Liberty Energy (NYSE:LBRT – Get Free Report) and Smart Sand (NASDAQ:SND – Get Free Report) are both energy companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, dividends, valuation, institutional ownership and earnings.
Profitability
This table compares Liberty Energy and Smart Sand’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Liberty Energy | 3.69% | 1.24% | 0.73% |
| Smart Sand | 0.41% | -8.67% | -6.01% |
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Liberty Energy and Smart Sand, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Liberty Energy | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 2.50 |
| Smart Sand | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 |
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Liberty Energy and Smart Sand”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Liberty Energy | $4.01 billion | 1.18 | $147.87 million | $0.89 | 32.78 |
| Smart Sand | $330.15 million | 0.49 | $1.35 million | $0.03 | 123.50 |
Liberty Energy has higher revenue and earnings than Smart Sand. Liberty Energy is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Smart Sand, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
98.2% of Liberty Energy shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 35.2% of Smart Sand shares are held by institutional investors. 1.9% of Liberty Energy shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 32.3% of Smart Sand shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Volatility and Risk
Liberty Energy has a beta of 0.48, indicating that its stock price is 52% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Smart Sand has a beta of 0.27, indicating that its stock price is 73% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Liberty Energy beats Smart Sand on 12 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Liberty Energy
Liberty Energy Inc. provides hydraulic services and related technologies to onshore oil and natural gas exploration, and production companies in North America. The company offers hydraulic fracturing services, including complementary services, such as wireline services, proppant delivery solutions, field gas processing and treating, compressed natural gas (CNG) delivery, data analytics, related goods comprising sand mine operations, and technologies; and well site fueling and logistics. As of as of December 31, 2023, the company owned and operated a fleet of approximately 40 active hydraulic fracturing; and two sand mines in the Permian Basin. In addition, the company provides services primarily in the Permian Basin, the Williston Basin, the Eagle Ford Shale, the Haynesville Shale, the Appalachian Basin (Marcellus Shale and Utica Shale), the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, the Denver-Julesburg Basin (the DJ Basin), and the Anadarko Basin. Liberty Energy Inc. was formerly known as Liberty Oilfield Services Inc. and changed its name to Liberty Energy Inc. in April 2022. The company was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
About Smart Sand
Smart Sand, Inc., an integrated frac and industrial sand supply and services company, engages in the excavation, processing, and sale of sands or proppant for use in hydraulic fracturing operations in the oil and gas industry in the United States. It also provides proppant logistics services; and wellsite storage solutions through SmartSystems products and services. The company sells its products primarily to oil and natural gas exploration and production companies, oilfield service companies, and industrial manufacturers. Smart Sand, Inc. was incorporated in 2011 and is headquartered in Spring, Texas.
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