Star Equity (NASDAQ:STRR – Get Free Report) and Korn/Ferry International (NYSE:KFY – Get Free Report) are both industrials companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, dividends, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
3.8% of Star Equity shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 98.8% of Korn/Ferry International shares are held by institutional investors. 31.6% of Star Equity shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.0% of Korn/Ferry International shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares Star Equity and Korn/Ferry International”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Star Equity | $172.16 million | 0.24 | -$5.92 million | ($2.63) | -4.24 |
| Korn/Ferry International | $2.94 billion | 1.46 | $277.43 million | $5.24 | 16.05 |
Korn/Ferry International has higher revenue and earnings than Star Equity. Star Equity is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Korn/Ferry International, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Risk and Volatility
Star Equity has a beta of 0.51, meaning that its stock price is 49% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Korn/Ferry International has a beta of 1.19, meaning that its stock price is 19% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Profitability
This table compares Star Equity and Korn/Ferry International’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Star Equity | -4.18% | -4.04% | -2.40% |
| Korn/Ferry International | 9.44% | 14.34% | 7.31% |
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for Star Equity and Korn/Ferry International, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Star Equity | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2.40 |
| Korn/Ferry International | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2.80 |
Star Equity currently has a consensus price target of $28.00, indicating a potential upside of 151.21%. Korn/Ferry International has a consensus price target of $78.50, indicating a potential downside of 6.68%. Given Star Equity’s higher possible upside, equities analysts plainly believe Star Equity is more favorable than Korn/Ferry International.
Summary
Korn/Ferry International beats Star Equity on 12 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
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.
About Korn/Ferry International
Korn Ferry, together with its subsidiaries, provides organizational consulting services worldwide. It operates through four segments: Consulting, Digital, Executive Search, and Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) & Professional Search. The company provides executive search services to recruit board level, chief executive, other senior executive, and general management talent of organizations. It also offers organizational strategy, assessment and succession, leadership and professional development, and total reward services. In addition, the company provides RPO, business project, professional search, and outsource recruiting solutions. Further, the company offers tech-enabled solutions that identify structures, roles, capabilities, and behaviors to drive businesses. It serves public and private companies, and middle market and emerging growth companies, as well as government and non-profit organizations. The company was formerly known as Korn/Ferry International and changed its name to Korn Ferry in January 2019. Korn Ferry was founded in 1969 and is based in Los Angeles, California.
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