Critical Comparison: Viking (NYSE:VIK) & Marcus (NYSE:MCS)

Viking (NYSE:VIK) and Marcus (NYSE:MCS) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings and risk.

Profitability

This table compares Viking and Marcus’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Viking	15.53%	716.92%	9.82%
Marcus	1.02%	1.71%	0.76%

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Viking and Marcus”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Viking	$5.33 billion	5.94	$152.33 million	$2.14	33.41
Marcus	$735.56 million	0.65	-$7.79 million	$0.24	64.71

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

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations for Viking and Marcus, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Viking	1	5	11	0	2.59
Marcus	0	2	3	1	2.83

Viking presently has a consensus target price of $66.00, suggesting a potential downside of 7.68%. Marcus has a consensus target price of $23.75, suggesting a potential upside of 52.93%. Given Marcus’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Marcus is more favorable than Viking.

Volatility & Risk

Viking has a beta of 2.07, suggesting that its stock price is 107% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Marcus has a beta of 0.55, suggesting that its stock price is 45% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

98.8% of Viking shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 81.6% of Marcus shares are owned by institutional investors. 5.0% of Marcus shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Viking beats Marcus on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Viking

Viking Holdings Ltd engages in the passenger shipping and other forms of passenger transport in North America, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through River and Ocean segments. The company also operates as a tour entrepreneur for passengers and related activities in tourism. As of December 31, 2023, it operated a fleet of 92 ships, including 81 river vessels comprising 58 Longships, 10 smaller classes based on the Longship design, 11 other river vessels, and 1 river vessel charter and the Viking Mississippi; 9 ocean ships; and 2 expedition ships. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Pembroke, Bermuda.

About Marcus

The Marcus Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates movie theatres, and hotels and resorts in the United States. It operates a family entertainment center and multiscreen motion picture theatres under the Big Screen Bistro, Big Screen Bistro Express, BistroPlex, and Movie Tavern by Marcus brand names. The company also owns and operates full-service hotels and resorts, as well as manages full-service hotels, resorts, and other properties. In addition, it provides hospitality management services, including check-in, housekeeping, and maintenance for a vacation ownership development; and manages condominium hotels under long-term management contracts. The Marcus Corporation was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.