Head-To-Head Survey: Maui Land & Pineapple (NYSE:MLP) versus American Realty Investors (NYSE:ARL)

Maui Land & Pineapple (NYSE:MLP) and American Realty Investors (NYSE:ARL) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends, institutional ownership and profitability.

Volatility and Risk

Maui Land & Pineapple has a beta of 0.75, indicating that its stock price is 25% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, American Realty Investors has a beta of 0.8, indicating that its stock price is 20% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Maui Land & Pineapple and American Realty Investors”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Maui Land & Pineapple	$18.34 million	17.06	-$7.39 million	($0.59)	-26.86
American Realty Investors	$49.04 million	5.18	-$14.70 million	$0.36	43.72

Maui Land & Pineapple has higher earnings, but lower revenue than American Realty Investors. Maui Land & Pineapple is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than American Realty Investors, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares Maui Land & Pineapple and American Realty Investors’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Maui Land & Pineapple	-81.82%	-45.87%	-29.17%
American Realty Investors	-24.74%	-1.86%	-1.42%

Insider and Institutional Ownership

24.5% of Maui Land & Pineapple shares are held by institutional investors. 65.9% of Maui Land & Pineapple shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 90.8% of American Realty Investors shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Maui Land & Pineapple and American Realty Investors, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Maui Land & Pineapple	1	0	0	0	1.00
American Realty Investors	0	1	0	0	2.00

Summary

American Realty Investors beats Maui Land & Pineapple on 9 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Maui Land & Pineapple

Maui Land & Pineapple Co., Inc. is a landholding and operating company, which engages in the development, sale, and management of real estate. It operates through the following segments: Real Estate, Leasing, and Resort Amenities. The Real Estate segment includes land planning and entitlement, development, and sales activities. The Leasing segment consists of residential, resort, commercial, agricultural and industrial land and property leases, licensing of registered trademarks and trade names, and stewardship and conservation efforts. The Resort Amenities segment manages a full-service spa, a beach club, and a private club membership program. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Maui, HI.

About American Realty Investors

American Realty Investors, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, acquires, develops, owns, and manages multifamily and commercial real estate properties in the Southern United States. It operates through two segments, Residential and Commercial. The company leases apartment units to residents; and office, industrial, and retail space to various for-profit businesses, as well as local, state, and federal agencies. It also offers tenant services, including parking and storage space rental; and sells land and properties. The company was incorporated in 1999 and is based in Dallas, Texas. American Realty Investors, Inc. is a subsidiary of Realty Advisors, Inc.