Comparing Village Farms International (NASDAQ:VFF) and Lion (OTCMKTS:LIOPF)

Lion (OTCMKTS:LIOPF) and Village Farms International (NASDAQ:VFF) are both consumer staples companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, dividends, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

Volatility & Risk

Lion has a beta of 0.34, indicating that its stock price is 66% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Village Farms International has a beta of 1.26, indicating that its stock price is 26% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Lion and Village Farms International’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Lion	7.05%	9.21%	6.14%
Village Farms International	7.47%	1.98%	1.35%

Institutional and Insider Ownership

12.2% of Village Farms International shares are held by institutional investors. 12.6% of Village Farms International shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for Lion and Village Farms International, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Lion	0	0	0	0	0.00
Village Farms International	0	1	2	1	3.00

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Lion and Village Farms International”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Lion	$2.73 billion	1.06	$139.90 million	$0.71	14.79
Village Farms International	$336.18 million	1.27	-$35.85 million	$0.18	20.50

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

Summary

Village Farms International beats Lion on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Lion

Lion Corporation manufactures and sells consumer and industrial products in Japan and internationally. It operates through three segments: Consumer Products Business, Industrial Products Business, and Overseas Business. The company provides dental and oral care products, including toothpastes, toothbrushes, dental floss, dental rinses, mouthwashes, periodontitis ointments, and denture products; body care products, such as shampoos and conditioners, hand soaps, sanitizers, wet wipes, body washes, skin and acne care products, antiperspirants and deodorants, hair-nourishment treatments, men's care and toiletries products, and foot care products. It offers antipyretic analgesics, eye drops and eye care products, cold medicines, gargles, cold relief products, topical anti-inflammatory analgesics, antidiarrheal and gastrointestinal medicines, health tonic drinks and vitamin supplements, acne and anti-drowsiness medicines, and dermatologic agents. In addition, the company offers fabric care products, such as laundry detergent, delicate detergent, prewash treatment, stain remover, bleach, and fabric softener; clothing care products; household cleaners; kitchen cleanup products comprises dishwashing detergents and antibacterial and deodorizing products; and food preparation products. Further, it provides health and beauty food products consisting of supplements and health tonic drinks; specialty chemicals, and chemical products, include rubber processing and additive agents, mandrel release agents, fatty acid methyl esters, plant-based electrical insulating oils, concrete admixtures, surfactants, and cosmetics ingredients, as well as electro-conductive carbon black and pressure-sensitive adhesives; pet supplies; and gift and special-order products. The company was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

About Village Farms International

Village Farms International, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, produces, markets, and sells greenhouse-grown tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers in North America. It operates through four segments: Produce, Cannabis-Canada, Cannabis-U.S., and Energy. The company also produces and supplies cannabis products to other licensed providers and provincial governments in Canada and internationally; develops and sells cannabinoid-based health and wellness products, including ingestible, edibles, and topical applications; and produces power. It markets and distributes its products under the Village Farms brand name to retail supermarkets and fresh food distribution companies, as well as products produced under exclusive and non-exclusive arrangements from greenhouse supply partners. The company was formerly known as Village Farms Canada Inc. and changed its name to Village Farms International, Inc. in December 2009. Village Farms International, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Delta, Canada.