Ashtead Group (OTCMKTS:ASHTY) vs. Kion Group (OTCMKTS:KIGRY) Critical Contrast

Ashtead Group (OTCMKTS:ASHTY) and Kion Group (OTCMKTS:KIGRY) are both industrials companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, profitability, dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings and risk.

Profitability

This table compares Ashtead Group and Kion Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Ashtead Group	14.28%	21.32%	7.31%
Kion Group	2.08%	3.89%	1.27%

Volatility and Risk

Ashtead Group has a beta of 1.71, suggesting that its share price is 71% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Kion Group has a beta of 1.98, suggesting that its share price is 98% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Ashtead Group and Kion Group”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Ashtead Group	$10.79 billion	2.87	$1.51 billion	$13.83	21.04
Kion Group	$12.45 billion	0.73	$389.88 million	$0.48	36.04

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

Dividends

Ashtead Group pays an annual dividend of $5.62 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.9%. Kion Group pays an annual dividend of $0.14 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.8%. Ashtead Group pays out 40.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Kion Group pays out 29.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

0.8% of Ashtead Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings for Ashtead Group and Kion Group, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Ashtead Group	0	2	1	1	2.75
Kion Group	0	0	1	3	3.75

Summary

Ashtead Group beats Kion Group on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Ashtead Group

Ashtead Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the construction, industrial, and general equipment rental business in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It provides pumps, power generation, heating, cooling, scaffolding, traffic management, temporary flooring, trench shoring, and lifting services. The company offers its products and services for facilities maintenance and municipalities, such as office complexes, apartment complexes, government, hospitals, data centers, parks and recreation departments, schools and universities, shopping centers, pavement/kerb repairs, and golf course maintenance; construction of airports, highways and bridges, office buildings, data centers, schools and universities, shopping centers, residential, remodeling, manufacturing plants, and green energy plants; emergency response for fire, hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes, winter, storms, residential and health emergencies, alternative care facilities, points of distribution, and mobile testing facilities; and entertainment and special events, including national events, concerts, sporting events, film and telvision production, theme parks, festivals farmers' markets, local 5k runs, and cycle races. It operates 1,094 stores in the United States, 119 stores in Canada, and 185 stores in the United Kingdom under the Sunbelt Rentals brand. The company was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

About Kion Group

KION GROUP AG provides industrial trucks and supply chain solutions worldwide. The company operates in Industrial Trucks & Services and Supply Chain Solutions segments. It offers forklift trucks, counterbalance trucks with electric drive and internal combustion engine, ride-on and hand-operated warehouse trucks, automated guided vehicle systems (AGVs), and towing vehicles under the Linde, STILL, Baoli, Fenwick, and OM brands. The company also manufactures and sells spare parts; leases and rents industrial trucks and related items; and offers maintenance and repair, and fleet management services, as well as provides finance solutions. In addition, it provides integrated technology and software solutions, including automated guided vehicle systems, palletizers, storage and picking equipment, automated storage and retrieval systems, sorters, and conveyors under the Dematic brand. The company was formerly known as KION Holding 1 GmbH. KION GROUP AG was founded in 2006 and is based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.