Carbon Sciences (OTCMKTS:DLOC) and i3 Verticals (NASDAQ:IIIV) Head-To-Head Survey

i3 Verticals (NASDAQ:IIIV) and Carbon Sciences (OTCMKTS:DLOC) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, profitability and institutional ownership.

Risk and Volatility

i3 Verticals has a beta of 1.3, indicating that its stock price is 30% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Carbon Sciences has a beta of 2.23, indicating that its stock price is 123% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares i3 Verticals and Carbon Sciences’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
i3 Verticals	55.87%	3.87%	2.91%
Carbon Sciences	N/A	N/A	N/A

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings for i3 Verticals and Carbon Sciences, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
i3 Verticals	0	2	4	0	2.67
Carbon Sciences	0	0	0	0	0.00

i3 Verticals currently has a consensus price target of $34.33, suggesting a potential upside of 13.80%. Given i3 Verticals’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe i3 Verticals is more favorable than Carbon Sciences.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares i3 Verticals and Carbon Sciences”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
i3 Verticals	$229.92 million	4.23	$113.34 million	$5.22	5.78
Carbon Sciences	$30,000.00	N/A	-$4.72 million	($0.01)	N/A

i3 Verticals has higher revenue and earnings than Carbon Sciences. Carbon Sciences is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than i3 Verticals, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

84.2% of i3 Verticals shares are owned by institutional investors. 59.1% of i3 Verticals shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.7% of Carbon Sciences shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

i3 Verticals beats Carbon Sciences on 11 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About i3 Verticals

i3 Verticals, Inc. provides integrated payment and software solutions primarily to the public sector and healthcare markets in the United States. It operates in two segments, Software and Services, and Merchant Services. The company offers payment processing services that enables upper and lower court case management, collections, finance and accounting, motor vehicle and carrier registration, e-filing and taxation, license plate inventory, property tax management, utility billing, professional licensing, document workflow, and law enforcement software; assists public schools in completing payment processing functions, including accepting payments for online or at school lunches, and school activities. It also provides software platforms, such as electronic healthcare records and revenue cycle management solutions; insurance adjudication, patient engagement platforms, billing, scheduling, and integrated payments solutions; and workflow software and associated professional services to medical insurance payers. In addition, the company engages in software licenses and subscriptions, transaction-based fees, ongoing software maintenance and support, and other software-related solutions; and payment processing and gateway fees, as well as other related fixed transaction or service fees. Further, it sells equipment, and offers non-software related professional services. The company offers its solutions to clients through direct sales force; distribution partners comprising independent software vendors, independent sales organizations, and value-added resellers. i3 Verticals, Inc. was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.

About Carbon Sciences

Digital Locations, Inc. operates as an aggregator, developer, and acquirer of small cell sites and cell towers for 5G services. The company intends to develop a portfolio of sites to meet the expected demand of growing 5G networks. It also provides web-based software, which provides a system and method for identifying wireless communication assets. The company was formerly known as Carbon Sciences, Inc. and changed its name to Digital Locations, Inc. in September 2017. Digital Locations, Inc. was incorporated in 2006 and is based in Santa Barbara, California.