Comparing Aemetis (NASDAQ:AMTX) and Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU)

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) and Aemetis (NASDAQ:AMTX) are both energy companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, valuation, profitability, analyst recommendations and risk.

Profitability

This table compares Peabody Energy and Aemetis’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Peabody Energy	-4.56%	-5.22%	-3.22%
Aemetis	-27.37%	N/A	-26.60%

Volatility & Risk

Peabody Energy has a beta of 0.33, meaning that its stock price is 67% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Aemetis has a beta of 1.82, meaning that its stock price is 82% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

87.4% of Peabody Energy shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 27.0% of Aemetis shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.5% of Peabody Energy shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 13.0% of Aemetis shares are owned by company 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 ratings and target prices for Peabody Energy and Aemetis, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Peabody Energy	1	3	2	0	2.17
Aemetis	1	0	1	0	2.00

Peabody Energy presently has a consensus price target of $33.88, suggesting a potential upside of 34.73%. Aemetis has a consensus price target of $11.88, suggesting a potential upside of 615.36%. Given Aemetis’ higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Aemetis is more favorable than Peabody Energy.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Peabody Energy and Aemetis”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Peabody Energy	$3.86 billion	0.79	-$52.90 million	($1.50)	-16.76
Aemetis	$197.63 million	0.61	-$77.00 million	($0.91)	-1.82

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

Summary

Peabody Energy beats Aemetis on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Peabody Energy

Peabody Energy Corporation engages in coal mining business in the United States, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, India, Brazil, Belgium, Chile, France, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, South Korea, Germany, and internationally. The company operates through Seaborne Thermal, Seaborne Metallurgical, Powder River Basin, Other U.S. Thermal, and Corporate and Other segments. It is involved in the mining, preparation, and sale of thermal coal primarily to electric utilities; mining bituminous and sub-bituminous coal deposits; low sulfur and high British thermal unit thermal coal; and mining metallurgical coal, such as hard coking coal, semi-hard coking coal, semi-soft coking coal, and pulverized coal injection coal. The company supplies coal primarily to electricity generators, industrial facilities, and steel manufacturers. It also engages in marketing and brokering of coal from other coal producers; trading of coal and freight-related contracts, as well as provides transportation-related services. The company was founded in 1883 and is headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri.

About Aemetis

Aemetis, Inc. operates as a renewable natural gas and renewable fuels company. It operates through three segments: California Ethanol, California Dairy Renewable Natural Gas, and India Biodiesel. The company focuses on the operation, acquisition, development, and commercialization of technologies to produce low and negative carbon intensity renewable fuels that replace fossil-based products. In addition, it produces and sells ethanol; and wet distillers grains, distillers corn oil, and condensed distillers solubles to dairies and feedlots as animal feed. Further, the company markets and supplies USP alcohol and hand sanitizer; and produces renewable natural gas, as well as distilled biodiesel from various vegetable oil and animal waste feedstocks. Additionally, it researches and develops conversion technologies using waste feedstocks to produce biofuels and biochemicals. Furthermore, it sells biodiesel primarily to government oil marketing companies. Aemetis, Inc. is headquartered in Cupertino, California.