Critical Comparison: Aspen Aerogels (NYSE:ASPN) & Uponor Oyj (OTCMKTS:UPNRF)

Aspen Aerogels (NYSE:ASPN) and Uponor Oyj (OTCMKTS:UPNRF) are both industrials companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, earnings, dividends, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations for Aspen Aerogels and Uponor Oyj, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Aspen Aerogels	0	0	9	1	3.10
Uponor Oyj	0	0	0	0	N/A

Aspen Aerogels presently has a consensus price target of $29.40, indicating a potential upside of 44.19%. Given Aspen Aerogels’ higher possible upside, equities analysts plainly believe Aspen Aerogels is more favorable than Uponor Oyj.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

97.6% of Aspen Aerogels shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 34.1% of Uponor Oyj shares are held by institutional investors. 4.3% of Aspen Aerogels shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Aspen Aerogels and Uponor Oyj’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Aspen Aerogels	0.39%	0.74%	0.51%
Uponor Oyj	N/A	N/A	N/A

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Aspen Aerogels and Uponor Oyj”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Aspen Aerogels	$357.25 million	4.35	-$45.81 million	($0.44)	-46.34
Uponor Oyj	N/A	N/A	N/A	$0.35	83.11

Uponor Oyj has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Aspen Aerogels. Aspen Aerogels is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Uponor Oyj, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Aspen Aerogels beats Uponor Oyj on 9 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Aspen Aerogels

Aspen Aerogels, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells aerogel insulation products primarily for use in the energy infrastructure and sustainable insulation materials markets in the United States, Asia, Canada, Europe, and Latin America. It operates in two segments, Energy Industrial and Thermal Barrier. The company offers PyroThin thermal barriers for use in lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles and energy storage industries; Pyrogel XTE that reduces the risk of corrosion under insulation in energy infrastructure operating systems; and Pyrogel HPS for applications within the power generation market. It also offers Pyrogel XTF to provide protection against fire; Cryogel Z for sub-ambient and cryogenic applications in the energy infrastructure market; Spaceloft Subsea for use in pipe-in-pipe applications in offshore oil production; and Cryogel X201, which is used in designing cold systems, such as refrigerated appliances, cold storage equipment, and aerospace systems. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Northborough, Massachusetts.

About Uponor Oyj

Uponor Oyj engages in the provision of plumbing, indoor climate, and infrastructure solutions in Europe and North America. The company operates through three segments: Building Solutions Europe, Building Solutions North America, and Uponor Infra. It offers drinking water delivery systems, including plastic plumbing pipe systems, multi-layer composite pipe systems for residential buildings, commercial and public buildings; decibel soil and waste systems with sound insulation, and hyp air admittance valves to eliminate suction in sewage pipes, as well as aqua ambient drain, shower inlets, and grates; underfloor heating and cooling, comprising floor integrated underfloor heating systems, water based floor heating, and electric underfloor heating for new buildings and renovation projects; wall heating and cooling systems radiant heating and cooling via the wall, for wet and dry plaster installation systems in new buildings and renovation projects. The company also provides ceiling heating and cooling for offices, sales areas, industrial buildings, and sports halls; room and supply temperature controls; mainfolds vario distribution units and cabinets, pre-assembled, and modern approach in residential buildings; flexible ecoflex pre-insulated pipes; prefabricated modules for plumbing and heating; heating and cooling products for projects; and radiator connections. Uponor Oyj was founded in 1918 and is based in Vantaa, Finland. As of November 21, 2023, Uponor Oyj operates as a subsidiary of Georg Fischer AG.