Head to Head Analysis: Alta Equipment Group (NYSE:ALTG) vs. Ascent Industries (NASDAQ:ACNT)

Ascent Industries (NASDAQ:ACNT) and Alta Equipment Group (NYSE:ALTG) are both small-cap industrials companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership and risk.

Profitability

This table compares Ascent Industries and Alta Equipment Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Ascent Industries	1.06%	-2.89%	-2.02%
Alta Equipment Group	-4.37%	-341.70%	-5.63%

Volatility & Risk

Ascent Industries has a beta of 0.43, indicating that its share price is 57% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Alta Equipment Group has a beta of 1.54, indicating that its share price is 54% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

26.1% of Ascent Industries shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 73.6% of Alta Equipment Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 9.3% of Ascent Industries shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 19.9% of Alta Equipment Group shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation & Earnings

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

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Ascent Industries	$74.94 million	1.63	$870,000.00	$0.11	117.09
Alta Equipment Group	$1.84 billion	0.09	-$80.30 million	($2.56)	-2.01

Ascent Industries has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Alta Equipment Group. Alta Equipment Group 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 summary of recent ratings for Ascent Industries and Alta Equipment Group, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Ascent Industries	0	1	0	0	2.00
Alta Equipment Group	1	2	2	0	2.20

Alta Equipment Group has a consensus price target of $12.17, suggesting a potential upside of 136.38%. Given Alta Equipment Group’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Alta Equipment Group is more favorable than Ascent Industries.

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.

About Alta Equipment Group

Alta Equipment Group Inc. owns and operates integrated equipment dealership platforms in the United States. It operates through three segments: Material Handling, Construction Equipment, and Master Distribution. The company operates a branch network that sells, rents, and provides parts and service support for various categories of specialized equipment, including lift trucks and other material handling equipment, heavy and compact earthmoving equipment, crushing and screening equipment, environmental processing equipment, cranes and aerial work platforms, paving and asphalt equipment, and other construction equipment and related products. It also offers repair and maintenance services for its equipment. In addition, the company designs and builds warehouses; provides automated equipment installation and system integration solutions; and distributes environmental processing equipment. It serves various manufacturing, food and beverage, automotive, municipal/government, education, pharmaceutical and medical, wholesale and retail distribution, construction, agriculture, road building, mining, recycling, and waste management sectors. Alta Equipment Group Inc. was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Livonia, Michigan.