The Weir Group (WEIR) Competitors

The Weir Group (LON:WEIR) and Melrose Industries (LON:MRO) are both mid-cap industrials companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, dividends, profitability and media sentiment.

Which has more volatility & risk, WEIR or MRO?

The Weir Group has a beta of 1.41, indicating that its stock price is 41% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Melrose Industries has a beta of 1.51, indicating that its stock price is 51% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Do insiders and institutionals hold more shares of WEIR or MRO?

64.9% of The Weir Group shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 83.3% of Melrose Industries shares are held by institutional investors. 0.7% of The Weir Group shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 2.4% of Melrose Industries shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Does the media favor WEIR or MRO?

In the previous week, Melrose Industries had 2 more articles in the media than The Weir Group. MarketBeat recorded 5 mentions for Melrose Industries and 3 mentions for The Weir Group. Melrose Industries' average media sentiment score of 1.37 beat The Weir Group's score of 0.39 indicating that Melrose Industries is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
The Weir Group	0 Very Positive mention(s)	2 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Neutral
Melrose Industries	4 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Do analysts rate WEIR or MRO?

The Weir Group presently has a consensus target price of GBX 2,772, indicating a potential downside of 2.67%. Melrose Industries has a consensus target price of GBX 655, indicating a potential upside of 1.71%. Given Melrose Industries' higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Melrose Industries is more favorable than The Weir Group.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
The Weir Group	0 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	4 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.80
Melrose Industries	0 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.75

Is WEIR or MRO more profitable?

The Weir Group has a net margin of 8.60% compared to Melrose Industries' net margin of -1.13%. The Weir Group's return on equity of 12.79% beat Melrose Industries' return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
The Weir Group	8.60%	12.79%	5.84%
Melrose Industries	-1.13%	-1.18%	0.11%

Is WEIR or MRO a better dividend stock?

The Weir Group pays an annual dividend of GBX 0.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.0%. Melrose Industries pays an annual dividend of GBX 0.06 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.0%. The Weir Group pays out 33.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Melrose Industries pays out 24.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years.

Which has preferable valuation & earnings, WEIR or MRO?

The Weir Group has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Melrose Industries. The Weir Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Melrose Industries, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
The Weir Group	£2.49B	2.97	£218.85M	£1.19	2,401.35
Melrose Industries	£3.45B	2.36	-£38.41M	£0.25	2,617.91

Summary

The Weir Group and Melrose Industries tied by winning 9 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.