Comparing Swire Pacific (OTCMKTS:SWRAY) and Star Equity (NASDAQ:STRR)

Swire Pacific (OTCMKTS:SWRAY) and Star Equity (NASDAQ:STRR) are both multi-sector conglomerates companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability and earnings.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Swire Pacific and Star Equity, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Swire Pacific	0	0	0	1	4.00
Star Equity	2	1	1	0	1.75

Star Equity has a consensus price target of $13.00, suggesting a potential upside of 29.08%. Given Star Equity’s higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Star Equity is more favorable than Swire Pacific.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Swire Pacific and Star Equity”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Swire Pacific	$10.50 billion	3.52	$553.95 million	N/A	N/A
Star Equity	$140.06 million	0.25	-$4.77 million	($1.58)	-6.37

Swire Pacific has higher revenue and earnings than Star Equity.

Profitability

This table compares Swire Pacific and Star Equity’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Swire Pacific	N/A	N/A	N/A
Star Equity	-3.22%	-2.33%	-1.57%

Volatility and Risk

Swire Pacific has a beta of 0.18, meaning that its share price is 82% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Star Equity has a beta of 0.57, meaning that its share price is 43% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

3.8% of Star Equity shares are held by institutional investors. 33.5% of Star Equity shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Swire Pacific beats Star Equity on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Swire Pacific

Swire Pacific Limited engages in property, aviation, beverages, marine, and trading and industrial businesses in Hong Kong, Mainland China, rest of Asia, the United States, and internationally. The company's Property division develops, owns, and operates mixed-use properties. This division's property investment portfolio comprises office and retail premises, serviced apartments, and other luxury residential accommodations; and trading portfolio consists of residential properties. It also owns and manages hotels in Hong Kong and hotels in Mainland China, as well as owns interests in the Mandarin Oriental hotel in the United States. The company's Aviation division provides flight catering and ramp, passenger and cargo services, and aircraft maintenance and modification services. As of December 31, 2022, it had a fleet of 222 aircraft. Its Beverages division owns rights to manufacture, market, and distribute beverages to consumers. The company's Trading & Industrial division markets, retails, and distributes footwear, apparel, and accessories through its retail outlets; sells passenger cars, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, and scooters; operates a chain of bakery stores; packages and sells sugar products under the Taikoo Sugar brand; and offers waste management, business consultancy, and financial services. The company was founded in 1816 and is based in Central, Hong Kong. Swire Pacific Limited operates as a subsidiary of John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Limited

About Star Equity

Star Equity Holdings, Inc. engages in the construction business in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments: Construction, and Investments. It manufactures modular housing units, structural wall panels, permanent wood foundation systems, and other engineered wood products; supplies general contractors with building materials; holds real estate assets; and manages investments. The company was formerly known as Digirad Corporation and changed its name to Star Equity Holdings, Inc. in December 2020. Star Equity Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Old Greenwich, Connecticut.