Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LBTYA – Get Free Report) and VEON (NASDAQ:VEON – Get Free Report) are both mid-cap utilities companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings, risk and dividends.
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares Liberty Global and VEON”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Liberty Global | $4.34 billion | 0.86 | $1.59 billion | ($6.09) | -1.82 |
| VEON | $4.00 billion | 0.91 | $415.00 million | $8.80 | 5.99 |
Insider & Institutional Ownership
37.2% of Liberty Global shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 21.3% of VEON shares are held by institutional investors. 11.5% of Liberty Global shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds 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 Liberty Global and VEON, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Liberty Global | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2.11 |
| VEON | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2.50 |
Liberty Global presently has a consensus price target of $15.00, indicating a potential upside of 35.14%. VEON has a consensus price target of $60.00, indicating a potential upside of 13.92%. Given Liberty Global’s higher probable upside, equities analysts clearly believe Liberty Global is more favorable than VEON.
Risk & Volatility
Liberty Global has a beta of 1.05, meaning that its stock price is 5% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, VEON has a beta of 1.58, meaning that its stock price is 58% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Profitability
This table compares Liberty Global and VEON’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Liberty Global | -41.44% | -14.71% | -7.29% |
| VEON | 15.26% | 58.72% | 10.13% |
Summary
VEON beats Liberty Global on 9 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Liberty Global
Liberty Global Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides broadband internet, video, fixed-line telephony, and mobile communications services to residential and business customers. It offers value-added broadband services, such as WiFi features, security, anti-virus, firewall, spam protection, smart home services, online storage solutions, and web spaces; and Connect Box that delivers in-home Wi-Fi service. The company provides various tiers of digital video programming and audio services, as well as digital video recorders and multimedia home gateway systems; Horizon 5, a cloud-based, multi-screen entertainment platform that combines linear television, including recording and replay features and video-on-demand services; Horizon Go, an online mobile app; and channels, including general entertainment, sports, movies, series, documentaries, lifestyles, news, adult, children, and ethnic and foreign channels. In addition, it offers postpaid and prepaid mobile services; circuit-switched telephony services; and personal call manager, unified messaging, and a second or third phone line at an incremental cost. Further, the company offers business services comprising voice, advanced data, video, wireless, cloud-based services, and mobile and converged fixed-mobile services to small or home offices, small businesses, and medium and large enterprises, as well as on a wholesale basis to other operators. It operates in Belgium, Switzerland, Ireland, Slovakia, and internationally. Liberty Global Ltd. was founded in 2004 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
About VEON
VEON Ltd., a digital operator, provides connectivity and internet services in Pakistan, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. It offers mobile telecommunications services, including value added and call completion, national and international roaming, wireless Internet access, mobile financial, and mobile bundle services; data connectivity, cross border transit, voice, Internet, and data services; fixed-line telecommunications using intercity fiber optic networks; and Internet-TV using Fiber to the building technology. The company also sells equipment, infrastructure, and accessories. VEON Ltd. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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