Critical Survey: Luminar Technologies (NASDAQ:LAZR) vs. Halfords Group (OTCMKTS:HLFDY)

Halfords Group (OTCMKTS:HLFDY) and Luminar Technologies (NASDAQ:LAZR) are both small-cap auto/tires/trucks companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, institutional ownership, earnings and valuation.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

31.0% of Luminar Technologies shares are held by institutional investors. 11.2% of Luminar Technologies shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Halfords Group and Luminar Technologies’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Halfords Group	N/A	N/A	N/A
Luminar Technologies	-160.33%	N/A	-91.91%

Risk & Volatility

Halfords Group has a beta of 0.94, meaning that its stock price is 6% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Luminar Technologies has a beta of 2.05, meaning that its stock price is 105% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Halfords Group and Luminar Technologies”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Halfords Group	$2.19 billion	0.19	-$42.87 million	N/A	N/A
Luminar Technologies	$75.39 million	1.84	-$273.14 million	($2.80)	-0.72

Halfords Group has higher revenue and earnings than Luminar Technologies.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Halfords Group and Luminar Technologies, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Halfords Group	0	0	0	0	0.00
Luminar Technologies	2	2	0	0	1.50

Luminar Technologies has a consensus target price of $8.50, indicating a potential upside of 320.79%. Given Luminar Technologies’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Luminar Technologies is more favorable than Halfords Group.

Summary

Luminar Technologies beats Halfords Group on 6 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Halfords Group

Halfords Group plc, through its subsidiaries, provides motoring and cycling products and services in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The company operates through two segments, Retail and Car Servicing. The Retail segment is involved in the retail of automotive, leisure, cycling products and accessories, auto parts, and accessories through its stores and online. The Car Servicing segment provides car servicing and repair services from garages and mobile vans. The company also provides software as a service. Halfords Group plc was founded in 1892 and is based in Redditch, the United Kingdom.

About Luminar Technologies

Luminar Technologies, Inc., an automotive technology company, provides sensor technologies and software for passenger cars and commercial trucks in North America, the Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. It operates in two segments, Autonomy Solutions and Advanced Technologies and Services. The Autonomy Solutions segment designs, manufactures, and sells laser imaging, detection, and ranging sensors or lidars, as well as related perception and autonomy software solutions primarily for original equipment manufacturers in the automobile, commercial vehicle, robo-taxi, and adjacent industries. The Advanced Technologies and Services segment develops application-specific integrated circuits, pixel-based sensors, and advanced lasers. This segment also designs, tests, and provides consulting services for non-standard integrated circuits for use in automobile and aeronautics sector, as well as government spending in military and defense activities. The company was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.