Head to Head Review: Lindblad Expeditions (NASDAQ:LIND) and Proficient Auto Logistics (NASDAQ:PAL)

Lindblad Expeditions (NASDAQ:LIND) and Proficient Auto Logistics (NASDAQ:PAL) are both small-cap consumer discretionary companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership and risk.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for Lindblad Expeditions and Proficient Auto Logistics, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Lindblad Expeditions	0	1	3	0	2.75
Proficient Auto Logistics	0	0	4	0	3.00

Lindblad Expeditions presently has a consensus target price of $13.25, indicating a potential upside of 33.57%. Proficient Auto Logistics has a consensus target price of $20.67, indicating a potential upside of 8.66%. Given Lindblad Expeditions’ higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Lindblad Expeditions is more favorable than Proficient Auto Logistics.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

75.9% of Lindblad Expeditions shares are held by institutional investors. 34.3% of Lindblad Expeditions shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 1.0% of Proficient Auto Logistics shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Lindblad Expeditions and Proficient Auto Logistics’ top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Lindblad Expeditions	$569.54 million	0.95	-$45.61 million	($1.03)	-9.63
Proficient Auto Logistics	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Proficient Auto Logistics has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Lindblad Expeditions.

Profitability

This table compares Lindblad Expeditions and Proficient Auto Logistics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Lindblad Expeditions	-8.52%	N/A	-5.91%
Proficient Auto Logistics	N/A	N/A	N/A

About Lindblad Expeditions

Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. provides marine expedition adventures and travel experience worldwide. It operates through Lindblad and Land Experiences segment. Lindblad segment provides ship-based expeditions aboard customized, nimble, and intimately-scaled vessels, which offers up-close experiences in the planet's wild and remote places, and capitals of culture; and offers expedition ship which is equipped with state-of-the-art tools for in-depth exploration with infrastructure and ports, such as Antarctica and the Arctic, and places that accessed by a ship comprising Galápagos Islands, Alaska, Baja California's Sea of Cortez and Panama, and foster engagement activities. The Land Experiences segment comprises natural habitats, which provides over 100 different expedition itineraries in more than 45 countries across seven continents, with eco-conscious expeditions and nature-focused, and small-group tours including polar bear tours and bear adventure; and DuVine provides intimate group cycling and adventure tours around the world with local cycling experts as guides in local cultural, cuisine, and accommodations. This segment also offers off the beaten path including small group travel, led by local, and experienced guides with focus on wildlife, hiking national parks, and culture; and classical journey, a curated active small-group and private custom journeys centered around cinematic walks led by expert local guides over 50 countries across the world. In addition, it has an alliance with National Geographic Partners, LLC, which provides lecturers and National Geographic experts including photographers, marine biologists, writers, naturalists, field researchers, and film crews; and partnered with World Wildlife Fund to offer conservation travel. Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

About Proficient Auto Logistics

Proficient Auto Logistics, Inc. focuses on providing auto transportation and logistics services in North America. It primarily focuses on transporting and delivering finished vehicles from automotive production facilities, ports of entry, and rail yards to a network of automotive dealerships. The company operates approximately 1,130 auto transport vehicles and trailers, including 615 company-owned transport vehicles and trailers. It serves auto companies, electric vehicle producers, auto dealers, auto auctions, rental car companies, and auto leasing companies. The company was formerly known as AH Acquisition Corp. and changed its name to Proficient Auto Logistics, Inc. in October 2023. The company was incorporated in 2023 and is based in Jacksonville, Florida.