Head-To-Head Contrast: Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER) versus West Japan Railway (OTCMKTS:WJRYY)

West Japan Railway (OTCMKTS:WJRYY) and Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER) are both industrials companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, valuation, earnings and dividends.

Volatility & Risk

West Japan Railway has a beta of 0.12, meaning that its stock price is 88% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Uber Technologies has a beta of 1.33, meaning that its stock price is 33% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares West Japan Railway and Uber Technologies’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
West Japan Railway	6.17%	9.05%	3.09%
Uber Technologies	6.13%	21.37%	9.12%

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares West Japan Railway and Uber Technologies”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
West Japan Railway	$12.26 billion	0.76	$841.49 million	$1.59	12.79
Uber Technologies	$56.53 billion	2.52	$10.05 billion	$1.69	41.36

Uber Technologies has higher revenue and earnings than West Japan Railway. West Japan Railway is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Uber Technologies, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

80.2% of Uber Technologies shares are held by institutional investors. 3.8% of Uber Technologies shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for West Japan Railway and Uber Technologies, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
West Japan Railway	0	1	0	0	2.00
Uber Technologies	2	5	44	1	2.85

Uber Technologies has a consensus price target of $102.08, indicating a potential upside of 46.05%. Given Uber Technologies’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Uber Technologies is more favorable than West Japan Railway.

Summary

Uber Technologies beats West Japan Railway on 14 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About West Japan Railway

West Japan Railway Company, commonly known as JR West, is a passenger rail operator serving western Japan. Its network includes conventional rail lines across the Kansai, Chugoku and Hokuriku regions, as well as the Sanyo Shinkansen, which connects Osaka with Hakata in Fukuoka. Established in 1987 as part of the breakup and privatization of Japan National Railways, JR West provides intercity and regional transportation, including commuter services in major urban areas such as Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe.

About Uber Technologies

Uber Technologies, Inc. operates a technology platform that connects people seeking transportation and delivery services with drivers, couriers, merchants and other providers. Its offerings include rides through the Uber app and food and grocery delivery through Uber Eats. The company also provides logistics services through Uber Freight, which connects shippers with carriers and offers tools for managing freight transportation. Uber’s platform serves users and businesses across markets in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.