Energy Vault (NYSE:NRGV – Get Free Report) and LSI Industries (NASDAQ:LYTS – Get Free Report) are both small-cap industrials companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, valuation, earnings, institutional ownership and dividends.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
40.0% of Energy Vault shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 73.9% of LSI Industries shares are owned by institutional investors. 17.2% of Energy Vault shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 4.7% of LSI Industries 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.
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Energy Vault and LSI Industries”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Energy Vault | $203.67 million | 2.84 | -$103.61 million | ($0.66) | -4.83 |
| LSI Industries | $689.40 million | 1.16 | $22.58 million | $0.67 | 32.09 |
LSI Industries has higher revenue and earnings than Energy Vault. Energy Vault is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than LSI Industries, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Energy Vault and LSI Industries, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Energy Vault | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2.29 |
| LSI Industries | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2.60 |
Energy Vault presently has a consensus price target of $5.76, suggesting a potential upside of 80.72%. LSI Industries has a consensus price target of $29.00, suggesting a potential upside of 34.88%. Given Energy Vault’s higher possible upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Energy Vault is more favorable than LSI Industries.
Profitability
This table compares Energy Vault and LSI Industries’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Energy Vault | -48.58% | -236.83% | -34.74% |
| LSI Industries | 3.28% | 7.51% | 3.71% |
Risk & Volatility
Energy Vault has a beta of 1.33, suggesting that its share price is 33% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, LSI Industries has a beta of 0.54, suggesting that its share price is 46% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
LSI Industries beats Energy Vault on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Energy Vault
Energy Vault Holdings, Inc. develops and sells energy storage solutions. The company offers B-Vault, an electrochemical battery energy storage systems for shorter-duration energy storage needs; G-Vault, a proprietary gravity energy storage solution, including EVx solution; and H-Vault, a hybrid energy storage systems including systems that integrate green hydrogen. Its software solutions includes Vault-OS, an energy management system the management of one or more diverse storage mediums; Vault-Bidder that utilizes machine learning algorithms to match node-specific data with real-time weather and asset performance information; and Vault-Manager which designs to safeguard asset management and to help blend developing technologies seamlessly into existing solutions. Energy Vault Holdings, Inc. is based in Westlake Village, California.
About LSI Industries
LSI Industries Inc. produces and sells non-residential lighting and retail display solutions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Latin America. It operates through two segments, Lighting and Display Solutions. The Lighting segment manufactures, markets, and sells non-residential outdoor and indoor lighting fixture and control solutions in the commercial and industrial markets. This segment also offers lighting control products, including sensors, photocontrols, dimmers, motion detection, and Bluetooth systems to support lighting fixtures; and designs, engineers, and manufactures electronic circuit boards, assemblies, and sub-assemblies. The Display Solutions segment manufactures, sells, and installs exterior and interior visual image and display elements, including printed and structural graphics, digital signage, menu board systems, display fixtures, refrigerated displays, and custom display elements. This segments products and services include signage and canopy graphics, pump dispenser graphics, building fascia graphics, decals, interior signage and marketing graphics, aisle markers, wall mural graphics, and refrigerated and non-refrigerated merchandising displays. This segment also provides project management services comprising installation management, site surveys, permitting, and content management; and manages and executes the implementation of large rollout programs. It serves refueling and convenience store, parking lot and garage, quick-service restaurant, retail and grocery store, automotive, warehouse, sports court, and field markets, as well as warehouses. LSI Industries Inc. was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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