermal Barrier. The company offers PyroThin thermal barriers for use in lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles and energy storage industries; Pyrogel XTE that reduces the risk of corrosion under insulation in energy infrastructure operating systems; and Pyrogel HPS for applications within the power generation market. It also offers Pyrogel XTF to provide protection against fire; Cryogel Z for sub-ambient and cryogenic applications in the energy infrastructure market; Spaceloft Subsea for use in pipe-in-pipe applications in offshore oil production; and Cryogel X201, which is used in designing cold systems, such as refrigerated appliances, cold storage equipment, and aerospace systems. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Northborough, Massachusetts.