Crane (NYSE:CR) & Nel ASA (OTCMKTS:NLLSF) Critical Contrast

Crane (NYSE:CR) and Nel ASA (OTCMKTS:NLLSF) are both industrials companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, profitability, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends and valuation.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings for Crane and Nel ASA, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Crane	0	2	4	0	2.67
Nel ASA	0	0	0	0	0.00

Crane presently has a consensus target price of $170.40, suggesting a potential upside of 19.57%. Given Crane’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Crane is more favorable than Nel ASA.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

75.1% of Crane shares are held by institutional investors. 2.1% of Crane shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Crane and Nel ASA’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Crane	13.10%	24.45%	10.14%
Nel ASA	N/A	N/A	N/A

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Crane and Nel ASA”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Crane	$2.13 billion	3.84	$401.10 million	$5.06	28.16
Nel ASA	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Crane has higher revenue and earnings than Nel ASA.

Summary

Crane beats Nel ASA on 9 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Crane

Crane Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells engineered industrial products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Aerospace & Electronics, Process Flow Technologies, and Engineered Materials. The Aerospace & Electronics segment supplies critical components and systems, including original equipment and aftermarket parts for commercial aerospace, as well as the military aerospace, defense, and space markets. This segment also offers pressure sensors for aircraft engine control, aircraft braking systems for commercial aircraft and fighter jets, power conversion solutions for spacecraft, and lubrication systems. The Process Flow Technologies segment provides engineered fluid handling equipment for mission-critical applications. It offers process valves and related products, such as lined pipe, fittings and hoses, air-operated diaphragm and peristaltic pumps, instrumentation and sampling systems, valve positioning and control systems, and valve diagnostic and calibration systems; commercial valves; and pumps and systems. The Engineered Materials segment manufactures fiberglass-reinforced plastic panels and coils for use in the manufacturing of recreational vehicles, as well as in commercial and industrial building applications. This segment sells directly to RV, trailer, and truck manufacturers, as well as through distributors and retailers. The company provides its products and solutions to end markets, including commercial and military aerospace, defense, and space; chemical and pharmaceutical production; water and wastewater; non-residential and municipal construction; energy; and other general industrial and consumer-related applications. The company was formerly known as Crane Holdings, Co. Crane Company was founded in 1855 and is based in Stamford, Connecticut.

About Nel ASA

Nel ASA, a hydrogen company, provides various solutions to produce, store, and distribute hydrogen from renewable energy in Norway and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Nel Hydrogen Fueling and Nel Hydrogen Electrolyser. The Nel Hydrogen Fueling segment manufactures hydrogen fueling stations for fuel cell electric vehicles, such as cars, buses, trucks, and other on-road vehicles. The Nel Hydrogen Electrolyser segment supplies hydrogen production equipment based on alkaline and proton exchange membrane water electrolysis technology. It serves industries, energy, and gas companies. The company was formerly known as DiaGenic ASA and changed its name to Nel ASA in October 2014. Nel ASA was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Oslo, Norway.