Reviewing Tantech (NASDAQ:TANH) & Olin (NYSE:OLN)

Tantech (NASDAQ:TANH) and Olin (NYSE:OLN) are both basic materials companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares Tantech and Olin’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Tantech	N/A	N/A	N/A
Olin	-0.63%	-0.47%	-0.12%

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Tantech and Olin, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Tantech	1	0	0	0	1.00
Olin	3	11	2	1	2.06

Olin has a consensus target price of $22.86, suggesting a potential downside of 2.19%. Given Olin’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Olin is more favorable than Tantech.

Volatility and Risk

Tantech has a beta of 0.7, suggesting that its stock price is 30% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Olin has a beta of 1.64, suggesting that its stock price is 64% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Tantech and Olin”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Tantech	$42.94 million	0.00	-$3.24 million	N/A	N/A
Olin	$6.78 billion	0.39	-$42.80 million	($0.38)	-61.49

Tantech has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Olin.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

6.0% of Tantech shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 88.7% of Olin shares are held by institutional investors. 3.8% of Tantech shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 1.6% of Olin shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Olin beats Tantech on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Tantech

Tantech Holdings Ltd, together with its subsidiaries, develops and manufactures bamboo-based charcoal products for industrial energy, household cooking, heating, purification, agricultural, and cleaning applications in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Consumer Products, Electric Vehicles, and Biodegradable Packaging. It provides pressed and formed charcoal briquettes for use in grills, incense burners, and other applications under the Algold brand. The company also offers Charcoal Doctor branded products, such as air purifiers and humidifiers, automotive accessories for air purification, underfloor humidity control products, pillows and mattresses, wardrobe deodorizers, mouse pads and wrist mats, refrigerator deodorants, charcoal toilet cleaner disks, liquid charcoal cleaners, shoe insoles, and decorative charcoal gifts. In addition, it provides bamboo vinegar, a liquid byproduct for use in disinfectants, detergents, lotions, specialized soaps, toilet cleaners, and fertilizers, as well as in various agricultural applications; and trades in charcoal products. Further, the company develops and sells electric buses, electric logistics cars, and specialty electric vehicles, such as brushless cleaning cars, electric cleaning cars, special emergency vehicles, and funeral cars; and solar cells, lithium-ion batteries, auto parts, and electric control systems. It is also involved in the biodegradable packaging and supply chain businesses, as well as provides commercial factoring services. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Lishui, the People's Republic of China.

About Olin

Olin Corporation manufactures and distributes chemical products in the United States, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Canada. It operates through three segments: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls; Epoxy; and Winchester. The Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment offers chlorine and caustic soda, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride monomers, methyl chloride, methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, perchloroethylene, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen, bleach products, potassium hydroxide, and chlorinated organics intermediates and solvents. The Epoxy segment provides Allylics, such as allyl chloride, epichlorohydrin, and glycerin; aromatics, including acetone, bisphenol, cumene, and phenol; liquid and solid epoxy resins; and converted epoxy resins and additives. The Winchester segment offers sporting ammunition products, including shotshells, small caliber centerfire, and rimfire ammunition products for hunters and recreational shooters, and law enforcement agencies; small caliber military ammunition products for use in infantry and mounted weapons; and industrial products comprising gauge loads and powder-actuated tool loads for maintenance applications in power and concrete industries, and powder-actuated tools in construction industry. The company markets its products through its sales force, as well as directly to various industrial customers, mass merchants, retailers, wholesalers, gun clubs, other distributors, and the U.S. Government and its prime contractors. Olin Corporation was incorporated in 1892 and is based in Clayton, Missouri.