Analyzing Colruyt (OTCMKTS:CUYTY) and Alto Ingredients (NASDAQ:ALTO)

Alto Ingredients (NASDAQ:ALTO) and Colruyt (OTCMKTS:CUYTY) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares Alto Ingredients and Colruyt’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Alto Ingredients	-5.44%	-12.02%	-6.59%
Colruyt	N/A	N/A	N/A

Risk & Volatility

Alto Ingredients has a beta of 0.58, meaning that its share price is 42% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Colruyt has a beta of 0.95, meaning that its share price is 5% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

42.4% of Alto Ingredients shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.0% of Colruyt shares are held by institutional investors. 5.3% of Alto Ingredients shares are held 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 Ratings

This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Alto Ingredients and Colruyt, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Alto Ingredients	1	1	1	0	2.00
Colruyt	1	1	0	0	1.50

Alto Ingredients presently has a consensus target price of $5.50, indicating a potential upside of 141.23%. Given Alto Ingredients’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, research analysts plainly believe Alto Ingredients is more favorable than Colruyt.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Alto Ingredients and Colruyt”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Alto Ingredients	$922.31 million	0.19	-$58.98 million	($0.69)	-3.30
Colruyt	$11.77 billion	0.38	$362.36 million	N/A	N/A

Colruyt has higher revenue and earnings than Alto Ingredients.

Summary

Colruyt beats Alto Ingredients on 7 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Alto Ingredients

Alto Ingredients, Inc. produces, distributes, and markets specialty alcohols, renewable fuel, and essential ingredients in the United States. The company operates in three segments: Marketing and Distribution, Pekin Campus Production, and Western Production. It offers specialty alcohols used in mouthwash, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, hand sanitizers, disinfectants, and cleaners for health, home, and beauty markets; grain neutral spirits used in alcoholic beverages and vinegar, as well as corn germ used in corn oils in the food and beverage markets; alcohols and other products for paint applications and fertilizers in the industrial and agriculture markets; and essential ingredients include dried yeast, corn protein meal, corn protein feed, distiller's grains, and liquid feed for commercial animal feed and pet food applications, as well as yeast for human consumption. The company also provides fuel-grade ethanol used as transportation fuel and distillers corn oil used as a biodiesel feedstock, as well as fuel-grade ethanol produced by third parties. In addition, it offers transportation, storage, and delivery services through third-party service providers. The company sells ethanol to integrated oil companies and gasoline marketers; essential ingredient feed products to dairies and feedlots; and corn oil to poultry, renewable diesel, and biodiesel customers. It operates alcohol production facilities. The company was formerly known as Pacific Ethanol, Inc. and changed its name to Alto Ingredients, Inc. in January 2021. Alto Ingredients, Inc. was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Pekin, Illinois.

About Colruyt

Colruyt Group N.V., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the retail, wholesale, food service, and other activities in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Retail, Wholesale and Foodservice, and Other Activities. The company provides groceries, fresh products, dry products, and frozen and non-food products; and operates CNG, hydrogen filling, and charging stations. It also provides printing and document management solutions; and develops, constructs, operates, maintains, and finances wind energy projects. The company offers its products and services under the Bike Republic, Bio-Planet, Boni Selection, Collect&Go, Colruyt Group Academy, Colruyt Lowest Prices, Colruyt Prix Qualité, Cru, DATS 24, Dreambaby, Dreamland, Everyday, Graindor, Kangourou, Okay, Spar Colruyt Group, Xtra, Jims, Newpharma, The Fashion Society, Codifrance, Colex, Solucious, Spar For You, and Symeta Hybrid brands. It provides its products and services to wholesalers, commercial customers, and affiliated independent merchants, as well as schools, care homes, the hospitality sector, etc. The company was formerly known as Etn. Fr. Colruyt NV and changed its name to Colruyt Group N.V. in October 2023. The company was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in Halle, Belgium.