US Gold (NASDAQ:USAU – Get Free Report) and Iamgold (NYSE:IAG – Get Free Report) are both basic materials companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends, valuation, risk, institutional ownership and earnings.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
6.6% of US Gold shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 47.1% of Iamgold shares are owned by institutional investors. 11.1% of US Gold shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of Iamgold shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for US Gold and Iamgold, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| US Gold | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2.25 |
| Iamgold | 0 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2.90 |
Profitability
This table compares US Gold and Iamgold’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| US Gold | N/A | -73.41% | -55.36% |
| Iamgold | 15.39% | 10.39% | 6.72% |
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares US Gold and Iamgold”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| US Gold | N/A | N/A | -$20.56 million | ($1.64) | -10.36 |
| Iamgold | $1.63 billion | 6.58 | $819.60 million | $0.60 | 30.31 |
Iamgold has higher revenue and earnings than US Gold. US Gold is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Iamgold, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Risk & Volatility
US Gold has a beta of 0.77, indicating that its stock price is 23% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Iamgold has a beta of 1.36, indicating that its stock price is 36% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Iamgold beats US Gold on 12 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About US Gold
U.S. Gold Corp. engages in the exploration and development of gold and precious metals in the United States. It also explores for copper and silver deposits. The company holds 100% interests in the CK Gold project, which consists of various mining leases and other mineral rights covering approximately 1,120 acres in Laramie County, Wyoming; the Keystone project that consists of 601 unpatented lode mining claims covering approximately 20 square miles in Eureka County, Nevada; and the Challis Gold project, which consists of 77 unpatented lode mining claims covering approximately 1,710 acres in Lemhi County, Idaho. It also has earn-in agreement to acquire a 50% ownership interest in the Maggie Creek project located in Eureka County, Nevada. The company was formerly known as Dataram Corporation and changed its name to U.S. Gold Corp. in June 2017. U.S. Gold Corp. is based in Elko, Nevada.
About Iamgold
IAMGOLD Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates as an intermediate gold producer and developer in Canada and Burkina Faso. It owns 100% interest in the Westwood project that covers an area of 1,925 hectare and located in Quebec; a 60% interest in the Côté gold project, which covers an area of 596 square kilometer located in Ontario, Canada; and a 90% interests in the Essakane project that covers an area of 274,000 square kilometer situated in Burkina Faso. IAMGOLD Corporation was incorporated in 1990 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
Receive News & Ratings for US Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for US Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
