Fossil Group (NASDAQ:FOSL – Get Free Report) and J.Jill (NYSE:JILL – Get Free Report) are both small-cap retail/wholesale companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, analyst recommendations, dividends, valuation, risk, profitability and institutional ownership.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
61.1% of Fossil Group shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 40.7% of J.Jill shares are held by institutional investors. 7.8% of Fossil Group shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 4.4% of J.Jill 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.
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Fossil Group and J.Jill, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Fossil Group | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
| J.Jill | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2.14 |
Risk and Volatility
Fossil Group has a beta of 2.17, suggesting that its share price is 117% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, J.Jill has a beta of 0.96, suggesting that its share price is 4% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares Fossil Group and J.Jill”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Fossil Group | $1.08 billion | 0.09 | -$102.67 million | ($1.27) | -1.50 |
| J.Jill | $610.86 million | 0.36 | $39.48 million | $2.39 | 5.97 |
J.Jill has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Fossil Group. Fossil Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than J.Jill, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Profitability
This table compares Fossil Group and J.Jill’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Fossil Group | -5.49% | -12.07% | -2.27% |
| J.Jill | 6.12% | 40.48% | 10.50% |
Summary
J.Jill beats Fossil Group on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Fossil Group
Fossil Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, markets, and distributes consumer fashion accessories in the United States, Europe, Asia, and internationally. The company’s products include traditional watches, smartwatches, jewelry, handbags, small leather goods, belts, and sunglasses. It also manufactures and distributes private label brands, as well as branded products purchased for resell in other branded retail stores. The company offers its products under its proprietary brands, such as FOSSIL, SKAGEN, MICHELE, RELIC, and ZODIAC; and under the licensed brands, including ARMANI EXCHANGE, DIESEL, DKNY, EMPORIO ARMANI, KATE SPADE NEW YORK, MICHAEL KORS, TORY BURCH, and Skechers. The company sells its products through company-owned retail and outlet stores, department and specialty retail stores, mass market stores, e-commerce sites, licensed and franchised FOSSIL retail stores, and retail concessions, as well as sells its products on airlines. The company was formerly known as Fossil, Inc. and changed its name to Fossil Group, Inc. in May 2013. Fossil Group, Inc. was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Richardson, Texas.
About J.Jill
J.Jill, Inc. operates as an omnichannel retailer for women's apparel under the J.Jill brand in the United States. It offers apparel, footwear, and accessories, including scarves and jewelry. The company markets its products through retail stores, website, and catalogs. J.Jill, Inc. was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts.
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