Alliant Energy (NASDAQ:LNT – Get Free Report) and SolarBank (NASDAQ:SUUN – Get Free Report) are both utilities companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, dividends, risk, valuation, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.
Profitability
This table compares Alliant Energy and SolarBank’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Alliant Energy | 17.33% | 11.39% | 3.55% |
| SolarBank | -10.64% | -15.19% | -6.41% |
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for Alliant Energy and SolarBank, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Alliant Energy | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2.30 |
| SolarBank | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3.00 |
Insider and Institutional Ownership
79.9% of Alliant Energy shares are held by institutional investors. 0.3% of Alliant Energy shares are held by company 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.
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Alliant Energy and SolarBank”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Alliant Energy | $3.98 billion | 4.06 | $703.00 million | $2.69 | 23.40 |
| SolarBank | $52.15 million | 2.90 | -$2.56 million | ($0.22) | -21.23 |
Alliant Energy has higher revenue and earnings than SolarBank. SolarBank is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Alliant Energy, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
Alliant Energy beats SolarBank on 11 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Alliant Energy
Alliant Energy Corporation operates as a utility holding company that provides regulated electricity and natural gas services in the United States. It operates in three segments: Utility Electric Operations, Utility Gas Operations, and Utility Other. The company, through its subsidiary, Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL), primarily generates and distributes electricity, and distributes and transports natural gas to retail customers in Iowa; sells electricity to wholesale customers in Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa; and generates and distributes steam in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Alliant Energy Corporation, through its other subsidiary, Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL), generates and distributes electricity, and distributes and transports natural gas to retail customers in Wisconsin; and sells electricity to wholesale customers in Wisconsin. It serves retail customers in the farming, agriculture, industrial manufacturing, chemical, packaging, and food industries, as well as wholesale customers comprising municipalities and rural electric cooperatives. In addition, the company owns and operates a short-line rail freight service in Iowa; a Mississippi River barge, rail, and truck freight terminal in Illinois; freight brokerage services; wind turbine blade recycling services; and a rail-served warehouse in Iowa. Further, it holds interests in a natural gas-fired electric generating unit near Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin; and a wind farm located in Oklahoma. The company was formerly known as Interstate Energy Corp. and changed its name to Alliant Energy Corporation in May 1999. Alliant Energy Corporation was incorporated in 1981 and is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin.
About SolarBank
SolarBank Corporation operates as an independent renewable and clean energy project developer and asset operator in Canada and the United States. The company engages in the site origination, development, financing, engineering, procurement, construction, operation, maintenance, and asset management of solar photovoltaic power generation projects. It offers solar energy solutions in the areas of behind-the-meter solar power plants, electricity grid connected community solar gardens, and utility scale solar farms. The company was formerly known as Abundant Solar Energy Inc. and changed its name to SolarBank Corporation in October 2022. SolarBank Corporation was incorporated in 2013 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
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