Contrasting Metro (OTCMKTS:MTRAF) and Maplebear (NASDAQ:CART)

Maplebear (NASDAQ:CART) and Metro (OTCMKTS:MTRAF) are both large-cap consumer staples companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability and earnings.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

63.1% of Maplebear shares are owned by institutional investors. 24.0% of Maplebear 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 Maplebear and Metro’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Maplebear	12.50%	18.67%	13.45%
Metro	4.52%	15.02%	7.27%

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for Maplebear and Metro, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Maplebear	1	9	13	1	2.58
Metro	0	2	2	0	2.50

Maplebear presently has a consensus target price of $51.67, suggesting a potential upside of 13.83%. Given Maplebear’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe Maplebear is more favorable than Metro.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Maplebear and Metro”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Maplebear	$3.74 billion	2.85	$447.00 million	$1.79	25.36
Metro	$15.74 billion	0.89	$727.05 million	$2.46	27.07

Metro has higher revenue and earnings than Maplebear. Maplebear is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Metro, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Maplebear beats Metro on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Maplebear

Maplebear Inc., doing business as Instacart, engages in the provision of online grocery shopping services to households in North America. It sells and delivers grocery products, as well as pickup services through a mobile application and website. It also operates virtual convenience stores; and provides software-as-a-service solutions to retailers. The company was incorporated in 2012 and is based in San Francisco, California.

About Metro

Metro Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a retailer, franchisor, distributor, and manufacturer in the food and pharmaceutical sectors in Canada. The company operates supermarkets, discount, neighborhood, and specialty stores that provide fresh and grocery products, baked goods, prepared food products, meats, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, frozen food products, bakery products, delicatessen items, and pastries. It also manufactures ready-to-eat meals, salads, dips, pastries, pies, breads, and cakes; generic drugs under Pro Doc trademark; and provides online grocery shopping services. In addition, the company offers its private label food products under Irresistibles, Selection, Our Harvest Best, Lucky Koi, Life Smart, Adonis, Phoenicia, and Premiere Moisson brands; and private label drug products comprising beauty and cosmetic products, over-the-counter medications, and personal care products, sold under the Personnelle brand name. It operates a network of food stores under various banners, including Metro, Metro Plus, Adonis, Super C, Marché Richelieu, Marché Ami, Première Moisson, Les 5 Saisons, and Food Basics, as well as drugstores primarily under the PJC Jean Coutu, PJC Santé, PJC Santé Beauté, Brunet, Brunet Plus, Brunet Clinique, Clini Plus, Metro Pharmacy, and Food Basics Pharmacy banners. The company was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Montréal, Canada.