Comparing Corning (NYSE:GLW) & ClearOne (NASDAQ:CLRO)

Corning (NYSE:GLW) and ClearOne (NASDAQ:CLRO) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation, profitability, institutional ownership and earnings.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

69.8% of Corning shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 9.6% of ClearOne shares are held by institutional investors. 0.4% of Corning shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.6% of ClearOne shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Corning and ClearOne’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Corning	5.77%	17.27%	6.96%
ClearOne	-98.43%	-43.29%	-35.25%

Volatility & Risk

Corning has a beta of 1.08, indicating that its share price is 8% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, ClearOne has a beta of 0.42, indicating that its share price is 58% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Corning and ClearOne”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Corning	$13.12 billion	4.27	$506.00 million	$0.94	69.60
ClearOne	$11.39 million	0.64	-$8.98 million	($6.15)	-0.68

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

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings for Corning and ClearOne, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Corning	0	3	10	1	2.86
ClearOne	0	0	0	0	0.00

Corning presently has a consensus target price of $65.1667, indicating a potential downside of 0.39%. Given Corning’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe Corning is more favorable than ClearOne.

Summary

Corning beats ClearOne on 14 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Corning

Corning Incorporated engages in the display technologies, optical communications, environmental technologies, specialty materials, and life sciences businesses in the United States and internationally. The company's Display Technologies segment offers glass substrates for flat panel displays, including liquid crystal displays and organic light-emitting diodes that are used in televisions, notebook computers, desktop monitors, tablets, and handheld devices. Its Optical Communications segment provides optical fibers and cables; and hardware and equipment products, such as cable assemblies, fiber optic hardware and connectors, optical components and couplers, closures, network interface devices, and other accessories for the telecommunications industry, businesses, governments, and individuals. The company's Specialty Materials segment manufactures products that offer material formulations for glass, glass ceramics, crystals, precision metrology instruments, and software, as well as glass wafers and substrates, tinted sunglasses, and radiation shielding products for various markets comprising mobile consumer electronics, semiconductor equipment optics and consumables, aerospace and defense optics, radiation shielding products, sunglasses, and telecommunications components. Its Environmental Technologies segment provides ceramic substrates and filter products for emissions control in mobile, gasoline, and diesel applications. The company's Life Sciences segment offers laboratory products, including consumables, such as plastic vessels, liquid handling plastics, specialty surfaces, cell culture media, and serum, as well as general labware, and glassware and equipment under the Corning, Pyrex, Falcon, and Axygen brands. The company was formerly known as Corning Glass Works and changed its name to Corning Incorporated in April 1989. Corning Incorporated was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Corning, New York.

About ClearOne

ClearOne, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, and sells conferencing, collaboration, and network streaming solutions for voice and visual communications in the United States and internationally. The company offers a range of audio conferencing products, including professional audio conferencing and sound-reinforcement products for use in enterprise, healthcare, education and distance learning, government, legal, and finance organizations; mid-tier premium conferencing products for smaller rooms, and small and medium businesses, which interface with video and Web conferencing systems; USB-based personal and group speakerphones that could be used with PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other portable devices; and traditional tabletop conferencing phones used in conference rooms and offices. It provides professional microphones consisting of beamforming microphones, ceiling microphones, and wireless microphones. In addition, the company offers video products, such as video conferencing and collaboration solutions; professional-grade cameras; and AV networking, which deliver the IP A/V experience by streaming time sensitive high definition audio and video, and control over TCP/IP networks. It sells its commercial products to a network of independent professional audiovisual, information technology, and telecommunications distributors, as well as systems integrators, dealers, value-added resellers, and end-users. ClearOne, Inc. was incorporated in 1983 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.