Reviewing Spirax Group (OTCMKTS:SPXSY) & Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD)

Spirax Group (OTCMKTS:SPXSY) and Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) are both mid-cap industrials companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, risk, earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability and dividends.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Spirax Group and Middleby, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Spirax Group	0	0	0	1	4.00
Middleby	1	2	6	0	2.56

Middleby has a consensus target price of $189.71, suggesting a potential upside of 32.30%. Given Middleby’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Middleby is more favorable than Spirax Group.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Spirax Group and Middleby”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Spirax Group	$2.25 billion	3.12	$215.48 million	N/A	N/A
Middleby	$3.20 billion	2.03	-$277.73 million	($8.48)	-16.91

Spirax Group has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Middleby.

Volatility and Risk

Spirax Group has a beta of 1.09, suggesting that its stock price is 9% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Middleby has a beta of 1.34, suggesting that its stock price is 34% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

0.4% of Spirax Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 98.6% of Middleby shares are owned by institutional investors. 9.7% of Middleby shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Spirax Group and Middleby’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Spirax Group	N/A	N/A	N/A
Middleby	-11.46%	15.94%	7.34%

Summary

Middleby beats Spirax Group on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Spirax Group

Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc provides engineered solutions it operates through three segments: Steam Thermal Solutions; Electric Thermal Solutions; and Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions. The company offers industrial and commercial steam systems, including condensate management, controls, and thermal energy management products and solutions for heating, curing, cooking, drying, cleaning, sterilizing, space heating, humidifying, vacuum packing, and producing hot water; electrical process heating and temperature management solutions, such as industrial heaters and systems, heat tracing, and various component technologies for industrial processes; and peristaltic and niche pumps and associated fluid path technologies, including tubing, and specialty filling systems and products for single-use applications. It serves pharmaceutical and biotechnology, food, beverage, oil, gas, chemical, power generation, healthcare, water and wastewater, buildings, mining and precious metal processing, semiconductor, and transport sectors, as well as original equipment manufacturers. The company sells its products directly, as well as through distributors. It operates in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; the Asia Pacific; and the Americas. The company was founded in 1888 and is headquartered in Cheltenham, the United Kingdom.

About Middleby

The Middleby Corporation designs, markets, manufactures, distributes, and services foodservice, food processing, and residential kitchen equipment worldwide. Its Commercial Foodservice Equipment Group segment offers conveyor, combi, convection, baking, proofing, deck, speed cooking, and hydrovection ovens; ranges, fryers, and rethermalizers; steam cooking, food warming, catering, induction cooking, and countertop cooking equipment; heated cabinets, charbroilers, ventless cooking systems, kitchen ventilation, toasters, griddles, charcoal grills, professional mixers, stainless steel fabrication, custom millwork, professional refrigerators, blast chillers, cold rooms, ice machines, and freezers; soft serve ice cream, coffee and beverage dispensing, home and professional craft brewing equipment; and fry dispensers, bottle filling and canning equipment, IoT solutions, and controls development and manufacturing. The company's Food Processing Equipment Group segment provides batch, baking, proofing, conveyor belt, and continuous processing ovens; frying and automated thermal processing systems; tumblers, massagers, grinders, slicers, reduction and emulsion systems, mixers, and blenders; battering, breading, and seeding equipment; water cutting systems, food presses, food suspension equipment, filling and depositing solutions, and forming equipment; and automated washing systems, auto-guided vehicles, food safety, food handling, freezing, and defrosting and packaging equipment. Its Residential Kitchen Equipment Group segment offers kitchen equipment comprising cookers, stoves, cooktops, microwaves, ovens, refrigerators, dishwashers, undercounter refrigeration, wine cellars, ice machines, beer dispensers, mixers, rotisseries, and ventilation and outdoor cooking equipment. The company was formerly known as Middleby Marshall Oven Company and changed its name to The Middleby Corporation in 1985. The company was founded in 1888 and is based in Elgin, Illinois.