Head to Head Analysis: Trevali Mining (OTCMKTS:TREVF) versus NioCorp Developments (NASDAQ:NB)

Trevali Mining (OTCMKTS:TREVF) and NioCorp Developments (NASDAQ:NB) are both small-cap basic materials companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership, valuation and risk.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

4.0% of NioCorp Developments shares are held by institutional investors. 18.7% of NioCorp Developments shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Trevali Mining and NioCorp Developments’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Trevali Mining	-6.08%	-0.96%	-0.41%
NioCorp Developments	N/A	N/A	-244.21%

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for Trevali Mining and NioCorp Developments, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Trevali Mining	0	0	0	0	N/A
NioCorp Developments	0	0	1	0	3.00

NioCorp Developments has a consensus target price of $8.50, indicating a potential upside of 299.06%. Given NioCorp Developments’ higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe NioCorp Developments is more favorable than Trevali Mining.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Trevali Mining and NioCorp Developments”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Trevali Mining	$288.09 million	0.05	$26.02 million	($0.15)	-1.07
NioCorp Developments	N/A	N/A	-$40.08 million	($0.37)	-5.76

Trevali Mining has higher revenue and earnings than NioCorp Developments. NioCorp Developments is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Trevali Mining, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Volatility and Risk

Trevali Mining has a beta of 2.53, indicating that its share price is 153% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, NioCorp Developments has a beta of -0.34, indicating that its share price is 134% less volatile than the S&P 500.

About Trevali Mining

Trevali Mining Corporation, a base-metals mining company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development of, and production from mineral properties. It primarily explores for zinc, lead, silver, copper, and gold deposits. The company's operational assets include the 90%-owned Perkoa Mine in Burkina Faso; 90%-owned Rosh Pinah Mine in Namibia; and Caribou Mine in northern New Brunswick, Canada. It also holds interests in the Halfmile, Stratmat, and Restigouche properties situated in New Brunswick, Canada; Gergarub project in Namibia; and Ruttan Mine located in northern Manitoba, Canada. In addition, the company has an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Heath Steele deposit located in New Brunswick, Canada. Trevali Mining Corporation was formerly known as Trevali Resources Corp. and changed its name to Trevali Mining Corporation in April 2011. The company was incorporated in 1964 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

About NioCorp Developments

NioCorp Developments Ltd. engages in the exploration and development of mineral deposits in North America. It owns and develops the Elk Creek niobium/scandium/titanium project that owns one 226.43-acre parcel of land and associated mineral rights, and an additional 40 acres of mineral rights, as well as an optioned land package that covers an area of 1,396 acres located in Johnson County, southeast Nebraska. The company was formerly known as Quantum Rare Earth Developments Corp. and changed its name to NioCorp Developments Ltd. in March 2013. NioCorp Developments Ltd. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Centennial, Colorado.