Analyzing Willdan Group (NASDAQ:WLDN) and Able View Global (NASDAQ:ABLV)

Willdan Group (NASDAQ:WLDN) and Able View Global (NASDAQ:ABLV) are both small-cap business services companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, valuation, risk, dividends, profitability and analyst recommendations.

Volatility and Risk

Willdan Group has a beta of 1.12, suggesting that its share price is 12% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Able View Global has a beta of 1.48, suggesting that its share price is 48% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

72.3% of Willdan Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 78.5% of Able View Global shares are owned by institutional investors. 8.6% of Willdan Group shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Willdan Group and Able View Global, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Willdan Group	0	1	3	0	2.75
Able View Global	1	0	0	0	1.00

Willdan Group currently has a consensus target price of $124.33, indicating a potential upside of 53.82%. Given Willdan Group’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Willdan Group is more favorable than Able View Global.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Willdan Group and Able View Global”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Willdan Group	$681.55 million	1.75	$52.56 million	$3.48	23.23
Able View Global	$128.93 million	0.24	-$7.42 million	N/A	N/A

Willdan Group has higher revenue and earnings than Able View Global.

Profitability

This table compares Willdan Group and Able View Global’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Willdan Group	7.71%	23.34%	12.78%
Able View Global	N/A	N/A	N/A

Summary

Willdan Group beats Able View Global on 10 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Willdan Group

Willdan Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides professional, technical, and consulting services primarily in the United States. It operates in two segments, Energy, and Engineering and Consulting. The Energy segment offers comprehensive audit and surveys, program design and implementation, master planning, demand reduction, grid optimization, benchmarking analyses, design engineering, construction management, performance contracting, installation, alternative financing, measurement and verification services, and software and data analytics, as well as energy consulting and engineering, turnkey facility and infrastructure projects, and customer support services. The Engineering and Consulting segment provides building and safety, city engineering and code enforcement, development plan review and inspection, disaster recovery, geotechnical and earthquake engineering, planning and surveying, contract staff support, program and construction management, structural engineering, transportation and traffic engineering, and water resources services. This segment also offers district administration, financial consulting, and federal compliance services. It serves public and governmental agencies, including cities, counties, redevelopment agencies, water districts, school districts, and universities; investor and municipal owned energy utilities; state and federal agencies; and commercial and industrial firms, as well as various other special districts and agencies. The company was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in Anaheim, California.

About Able View Global

Able View Global Inc. operates as brand management partners of beauty and personal care brands in China. Its brand management services encompass various segments of the brand management value chain, including strategy, branding, digital and social marketing, omni-channel sales, customer services, overseas logistics, and warehouse and fulfilment. The company was incorporated in 2021 and is based in Shanghai, China.