Critical Contrast: Monotaro (OTCMKTS:MONOY) versus CUR Media (OTCMKTS:CURM)

Monotaro (OTCMKTS:MONOY) and CUR Media (OTCMKTS:CURM) are both retail/wholesale companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, institutional ownership, profitability and earnings.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings for Monotaro and CUR Media, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Monotaro	0	2	0	0	2.00
CUR Media	0	0	0	0	0.00

Given CUR Media’s higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe CUR Media is more favorable than Monotaro.

Profitability

This table compares Monotaro and CUR Media’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Monotaro	9.72%	28.03%	19.08%
CUR Media	N/A	N/A	N/A

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Monotaro and CUR Media”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Monotaro	$2.23 billion	2.65	$217.31 million	$0.44	26.80
CUR Media	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Monotaro has higher revenue and earnings than CUR Media.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

0.1% of Monotaro shares are held by institutional investors. 24.9% of CUR Media shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Monotaro beats CUR Media on 6 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Monotaro

MonotaRO Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, operates an online MRO products store in Japan and internationally. The company offers safety protective equipment, work clothes, and safety shoes; logistics, storage, and packing supplies; tapes; safety, disaster prevention, and crime prevention products; safety signs; ship and fishing supplies; office supplies; office furniture/lighting/cleaning supplies; cutting tools and abrasives; measurement and surveying equipment; hand tools/electric and pneumatic tools; sprays, oils, greases, and paints; adhesives and repair materials; welding supplies; and piping and water related components/pumps/pneumatic and hydraulic equipment/hoses. It also provides mechanical parts; control equipment; soldering and anti-static products; architectural hardware, building materials, painting, and interior supplies; air conditioning and electrical equipment; electrical materials; screws, bolts, nails, and materials; automotive supplies; truck supplies; motorcycle supplies; bicycle supplies; scientific research and development supplies; clean room supplies; kitchen equipment and store supplies; agricultural and gardening supplies; and medical and nursing supplies. It serves factories, construction, automobile maintenance, and other industries. The company was formerly known as Sumisho Grainger Co., Ltd. and changed its name to MonotaRO Co., Ltd. in February 2006. The company was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Osaka, Japan. MonotaRO Co., Ltd. operates as a subsidiary of Grainger Global Holdings, Inc.

About CUR Media

CÃR Media, Inc., an Internet music service, focuses on providing a paid subscription Internet radio service offering listeners streaming music on the Web and mobile devices under the CÃR brand. It also intends to offer personalized advertising in the form of display ads, email, and text messages; and to sell music, concert tickets, and merchandise through its music streaming service, as well as music downloads. The company was formerly known as Duane Street Corp and changed its name to CÃR Media, Inc. in January 2014. CÃR Media, Inc. was founded in 2008 and is based in Glastonbury, Connecticut.