Avient (NYSE:AVNT) vs. Compass Minerals International (NYSE:CMP) Head to Head Analysis

Compass Minerals International (NYSE:CMP) and Avient (NYSE:AVNT) are both basic materials companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership and risk.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Compass Minerals International and Avient”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Compass Minerals International	$1.24 billion	0.66	-$79.80 million	($1.92)	-10.22
Avient	$3.24 billion	0.88	$169.50 million	$1.23	25.24

Avient has higher revenue and earnings than Compass Minerals International. Compass Minerals International is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Avient, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares Compass Minerals International and Avient’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Compass Minerals International	-6.42%	-8.22%	-1.28%
Avient	3.49%	10.75%	4.25%

Institutional & Insider Ownership

99.8% of Compass Minerals International shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 95.5% of Avient shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.5% of Compass Minerals International shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.9% of Avient shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings for Compass Minerals International and Avient, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Compass Minerals International	2	2	1	0	1.80
Avient	0	5	4	1	2.60

Compass Minerals International presently has a consensus price target of $20.60, suggesting a potential upside of 4.97%. Avient has a consensus price target of $42.50, suggesting a potential upside of 36.92%. Given Avient’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Avient is more favorable than Compass Minerals International.

Volatility & Risk

Compass Minerals International has a beta of 1.16, indicating that its share price is 16% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Avient has a beta of 1.46, indicating that its share price is 46% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Avient beats Compass Minerals International on 13 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Compass Minerals International

Compass Minerals International, Inc., provides essential minerals in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Salt and Plant Nutrition. The Salt segment produces, markets, and sells sodium chloride and magnesium chloride, including rock salt, mechanically and solar evaporated salt, and brine and flake magnesium chloride products; and purchases potassium chloride and calcium chloride to sell as finished products or to blend with sodium chloride to produce specialty products. This segment provides products for use as a deicer for roadways, consumer, and professional use; as an ingredient in chemical production; for water treatment, human, and animal nutrition; and for various other consumer and industrial uses, as well as records management services. The Plant Nutrition segment produces sulfate of potash specialty fertilizers in various grades that are used in broadcast spreaders, direct application, and liquid fertilizer solutions under the Protassium+ brand name; turf products used by the turf and ornamental markets, as well as for blends used on golf course greens; organic products; and develops and produces a portfolio of magnesium chloride-based aerial and ground fire retardant products. This segment provides its products to distributors and retailers of crop inputs, as well as growers. The company was formerly known as Salt Holdings Corporation and changed its name to Compass Minerals International, Inc. in December 2003. Compass Minerals International, Inc. was founded in 1844 and is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas.

About Avient

Avient Corporation operates as a formulator of material solutions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America, and Asia. It operates in two segments, Color, Additives and Inks; and Specialty Engineered Materials. The Color, Additives and Inks segment offers custom color and additive concentrates in solid and liquid form for thermoplastics, dispersions for thermosets, and specialty inks; custom-formulated liquid system, such as polyester, vinyl, natural rubber and latex, polyurethane, and silicone; and proprietary inks. Its products are used in medical and pharmaceutical devices, food packaging, personal care and cosmetics, transportation, building products, wire and cable, recreational and athletic apparel, construction and filtration, outdoor furniture, healthcare, textiles and appliances, and industrial markets. The Specialty Engineered Materials segment provides specialty polymer formulations, services, and solutions for designers, assemblers, and processors of thermoplastic materials. It sells its products through direct sales personnel, distributors, and commissioned sales agents. The company was formerly known as PolyOne Corporation and changed its name to Avient Corporation in June 2020. Avient Corporation was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in Avon Lake, Ohio.