Head-To-Head Review: Western Union (NYSE:WU) & Agritek (OTCMKTS:AGTK)

Agritek (OTCMKTS:AGTK) and Western Union (NYSE:WU) are both business services companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, dividends, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Agritek and Western Union”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Agritek	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Western Union	$4.21 billion	0.70	$934.20 million	$2.29	4.04

Western Union has higher revenue and earnings than Agritek.

Risk & Volatility

Agritek has a beta of -0.35, meaning that its share price is 135% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Western Union has a beta of 0.51, meaning that its share price is 49% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Agritek and Western Union’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Agritek	N/A	N/A	N/A
Western Union	18.80%	60.85%	6.97%

Institutional & Insider Ownership

91.8% of Western Union shares are owned by institutional investors. 9.9% of Agritek shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 1.6% of Western Union shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Agritek and Western Union, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Agritek	0	0	0	0	0.00
Western Union	4	10	0	0	1.71

Western Union has a consensus price target of $8.80, indicating a potential downside of 4.97%. Given Agritek’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Agritek is more favorable than Western Union.

Summary

Western Union beats Agritek on 7 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Agritek

Agritek Holdings, Inc. distributes hemp and cannabis products under the Hemp Pops, MD Vapes, Rehab Rx, Higher Society, and California Premiums brands in the United States. Its products include human ingestible, such as tinctures, capsules, and gummies; CBD edibles; topicals; and pet products. The company also offers business services, including operational and compliance consulting, funding and financing, dispensary and retail, commercial production and equipment build out, multichannel supply chain, and consumer product, as well as branding, marketing, and sales solutions. In addition, it is involved in the acquisition and leasing of real estate properties, such as cultivation space and related facilities to licensed marijuana growers and dispensary owners. Agritek Holdings, Inc. distributes its products through e-commerce websites comprising RehabRx.com and Hemppops.com; third-party e-commerce websites; and various brick and mortar retailers. The company was formerly known as MediSwipe Inc. and changed its name to Agritek Holdings, Inc. in April 2014. Agritek Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida.

About Western Union

The Western Union Company provides money movement and payment services worldwide. The company operates through Consumer Money Transfer and Consumer Services segments. The Consumer Money Transfer segment facilitates money transfers for international cross-border and intra-country transfers, primarily through a network of retail agent locations, as well as through websites and mobile devices. The Consumer Services segments offers bill payment services, which facilitate payments for consumers, businesses, and other organizations, as well as money order services, retail foreign exchange services, prepaid cards, lending partnerships, and digital wallets. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.