Itron (ITRI) Competitors

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) and Itron (NASDAQ:ITRI) are related companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, risk, earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, media sentiment and dividends.

Does the media refer more to WWD or ITRI?

In the previous week, Woodward had 3 more articles in the media than Itron. MarketBeat recorded 14 mentions for Woodward and 11 mentions for Itron. Woodward's average media sentiment score of 1.14 beat Itron's score of 0.88 indicating that Woodward is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Woodward	7 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	6 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Itron	3 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	4 Neutral mention(s)	2 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Do analysts prefer WWD or ITRI?

Woodward currently has a consensus target price of $249.63, suggesting a potential upside of 1.12%. Itron has a consensus target price of $136.25, suggesting a potential upside of 6.03%. Given Itron's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Itron is more favorable than Woodward.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Woodward	0 Sell rating(s)	4 Hold rating(s)	5 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.56
Itron	0 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	11 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.92

Is WWD or ITRI more profitable?

Woodward has a net margin of 11.32% compared to Itron's net margin of 11.05%. Itron's return on equity of 19.69% beat Woodward's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Woodward	11.32%	16.57%	8.53%
Itron	11.05%	19.69%	8.39%

Do institutionals and insiders hold more shares of WWD or ITRI?

81.2% of Woodward shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 96.2% of Itron shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.8% of Woodward shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 1.5% of Itron shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Which has better valuation and earnings, WWD or ITRI?

Woodward has higher revenue and earnings than Itron. Itron is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Woodward, 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
Woodward	$3.32B	4.45	$372.97M	$6.32	39.06
Itron	$2.44B	2.41	$239.10M	$5.85	21.97

Which has more risk and volatility, WWD or ITRI?

Woodward has a beta of 1.3, meaning that its stock price is 30% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Itron has a beta of 1.35, meaning that its stock price is 35% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Woodward beats Itron on 9 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.