Head to Head Comparison: Westport Fuel Systems (NASDAQ:WPRT) and Dana (NYSE:DAN)

Westport Fuel Systems (NASDAQ:WPRT) and Dana (NYSE:DAN) are both auto/tires/trucks companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, risk, institutional ownership, valuation and profitability.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

21.3% of Westport Fuel Systems shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 96.8% of Dana shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.8% of Westport Fuel Systems shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.5% of Dana shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Westport Fuel Systems and Dana”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Westport Fuel Systems	$293.58 million	0.14	-$21.84 million	($2.93)	-0.79
Dana	$9.94 billion	0.26	-$57.00 million	($0.16)	-124.44

Westport Fuel Systems has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Dana. Dana is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Westport Fuel Systems, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares Westport Fuel Systems and Dana’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Westport Fuel Systems	-16.85%	-16.12%	-7.34%
Dana	-0.26%	5.65%	1.02%

Volatility and Risk

Westport Fuel Systems has a beta of 2.9, meaning that its stock price is 190% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Dana has a beta of 2.12, meaning that its stock price is 112% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Westport Fuel Systems and Dana, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Westport Fuel Systems	0	1	1	0	2.50
Dana	0	2	6	0	2.75

Westport Fuel Systems presently has a consensus target price of $6.93, indicating a potential upside of 198.85%. Dana has a consensus target price of $22.00, indicating a potential upside of 10.50%. Given Westport Fuel Systems’ higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe Westport Fuel Systems is more favorable than Dana.

Summary

Dana beats Westport Fuel Systems on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Westport Fuel Systems

Westport Fuel Systems Inc. engages in the engineering, manufacturing, and supplying alternative fuel systems and components for use in transportation applications in Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Original Equipment Manufacturers and Independent Aftermarket. It offers alternative fuel systems and components, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), renewable natural gas or biomethane, and hydrogen; and pressure regulators, injectors, electronic control units, valves and filters, complete bi-fuel, mono-fuel and dual-fuel LPG and natural gas conversion kits and high-pressure hydrogen components. The company provides Westport’s LNG high pressure direct injection 2.0 fuel system and bi-fuel products; offers turnkey solutions covering all process phases, including prototyping, development, calibration, validation, homologation, vehicle conversion and logistic services, as well as systems for diesel-powered vehicles; and supplies hydrogen fuel system components for light, medium, and heavy-duty applications. It offers its products under the AFS, BRC, Emer, GFI, HPDI, Stako, Prins, Zavoli, OMVL, TA Gas Technology, Vialle, and Valtek brands. The company was formerly known as Westport Innovations Inc. and changed its name to Westport Fuel Systems Inc. in June 2016. Westport Fuel Systems Inc. was incorporated in 1995 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

About Dana

Dana Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, provides power-conveyance and energy-management solutions for vehicles and machinery in North America, Europe, South America, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through four segments: Light Vehicle Drive Systems, Commercial Vehicle Drive and Motion Systems, Off-Highway Drive and Motion Systems, and Power Technologies. It offers drive systems, including axles, driveshafts, transmission, and wheel and track drives; motion systems, such as winches, slew drives, and hub drives; and electrodynamic technologies comprised of motors, inverters, software and control systems, battery-management systems, and fuel cell plates. The company also provides sealing solutions, such as gaskets, seals, cam covers, and oil pan modules; thermal-management technologies, including transmission and engine oil cooling, battery and electronics cooling, charge air cooling, and thermal-acoustical protective shielding; and digital solutions that include active and passive system controls, as well as descriptive and predictive analytics. It serves vehicle manufacturers in the global light vehicle, medium/heavy vehicle, and off-highway markets, as well as the stationary industrial market. The company was formerly known as Dana Holding Corporation and changed its name to Dana Incorporated in August 2016. Dana Incorporated was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Maumee, Ohio.