DISH Network (NASDAQ:DISH) and Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LBTYK) are both large-cap consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, institutional ownership, profitability and earnings.
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares DISH Network and Liberty Global's gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio |
|---|
| DISH Network | $12.81 billion | 1.56 | $1.40 billion | $2.60 | 14.60 |
| Liberty Global | $11.54 billion | 1.29 | $11.52 billion | N/A | N/A |
Liberty Global has lower revenue, but higher earnings than DISH Network.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
42.5% of DISH Network shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 49.4% of Liberty Global shares are held by institutional investors. 53.5% of DISH Network shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Profitability
This table compares DISH Network and Liberty Global's net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets |
|---|
| DISH Network | 10.01% | 11.81% | 4.16% |
| Liberty Global | -17.20% | -15.47% | -4.08% |
Volatility and Risk
DISH Network has a beta of 2, meaning that its share price is 100% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Liberty Global has a beta of 1.31, meaning that its share price is 31% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for DISH Network and Liberty Global, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score |
|---|
| DISH Network | 1 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2.38 |
| Liberty Global | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3.00 |
DISH Network presently has a consensus target price of $37.80, suggesting a potential downside of 0.40%. Liberty Global has a consensus target price of $30.00, suggesting a potential upside of 16.69%. Given Liberty Global's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Liberty Global is more favorable than DISH Network.
Summary
DISH Network beats Liberty Global on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
