Liquidmetal Technologies (OTCMKTS:LQMT) vs. Mueller Industries (NYSE:MLI) Financial Contrast

Liquidmetal Technologies (OTCMKTS:LQMT) and Mueller Industries (NYSE:MLI) are both industrials companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, earnings, dividends, valuation and profitability.

Risk and Volatility

Liquidmetal Technologies has a beta of 0.56, suggesting that its share price is 44% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Mueller Industries has a beta of 1.02, suggesting that its share price is 2% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Liquidmetal Technologies and Mueller Industries’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Liquidmetal Technologies	-199.61%	-7.00%	-6.70%
Mueller Industries	17.48%	24.47%	20.63%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

0.1% of Liquidmetal Technologies shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 94.5% of Mueller Industries shares are owned by institutional investors. 45.4% of Liquidmetal Technologies shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.7% of Mueller Industries shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Liquidmetal Technologies and Mueller Industries”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Liquidmetal Technologies	$860,000.00	163.08	-$1.51 million	N/A	N/A
Mueller Industries	$4.06 billion	2.50	$604.88 million	$6.30	14.53

Mueller Industries has higher revenue and earnings than Liquidmetal Technologies.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Liquidmetal Technologies and Mueller Industries, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Liquidmetal Technologies	0	0	0	0	0.00
Mueller Industries	0	0	1	0	3.00

Mueller Industries has a consensus price target of $105.00, suggesting a potential upside of 14.74%. Given Mueller Industries’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Mueller Industries is more favorable than Liquidmetal Technologies.

Summary

Mueller Industries beats Liquidmetal Technologies on 10 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Liquidmetal Technologies

Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc., a materials technology company, designs, develops, and sells custom products and parts from bulk amorphous alloys to various industries in the United States and internationally. The company provides bulk amorphous alloy custom products and parts for applications, which include non-consumer electronic devices, medical products, automotive components, and sports and leisure goods. It offers tooling and prototype parts, such as demonstration parts and test samples for customers with products in development; and engages in product licensing activities. In addition, the company partners with third-party manufacturers and licensees to develop and commercialize liquid metal alloy products. The company was incorporated in 1987 and is based in Lake Forest, California.

About Mueller Industries

Mueller Industries, Inc. manufactures and sells copper, brass, aluminum, and plastic products in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, South Korea, the Middle East, China, and Mexico. It operates through three segments: Piping Systems, Industrial Metals, and Climate. The Piping Systems segment offers copper tubes, fittings, line sets, and pipe nipples. It also resells steel pipes, brass and plastic plumbing valves, malleable iron fittings and faucets, and plumbing specialties; and supplies water tubes. This segment sells its products to wholesalers in the plumbing and refrigeration markets, distributors to the manufactured housing and recreational vehicle industries, building material retailers, and air-conditioning original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The Industrial Metals segment manufactures brass, bronze, and copper alloy rods; plumbing brass, valves, fittings, and gas assemblies; cold-form aluminum and copper products; machining of aluminum, steel, brass, and cast iron impacts and castings; brass and aluminum forgings; brass, aluminum, and stainless-steel valves; fluid control solutions; and gas train assembles to OEMs in the industrial, construction, HVAC, plumbing, and refrigeration markets. The Climate segment offers valves, protection devices, and brass fittings for various OEMs in the commercial HVAC and refrigeration markets; high-pressure components and accessories for the air-conditioning and refrigeration markets; coaxial heat exchangers and twisted tubes for the HVAC, geothermal, refrigeration, swimming pool heat pump, marine, ice machine, commercial boiler, and heat reclamation markets; and insulated HVAC flexible duct systems. Mueller Industries, Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Collierville, Tennessee.