Knightscope (NASDAQ:KSCP – Get Free Report) and Virco Manufacturing (NASDAQ:VIRC – Get Free Report) are both small-cap industrials companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings and risk.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
14.6% of Knightscope shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 31.0% of Virco Manufacturing shares are held by institutional investors. 1.8% of Knightscope shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 16.9% of Virco Manufacturing shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Knightscope and Virco Manufacturing, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Knightscope | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2.50 |
| Virco Manufacturing | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.50 |
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Knightscope and Virco Manufacturing”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Knightscope | $11.34 million | 1.28 | -$33.81 million | ($3.43) | -0.18 |
| Virco Manufacturing | $199.65 million | 0.51 | $2.57 million | ($0.16) | -40.50 |
Virco Manufacturing has higher revenue and earnings than Knightscope. Virco Manufacturing is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Knightscope, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Profitability
This table compares Knightscope and Virco Manufacturing’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Knightscope | -217.29% | -152.20% | -90.99% |
| Virco Manufacturing | -1.31% | -2.32% | -1.39% |
Volatility and Risk
Knightscope has a beta of 1.33, suggesting that its stock price is 33% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Virco Manufacturing has a beta of 0.14, suggesting that its stock price is 86% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Virco Manufacturing beats Knightscope on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Knightscope
Knightscope, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, markets, deploys, and supports autonomous security robots (ASR) in the United States. Its products include K3 and K5 ASRs designed to roam a geo-fenced area autonomously by utilizing numerous sensors and lasers, either on a random basis or based on a particular patrolling algorithm to navigate around people, vehicles, and objects in dynamic indoor or outdoor environments; K1, an ASR for used in indoors or outdoors and at ingress/egress points for both people and vehicles; and K7, a multi-terrain ASR. The company also develops and operates the Knightscope security operations center (KSOC), a browser-based interface, which allows real-time data access service to its clients for alert of an abnormal event; and Knightscope network operations center (KNOC), a custom set of tools that enables it to manage and monitor the network of ASRs with alerts related to critical indicators and statistics, including charging, software, navigation, and temperatures, as well as to execute over-the-air software upgrades, patches, and other related items. In addition, it offers Knightscope+, a virtual monitoring and response solution that provides an alternative for client sites. The company serves airports, commercial real estate, corporate campus, homeowner associations, hotels, universities, municipalities, rail, healthcare, public parks, schools, casinos, corporations, logistics, manufacturing, law enforcement, Parking areas, municipalities, universities, and property management companies, as well as the U.S. federal government. Knightscope, Inc. was incorporated in 2013 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.
About Virco Manufacturing
Virco Mfg. Corporation engages in the design, production, and distribution of furniture in the United States and Canada. The company offers seating products, including 4-leg chairs, cantilever chairs, mobile task chairs and lab stools, tablet armchairs, steel-frame and floor rockers, series stools, hard plastic seating, folding and upholstered stack chairs, and plastic stack and upholstered ergonomic chairs. It also provides activity, butcher block, folding, office, technology, and mobile tables; desks and workstations, and instructor media stations and towers; chair desks and combo units, tablet arm and caster units, mobile workstations, student desks, and returns and credenzas; and computer furniture solutions. In addition, the company provides administrative office furniture, including desks, returns, bookcases, and other items, as well as steel storage cabinets, wardrobe tower cabinets, file credenzas, and mobile pedestals; laboratory furniture comprising steel-based science tables, table bases, lab stools, and wood-frame science tables; mobile furniture, such as mobile tables, mobile cabinets, and mobile chairs for school settings and offices; and handling and storage equipment, and stackable storage trucks. It serves public and private educational institutions, charter schools, convention centers and arenas, hospitality providers, government facilities, and places of worship through its sales and support teams, and dealers' network. Virco Mfg. Corporation was incorporated in 1950 and is headquartered in Torrance, California.
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