Autoliv (ALV) Competitors

Autoliv (NYSE:ALV) and Gentex (NASDAQ:GNTX) are both mid-cap auto/tires/trucks companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, media sentiment, profitability, valuation, dividends and earnings.

Does the media favor ALV or GNTX?

In the previous week, Autoliv had 8 more articles in the media than Gentex. MarketBeat recorded 18 mentions for Autoliv and 10 mentions for Gentex. Gentex's average media sentiment score of 1.51 beat Autoliv's score of 1.30 indicating that Gentex is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Autoliv	13 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Gentex	7 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Very Positive

Which has more risk & volatility, ALV or GNTX?

Autoliv has a beta of 1.35, indicating that its stock price is 35% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Gentex has a beta of 0.85, indicating that its stock price is 15% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Is ALV or GNTX more profitable?

Gentex has a net margin of 16.82% compared to Autoliv's net margin of 6.83%. Autoliv's return on equity of 30.73% beat Gentex's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Autoliv	6.83%	30.73%	8.86%
Gentex	16.82%	16.86%	14.90%

Do analysts recommend ALV or GNTX?

Autoliv presently has a consensus target price of $122.92, indicating a potential downside of 2.77%. Gentex has a consensus target price of $28.63, indicating a potential upside of 1.33%. Given Gentex's higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Gentex is more favorable than Autoliv.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Autoliv	0 Sell rating(s)	5 Hold rating(s)	10 Buy rating(s)	2 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.82
Gentex	0 Sell rating(s)	6 Hold rating(s)	2 Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.44

Which has better earnings & valuation, ALV or GNTX?

Autoliv has higher revenue and earnings than Gentex. Autoliv is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Gentex, 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
Autoliv	$10.46B	0.93	$647M	$9.14	13.83
Gentex	$2.38B	2.60	$404.49M	$1.77	15.96

Do institutionals & insiders have more ownership in ALV or GNTX?

69.6% of Autoliv shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 86.8% of Gentex shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.2% of Autoliv shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.5% of Gentex shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Is ALV or GNTX a better dividend stock?

Autoliv pays an annual dividend of $3.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.7%. Gentex pays an annual dividend of $0.48 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.7%. Autoliv pays out 37.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Gentex pays out 27.1% 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. Autoliv has increased its dividend for 1 consecutive years. Autoliv is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Summary

Autoliv beats Gentex on 11 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.