Head to Head Analysis: Universal Electronics (NASDAQ:UEIC) and Stardust Power (NASDAQ:SDST)

Stardust Power (NASDAQ:SDST) and Universal Electronics (NASDAQ:UEIC) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, dividends and earnings.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

32.8% of Stardust Power shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 79.4% of Universal Electronics shares are owned by institutional investors. 55.3% of Stardust Power shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 9.4% of Universal Electronics 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.

Profitability

This table compares Stardust Power and Universal Electronics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Stardust Power	N/A	N/A	-185.06%
Universal Electronics	-5.64%	-0.68%	-0.33%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Stardust Power and Universal Electronics, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Stardust Power	1	1	1	1	2.50
Universal Electronics	1	2	0	0	1.67

Stardust Power presently has a consensus price target of $17.25, indicating a potential upside of 404.39%. Universal Electronics has a consensus price target of $5.75, indicating a potential upside of 39.56%. Given Stardust Power’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, research analysts plainly believe Stardust Power is more favorable than Universal Electronics.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Stardust Power and Universal Electronics”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Stardust Power	N/A	N/A	-$23.75 million	($3.93)	-0.87
Universal Electronics	$394.88 million	0.14	-$24.03 million	($1.67)	-2.47

Stardust Power has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Universal Electronics. Universal Electronics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Stardust Power, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Risk and Volatility

Stardust Power has a beta of 0.26, suggesting that its stock price is 74% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Universal Electronics has a beta of 1.4, suggesting that its stock price is 40% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Stardust Power beats Universal Electronics on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Stardust Power

Stardust Power Inc. is a vertically-integrated lithium refinery that engages in producing battery-grade lithium. The company was founded in 2022 and is based in Greenwich, Connecticut.

About Universal Electronics

Universal Electronics Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, ships, and supports control and sensor technology solutions in the United States, the People’s Republic of China, rest of Asia, Europe, Latin America, and internationally. The company offers voice-enabled automatically-programmed universal two-way radio frequency, as well as infrared remote controls to video service providers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), retailers, and private label customers; wall-mount and handheld thermostat controllers and connected accessories for smart energy management systems to OEM customers, hotels, hospitality, and system integrators; proprietary and standards-based RF sensors for residential security, safety, and home automation applications; and integrated circuits on which its software and universal device control database is embedded to OEMs, video service providers, and private label customers. It also provides software, firmware and technology solutions that can enable devices such as Smart TVs, hybrid set-top boxes, audio systems, smart speakers, game consoles, and other consumer electronic and smart home devices to wirelessly connect and interoperate within home networks; cloud-services that support its embedded software and hardware solutions; intellectual property that the company licenses to OEMs and video service providers; embedded and cloud-enabled software for firmware update provisioning and digital rights management validation services to consumer electronics brands; and AV accessories, including universal remote controls, television wall mounts and stands, and digital television antennas. In addition, the company QuickSet, a software application that can be embedded in entertainment or smart home platform or can be delivered as a cloud-based service, through QuickSet Cloud, to enable universal device setup, interoperability, and control. Universal Electronics Inc. was incorporated in 1986 and is based in Scottsdale, Arizona.