American Lithium (OTCMKTS:LIACF) vs. Western Copper & Gold (NYSE:WRN) Critical Comparison

American Lithium (OTCMKTS:LIACF) and Western Copper & Gold (NYSE:WRN) are both small-cap basic materials companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation, earnings and risk.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings for American Lithium and Western Copper & Gold, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
American Lithium	0	0	0	0	N/A
Western Copper & Gold	0	0	1	1	3.50

Western Copper & Gold has a consensus price target of $4.25, suggesting a potential upside of 288.13%. Given Western Copper & Gold’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Western Copper & Gold is more favorable than American Lithium.

Profitability

This table compares American Lithium and Western Copper & Gold’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
American Lithium	N/A	-16.28%	-15.96%
Western Copper & Gold	N/A	-3.95%	-3.83%

Volatility and Risk

American Lithium has a beta of 1.48, meaning that its stock price is 48% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Western Copper & Gold has a beta of 1.84, meaning that its stock price is 84% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

0.0% of American Lithium shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 22.0% of Western Copper & Gold shares are held by institutional investors. 4.6% of Western Copper & Gold shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares American Lithium and Western Copper & Gold”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
American Lithium	N/A	N/A	-$18.80 million	($0.11)	-6.35
Western Copper & Gold	N/A	N/A	-$2.47 million	($0.03)	-36.50

Western Copper & Gold is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than American Lithium, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Western Copper & Gold beats American Lithium on 10 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About American Lithium

American Lithium Corp., an exploration stage company, engages in the identification, acquisition, exploration, and development of resource properties in the United States. It principally focuses on the TLC Claystones project covering an area of approximately 5,052 hectares located in the town of Tonopah, Nevada; and the Falchani Lithium project and the Macusani Uranium project located in Puno, Peru. The company was formerly known as Menika Mining Ltd. and changed its name to American Lithium Corp. in April 2016. American Lithium Corp. was incorporated in 1974 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

About Western Copper & Gold

Western Copper and Gold Corporation, an exploration stage company, engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties in Canada. The company explores for gold, copper, silver, and molybdenum deposits. Its principal property is the Casino mineral property that comprise 1,136 full and partial quartz claims, and 55 placer claims located in Yukon, Canada. The company was formerly known as Western Copper Corporation and changed its name to Western Copper and Gold Corporation in October 2011. Western Copper and Gold Corporation was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.