Head to Head Comparison: Esprit (OTCMKTS:ESPGY) & Shoe Carnival (NASDAQ:SCVL)

Esprit (OTCMKTS:ESPGY) and Shoe Carnival (NASDAQ:SCVL) are both small-cap retail/wholesale companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability, earnings, analyst recommendations and risk.

Volatility and Risk

Esprit has a beta of 0.34, indicating that its share price is 66% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Shoe Carnival has a beta of 1.35, indicating that its share price is 35% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Esprit and Shoe Carnival”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Esprit	$5.38 million	2.09	-$157.30 million	N/A	N/A
Shoe Carnival	$1.20 billion	0.50	$73.77 million	$2.27	9.75

Shoe Carnival has higher revenue and earnings than Esprit.

Profitability

This table compares Esprit and Shoe Carnival’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Esprit	N/A	N/A	N/A
Shoe Carnival	5.41%	9.65%	5.53%

Insider and Institutional Ownership

66.1% of Shoe Carnival shares are held by institutional investors. 35.5% of Shoe Carnival shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent recommendations for Esprit and Shoe Carnival, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Esprit	0	0	0	0	0.00
Shoe Carnival	1	1	0	0	1.50

Summary

Shoe Carnival beats Esprit on 9 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Esprit

Esprit Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, engages in retail and wholesale distribution, and licensing of fashion and non-apparel products. It operates through Europe; Asia; E-shop; and Corporate Services, Sourcing, Licensing and Others segments. The company offers apparel and accessories under the ESPRIT brand name through retail stores and e-commerce platforms. It is also involved in the sourcing, purchasing, distributing, and sale of merchandise; provision of financial and treasury services, as well as logistic services comprising customs dealing and quality control; design and image directions; and conceptualization and development of global uniform image businesses. Esprit Holdings Limited was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in North Point, Hong Kong.

About Shoe Carnival

Shoe Carnival, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a family footwear retailer in the United States. The company offers range of dress, casual, work, and athletic shoes, as well as sandals and boots for men, women, and children; and various accessories. The company also operates stores, and sells its products through online shopping at shoecarnival.com, as well as through mobile app. Shoe Carnival, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Evansville, Indiana.