FutureFuel (NYSE:FF) vs. Blue Sphere (OTCMKTS:BLSP) Critical Survey

Blue Sphere (OTCMKTS:BLSP) and FutureFuel (NYSE:FF) are both energy companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, risk, institutional ownership, earnings, profitability, valuation and analyst recommendations.

Profitability

This table compares Blue Sphere and FutureFuel’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Blue Sphere	N/A	N/A	N/A
FutureFuel	-15.95%	-13.47%	-11.14%

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Blue Sphere and FutureFuel”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Blue Sphere	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
FutureFuel	$243.34 million	0.71	$15.50 million	($0.61)	-6.45

FutureFuel has higher revenue and earnings than Blue Sphere.

Volatility and Risk

Blue Sphere has a beta of -7.02, indicating that its stock price is 802% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, FutureFuel has a beta of 0.61, indicating that its stock price is 39% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

44.6% of FutureFuel shares are owned by institutional investors. 8.1% of Blue Sphere shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 42.4% of FutureFuel shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Blue Sphere and FutureFuel, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Blue Sphere	0	0	0	0	0.00
FutureFuel	1	0	0	0	1.00

Given Blue Sphere’s higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Blue Sphere is more favorable than FutureFuel.

Summary

FutureFuel beats Blue Sphere on 5 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Blue Sphere

Blue Sphere Corporation operates as a developer and independent power producer in the clean energy production and waste to energy markets. The company focuses on projects related to the acquisition, construction, and development of biogas facilities in the United States, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Israel. It also focuses on soil amendments, compost, and other by-products. The company was formerly known as Jin Jie Corp. and changed its name to Blue Sphere Corporation in February 2010. Blue Sphere Corporation was founded in 2007 and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

About FutureFuel

FutureFuel Corp., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells diversified chemical, bio-based fuel, and bio-based specialty chemical products in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Chemicals and Biofuels. The Chemicals segment provides various custom chemicals that are used in the coatings, chemical intermediates, industrial and consumer cleaning, oil and gas, and specialty polymers industries; and performance chemicals, such as polymer modifiers, glycerin products, and various specialty chemicals and solvents. The Biofuels segment is involved in the production and sale of biodiesel and petrodiesel blends; and markets its biodiesel products directly to customers through trucks, barges, and rail cars. FutureFuel Corp. is headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri.