AEye (NASDAQ:LIDR – Get Free Report) and Acorn Energy (NASDAQ:ACFN – Get Free Report) are both small-cap technology companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability and valuation.
Volatility & Risk
AEye has a beta of 2.7, indicating that its share price is 170% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Acorn Energy has a beta of 0.31, indicating that its share price is 69% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Profitability
This table compares AEye and Acorn Energy’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| AEye | -7,786.44% | -42.98% | -38.52% |
| Acorn Energy | 16.12% | 10.06% | 6.32% |
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares AEye and Acorn Energy”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| AEye | $230,000.00 | 174.16 | -$33.96 million | ($0.87) | -0.99 |
| Acorn Energy | $11.48 million | 4.01 | $2.51 million | $0.61 | 30.05 |
Acorn Energy has higher revenue and earnings than AEye. AEye is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Acorn Energy, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for AEye and Acorn Energy, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| AEye | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
| Acorn Energy | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 |
AEye currently has a consensus price target of $3.50, suggesting a potential upside of 307.78%. Given AEye’s higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe AEye is more favorable than Acorn Energy.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
21.6% of AEye shares are owned by institutional investors. 11.9% of AEye shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 35.6% of Acorn Energy shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Summary
Acorn Energy beats AEye on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.
About AEye
AEye, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides lidar systems for vehicle autonomy, advanced driver-assistance systems, and robotic vision applications in the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. It offers 4Sight intelligent sensing lidar platform, including 4Sight at Design, Triggered 4Sight, Responsive 4Sight, and Predictive 4Sight; and 4Sight for automotive and industrial market. The company was formerly known as CF Finance Acquisition Corp. III and changed its name to AEye, Inc. in August 2021. AEye, Inc. was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Dublin, California.
About Acorn Energy
Acorn Energy, Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops and markets wireless remote monitoring and control systems for various markets in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Power Generation (PG) Monitoring and Cathodic Protection (CP) Monitoring. The PG segment provides wireless remote monitoring and control systems, and services for critical assets, which include stand-by power generators, compressors, pumps, pumpjacks, light towers, turbines, and other industrial equipment; and Internet of Things applications. The CP segment offers remote monitoring of cathodic protection systems on gas pipelines for gas utilities and pipeline companies. The company was incorporated in 1986 and is based in Wilmington, Delaware.
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