Reviewing Western Copper & Gold (NYSE:WRN) and Quaterra Resources (OTCMKTS:QTRRF)

Western Copper & Gold (NYSE:WRN) and Quaterra Resources (OTCMKTS:QTRRF) are both small-cap basic materials companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends, earnings, institutional ownership and profitability.

Profitability

This table compares Western Copper & Gold and Quaterra Resources’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Western Copper & Gold	N/A	-3.53%	-3.45%
Quaterra Resources	N/A	-6.27%	-6.15%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Western Copper & Gold and Quaterra Resources, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Western Copper & Gold	0	0	1	1	3.50
Quaterra Resources	0	0	0	0	0.00

Western Copper & Gold currently has a consensus price target of $4.25, indicating a potential upside of 29.57%. Given Western Copper & Gold’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Western Copper & Gold is more favorable than Quaterra Resources.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

22.0% of Western Copper & Gold shares are owned by institutional investors. 4.6% of Western Copper & Gold shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Risk and Volatility

Western Copper & Gold has a beta of 1.08, indicating that its stock price is 8% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Quaterra Resources has a beta of 1.29, indicating that its stock price is 29% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Western Copper & Gold and Quaterra Resources”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Western Copper & Gold	N/A	N/A	-$2.47 million	($0.01)	-328.00
Quaterra Resources	N/A	N/A	-$980,000.00	N/A	N/A

Summary

Western Copper & Gold beats Quaterra Resources on 8 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Western Copper & Gold

Western Copper & Gold Corp. operates as an exploration stage company, which engages in the acquisition, exploration, and future development of mineral resource properties. It currently focuses on the development of the Casino Project. The company was founded on March 17, 2006 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

About Quaterra Resources

Quaterra Resources, Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties. It holds interest in the Groundhog and Quaterra’s Yerington Copper projects. The company was founded on May 11, 1993 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.