Head-To-Head Comparison: Canadian Solar (NASDAQ:CSIQ) & Vivopower International (NASDAQ:VVPR)

Canadian Solar (NASDAQ:CSIQ) and Vivopower International (NASDAQ:VVPR) are both small-cap energy companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation, profitability, risk and dividends.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Canadian Solar and Vivopower International”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Canadian Solar	$5.99 billion	0.17	$36.05 million	($0.60)	-25.17
Vivopower International	$20,000.00	2,780.25	-$46.70 million	N/A	N/A

Canadian Solar has higher revenue and earnings than Vivopower International.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Canadian Solar and Vivopower International, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Canadian Solar	3	4	3	0	2.00
Vivopower International	1	0	0	0	1.00

Canadian Solar currently has a consensus price target of $11.64, suggesting a potential downside of 22.89%. Given Canadian Solar’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Canadian Solar is more favorable than Vivopower International.

Volatility and Risk

Canadian Solar has a beta of 1.28, indicating that its share price is 28% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Vivopower International has a beta of -1.07, indicating that its share price is 207% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Canadian Solar and Vivopower International’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Canadian Solar	-0.12%	-4.97%	-1.40%
Vivopower International	N/A	N/A	N/A

Insider and Institutional Ownership

52.4% of Canadian Solar shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 15.8% of Vivopower International shares are held by institutional investors. 21.5% of Canadian Solar shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 9.1% of Vivopower International shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Canadian Solar beats Vivopower International on 8 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Canadian Solar

Canadian Solar Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides solar energy and battery energy storage products and solutions in in Asia, the Americas, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, CSI Solar and Recurrent Energy. The CSI Solar segment designs, develops, and manufactures solar ingots, wafers, cells, modules, and other solar power and battery storage products. It offers standard solar modules and battery storage solutions; solar system kits, such as inverters, racking systems, and other accessories; power electronic products; and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services, as well as operates battery energy storage projects. The Recurrent Energy segment engages in the development, construction, maintenance, and sale of solar power and battery storage projects; and operation of solar power plants; and sale of electricity. This segment provides operation and maintenance (O&M) services, including monitoring, inspections, repair, and replacement of plant equipment; and site management and administrative support services for solar projects, as well as asset management services. It has a fleet of solar and battery energy storage plants in operation with an aggregate capacity of approximately 1,005 MWp and 600 MWh. It serves distributors, system integrators, project developers, and installers/EPC companies, as well as utility companies or grid operators, public utilities, licensed suppliers, corporate offtakers, and commercial, industrial or government end users. It sells its products primarily under its Canadian Solar brand name. Canadian Solar Inc. was incorporated in 2001 and is based in Guelph, Canada.

About Vivopower International

VivoPower International PLC, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a sustainable energy solutions company in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates. It operates through Critical Power Services, Electric Vehicles, Sustainable Energy Solutions, and Solar Development segments. The Critical Power Services segment offers energy infrastructure generation and distribution solutions, including the design, supply, installation, and maintenance of power and control systems to a range of government, commercial, and industrial customers. The Electric Vehicles segment designs and builds electric battery conversion kits to replace internal combustion engines for customers in the mining, infrastructure, utilities, and government services sectors. The Sustainable Energy Solutions segment engages in the design, evaluation, sale, and implementation of renewable energy infrastructure. The Solar Development segment comprises solar projects. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.