Contrasting Curbline Properties (NYSE:CURB) & Equinix (NASDAQ:EQIX)

Curbline Properties (NYSE:CURB) and Equinix (NASDAQ:EQIX) are both finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, risk, institutional ownership, earnings, profitability and analyst recommendations.

Risk & Volatility

Curbline Properties has a beta of 0.47, meaning that its stock price is 53% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Equinix has a beta of 1.06, meaning that its stock price is 6% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Dividends

Curbline Properties pays an annual dividend of $0.64 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.5%. Equinix pays an annual dividend of $18.76 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.2%. Curbline Properties pays out 160.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Equinix pays out 171.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Equinix has increased its dividend for 10 consecutive years. Curbline Properties is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Curbline Properties and Equinix, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Curbline Properties	0	3	6	0	2.67
Equinix	0	5	20	2	2.89

Curbline Properties currently has a consensus price target of $27.22, suggesting a potential upside of 7.43%. Equinix has a consensus price target of $959.64, suggesting a potential upside of 13.15%. Given Equinix’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Equinix is more favorable than Curbline Properties.

Profitability

This table compares Curbline Properties and Equinix’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Curbline Properties	25.51%	2.19%	1.94%
Equinix	11.82%	7.70%	2.89%

Insider and Institutional Ownership

94.9% of Equinix shares are held by institutional investors. 8.6% of Curbline Properties shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of Equinix shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Curbline Properties and Equinix”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Curbline Properties	$120.88 million	22.09	$10.26 million	$0.40	63.35
Equinix	$8.75 billion	9.52	$815.00 million	$10.92	77.67

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

Summary

Equinix beats Curbline Properties on 12 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Curbline Properties

Curbline Properties Corp. is a real estate investment trust which is an owner and manager of convenience shopping centers positioned on the curbline of well-trafficked intersections and major vehicular corridors in suburban. Curbline Properties Corp. is based in NEW YORK.

About Equinix

Equinix (Nasdaq: EQIX) is the world's digital infrastructure company . Digital leaders harness Equinix's trusted platform to bring together and interconnect foundational infrastructure at software speed. Equinix enables organizations to access all the right places, partners and possibilities to scale with agility, speed the launch of digital services, deliver world-class experiences and multiply their value, while supporting their sustainability goals.