Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) & Ascent Industries (NASDAQ:ACNT) Head-To-Head Analysis

Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) and Ascent Industries (NASDAQ:ACNT) are both industrials companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, risk, valuation, institutional ownership, dividends and analyst recommendations.

Volatility & Risk

Middleby has a beta of 1.39, indicating that its share price is 39% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Ascent Industries has a beta of 0.45, indicating that its share price is 55% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

98.6% of Middleby shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 26.1% of Ascent Industries shares are held by institutional investors. 6.2% of Middleby shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 9.3% of Ascent Industries shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Middleby and Ascent Industries’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Middleby	-5.22%	14.66%	7.20%
Ascent Industries	0.85%	-1.63%	-1.09%

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Middleby and Ascent Industries”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Middleby	$3.88 billion	2.02	$428.43 million	($4.40)	-35.37
Ascent Industries	$177.87 million	0.86	-$13.60 million	$0.12	135.42

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

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Middleby and Ascent Industries, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Middleby	1	1	5	1	2.75
Ascent Industries	1	0	0	0	1.00

Middleby presently has a consensus target price of $161.33, indicating a potential upside of 3.67%. Given Middleby’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Middleby is more favorable than Ascent Industries.

Summary

Middleby beats Ascent Industries on 11 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Middleby

The Middleby Corporation designs, markets, manufactures, distributes, and services foodservice, food processing, and residential kitchen equipment worldwide. Its Commercial Foodservice Equipment Group segment offers conveyor, combi, convection, baking, proofing, deck, speed cooking, and hydrovection ovens; ranges, fryers, and rethermalizers; steam cooking, food warming, catering, induction cooking, and countertop cooking equipment; heated cabinets, charbroilers, ventless cooking systems, kitchen ventilation, toasters, griddles, charcoal grills, professional mixers, stainless steel fabrication, custom millwork, professional refrigerators, blast chillers, cold rooms, ice machines, and freezers; soft serve ice cream, coffee and beverage dispensing, home and professional craft brewing equipment; and fry dispensers, bottle filling and canning equipment, IoT solutions, and controls development and manufacturing. The company's Food Processing Equipment Group segment provides batch, baking, proofing, conveyor belt, and continuous processing ovens; frying and automated thermal processing systems; tumblers, massagers, grinders, slicers, reduction and emulsion systems, mixers, and blenders; battering, breading, and seeding equipment; water cutting systems, food presses, food suspension equipment, filling and depositing solutions, and forming equipment; and automated washing systems, auto-guided vehicles, food safety, food handling, freezing, and defrosting and packaging equipment. Its Residential Kitchen Equipment Group segment offers kitchen equipment comprising cookers, stoves, cooktops, microwaves, ovens, refrigerators, dishwashers, undercounter refrigeration, wine cellars, ice machines, beer dispensers, mixers, rotisseries, and ventilation and outdoor cooking equipment. The company was formerly known as Middleby Marshall Oven Company and changed its name to The Middleby Corporation in 1985. The company was founded in 1888 and is based in Elgin, Illinois.

About Ascent Industries

Ascent Industries Co. an industrials company, produces and distributes stainless steel pipe and tube and specialty chemicals in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Tubular Products and Specialty Chemicals. It manufactures welded pipes and tubes, primarily from stainless steel, duplex, and nickel alloys; and ornamental stainless steel tubes for automotive, commercial transportation, marine, food services, construction, furniture, healthcare, and other industries. The company also produces defoamers, surfactants, and lubricating agents for end users, including companies that supply agrochemical paper, metal working, coatings, water treatment, paint, mining, oil and gas, and janitorial and other applications. In addition, it provides contract manufacturing services, as well as operates as a multi-purpose plant to process various difficult to handle materials, including flammable solvents, viscous liquids, and granular solids. The company was formerly known as Synalloy Corporation and changed its name to Ascent Industries Co. in August 2022. Ascent Industries Co. was founded in 1945 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.