Contrasting Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK) & China Gas (OTCMKTS:CGHLY)

China Gas (OTCMKTS:CGHLY) and Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK) are both utilities companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, dividends, earnings and analyst recommendations.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

83.1% of Chesapeake Utilities shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.4% of Chesapeake Utilities shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for China Gas and Chesapeake Utilities, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
China Gas	0	0	0	0	0.00
Chesapeake Utilities	0	3	1	0	2.25

Chesapeake Utilities has a consensus price target of $138.00, suggesting a potential upside of 1.97%. Given Chesapeake Utilities’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Chesapeake Utilities is more favorable than China Gas.

Profitability

This table compares China Gas and Chesapeake Utilities’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
China Gas	N/A	N/A	N/A
Chesapeake Utilities	15.12%	9.34%	3.73%

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares China Gas and Chesapeake Utilities”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
China Gas	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Chesapeake Utilities	$930.00 million	3.51	$140.30 million	$6.27	21.58

Chesapeake Utilities has higher revenue and earnings than China Gas.

Summary

Chesapeake Utilities beats China Gas on 9 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About China Gas

China Gas Holdings Limited operates as a gas operator and service provider in the People's Republic of China. The company invests in, constructs, operates, and maintains city and town gas pipelines, gas terminals, storage and transportation facilities, and gas logistics systems; transmits natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to residential, industrial, and commercial users; constructs and operates compressed natural gas/liquefied natural gas refilling stations; and develops technologies related to natural gas and LPG. It is also involved in the investment in petrochemical facilities of storage and transportation; producing, storing, and selling of LPG and chemical products, as well as propane and butane; CBM business; exploration and production of coal bed methane; and gas station administration services. In addition, the company offers treasury, management, consultancy, and procurement services; and engages in wholesale and retail of household equipment, electric appliances, kitchen appliances, and others. Further, it is involved in the development and investment in clean energy; wholesale and trading of natural gas and liquefied natural gas; and sale of electricity, as well as develops, produces, and sells gas meters, and other utility systems. Additionally, the company offers gas stoves, water heater, and wall-mounting heaters; safety products, such as pipes, valves, and alarms; food staples, and cooking ingredients. Furthermore, the company engages in the wholesale, retail, installs, and maintains of household equipment, electric appliances, and kitchen appliances, as well as involved in investment holding and distributes heating services. China Gas Holdings Limited was incorporated in 1995 and is headquartered in Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

About Chesapeake Utilities

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation operates as an energy delivery company. The company operates through two segments, Regulated Energy and Unregulated Energy. The Regulated Energy segment natural gas distribution operations in central and southern Delaware, Maryland's eastern shore, and Florida; regulated natural gas transmission in the Delmarva Peninsula, Ohio, and Florida; and regulated electric distribution in northeast and northwest Florida. The Unregulated Energy segment engages in the propane operations in the Mid-Atlantic region, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida; unregulated natural gas transmission/supply operation in central and eastern Ohio; generation of electricity and steam; provision of compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and renewable natural gas transportation and pipeline solutions primarily to utilities and pipelines in the United States; and sustainable energy investments. This segment is also involved in the provision of other unregulated services, such as energy-related merchandise sale and heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and plumbing and electrical services. Chesapeake Utilities Corporation was founded in 1859 and is headquartered in Dover, Delaware.