Head to Head Review: Helix Energy Solutions Group (NYSE:HLX) & Akastor ASA (OTCMKTS:AKRYY)

Helix Energy Solutions Group (NYSE:HLX) and Akastor ASA (OTCMKTS:AKRYY) are both energy companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, dividends, risk, valuation, profitability and earnings.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

91.3% of Helix Energy Solutions Group shares are held by institutional investors. 6.8% of Helix Energy Solutions Group shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Helix Energy Solutions Group and Akastor ASA”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Helix Energy Solutions Group	$1.29 billion	1.21	$30.83 million	$0.27	39.15
Akastor ASA	N/A	N/A	N/A	$4.45	2.13

Helix Energy Solutions Group has higher revenue and earnings than Akastor ASA. Akastor ASA is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Helix Energy Solutions Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares Helix Energy Solutions Group and Akastor ASA’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Helix Energy Solutions Group	3.04%	2.95%	1.79%
Akastor ASA	N/A	N/A	N/A

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Helix Energy Solutions Group and Akastor ASA, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Helix Energy Solutions Group	0	2	1	0	2.33
Akastor ASA	0	0	0	0	0.00

Helix Energy Solutions Group presently has a consensus price target of $14.00, suggesting a potential upside of 32.45%. Given Helix Energy Solutions Group’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe Helix Energy Solutions Group is more favorable than Akastor ASA.

Summary

Helix Energy Solutions Group beats Akastor ASA on 10 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Helix Energy Solutions Group

Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, an offshore energy services company, provides specialty services to the offshore energy industry in Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico, the East Coast of the United States, North Sea, the Asia Pacific, and West Africa regions. The company operates through four segments: Well Intervention, Robotics, Production Facilities, and Shallow Water Abandonment segments. It engages in the installation of flowlines, control umbilicals, and manifold assemblies and risers; trenching and burial of pipelines; installation and tie-in of riser and manifold assembly; commissioning, testing, and inspection activities; and provision of cable and umbilical lay, and connection services. The company also provides well intervention, intervention engineering, and production enhancement services; coiled tubing operations; inspection, repair, and maintenance of production structures, trees, jumpers, risers, pipelines, and subsea equipment; and related support services. In addition, it offers reclamation and remediation services; well plug and abandonment services; pipeline, cable and umbilical abandonment services; and site inspections. Additionally, the company offers oil and natural gas processing facilities and services; and fast response system, as well as site clearance and subsea support services. Further, it provides offshore oilfield decommissioning and reclamation, project management, engineered solutions, intervention, maintenance, repair, heavy lift, and commercial diving services. It serves independent oil and gas producers and suppliers, pipeline transmission companies, renewable energy companies, and offshore engineering and construction firms. The company was formerly known as Cal Dive International, Inc. and changed its name to Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. in March 2006. Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. was incorporated in 1979 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

About Akastor ASA

Akastor ASA operates as an oilfield services investment company in Norway and internationally. The company offers vessel-based subsea well construction and intervention services to the oil and gas industry. It also provides anchor handling, towing, and supply services to offshore oil and gas fields. In addition, the company offers a range of offshore drilling equipment products and packages. It owns offshore vessels and anchor handling tug supply vessels. Akastor ASA was founded in 1841 and is based in Bærum, Norway.