Marcus (NYSE:MCS – Get Free Report) and United Parks & Resorts (NYSE:PRKS – Get Free Report) are both small-cap consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk and profitability.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Marcus and United Parks & Resorts, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Marcus | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2.67 |
| United Parks & Resorts | 2 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2.15 |
Marcus currently has a consensus price target of $23.50, suggesting a potential upside of 43.21%. United Parks & Resorts has a consensus price target of $49.36, suggesting a potential upside of 37.01%. Given Marcus’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe Marcus is more favorable than United Parks & Resorts.
Risk and Volatility
Profitability
This table compares Marcus and United Parks & Resorts’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Marcus | 1.02% | 1.71% | 0.76% |
| United Parks & Resorts | 10.83% | -44.47% | 6.88% |
Insider and Institutional Ownership
81.6% of Marcus shares are held by institutional investors. 5.0% of Marcus shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 1.2% of United Parks & Resorts shares are held 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.
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares Marcus and United Parks & Resorts”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Marcus | $735.56 million | 0.69 | -$7.79 million | $0.24 | 68.38 |
| United Parks & Resorts | $1.73 billion | 1.14 | $227.50 million | $3.27 | 11.02 |
United Parks & Resorts has higher revenue and earnings than Marcus. United Parks & Resorts is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Marcus, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
United Parks & Resorts beats Marcus on 8 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Marcus
The Marcus Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates movie theatres, and hotels and resorts in the United States. It operates a family entertainment center and multiscreen motion picture theatres under the Big Screen Bistro, Big Screen Bistro Express, BistroPlex, and Movie Tavern by Marcus brand names. The company also owns and operates full-service hotels and resorts, as well as manages full-service hotels, resorts, and other properties. In addition, it provides hospitality management services, including check-in, housekeeping, and maintenance for a vacation ownership development; and manages condominium hotels under long-term management contracts. The Marcus Corporation was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
About United Parks & Resorts
United Parks & Resorts, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the ownership and operation of theme parks. Its portfolio includes SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Aquatica, Discovery Cove, Sesame Place, and Sea Rescue. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Orlando, FL.
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