H&R Block (HRB) Competitors

H&R Block (NYSE:HRB) and Hillenbrand (NYSE:HI) are both specialized consumer services companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings, media sentiment, risk and dividends.

Does the media favor HRB or HI?

In the previous week, H&R Block had 5 more articles in the media than Hillenbrand. MarketBeat recorded 11 mentions for H&R Block and 6 mentions for Hillenbrand. H&R Block's average media sentiment score of 0.66 beat Hillenbrand's score of 0.56 indicating that H&R Block is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
H&R Block	5 Very Positive mention(s)	3 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	2 Negative mention(s)	1 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Hillenbrand	2 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Do analysts rate HRB or HI?

H&R Block currently has a consensus price target of $62.00, suggesting a potential upside of 11.74%. Hillenbrand has a consensus price target of $32.00, suggesting a potential upside of 38.91%. Given Hillenbrand's higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Hillenbrand is more favorable than H&R Block.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
H&R Block	1 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	1 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.00
Hillenbrand	0 Sell rating(s)	2 Hold rating(s)	0 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.00

Which has better earnings & valuation, HRB or HI?

H&R Block has higher revenue and earnings than Hillenbrand. Hillenbrand is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than H&R Block, 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
H&R Block	$3.61B	2.06	$595.32M	$4.08	13.60
Hillenbrand	$3.05B	0.53	-$211M	-$3.81	-6.05

Is HRB or HI a better dividend stock?

H&R Block pays an annual dividend of $1.50 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.7%. Hillenbrand pays an annual dividend of $0.90 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.9%. H&R Block pays out 36.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Hillenbrand pays out -23.6% 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. H&R Block has raised its dividend for 9 consecutive years and Hillenbrand has raised its dividend for 18 consecutive years. Hillenbrand is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Do institutionals & insiders believe in HRB or HI?

90.1% of H&R Block shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 89.1% of Hillenbrand shares are held by institutional investors. 1.3% of H&R Block shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 2.0% of Hillenbrand shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Is HRB or HI more profitable?

H&R Block has a net margin of 15.20% compared to Hillenbrand's net margin of -8.82%. Hillenbrand's return on equity of 15.03% beat H&R Block's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
H&R Block	15.20%	-179.57%	20.56%
Hillenbrand	-8.82%	15.03%	4.19%

Which has more volatility and risk, HRB or HI?

H&R Block has a beta of 0.24, indicating that its share price is 76% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Hillenbrand has a beta of 1.46, indicating that its share price is 46% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

H&R Block beats Hillenbrand on 11 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.