Comparing BW LPG (NYSE:BWLP) and Odyssey Marine Exploration (NASDAQ:OMEX)

Odyssey Marine Exploration (NASDAQ:OMEX) and BW LPG (NYSE:BWLP) are both small-cap transportation companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations and risk.

Profitability

This table compares Odyssey Marine Exploration and BW LPG’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Odyssey Marine Exploration	-6,569.59%	N/A	-191.52%
BW LPG	4.57%	8.78%	5.04%

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Odyssey Marine Exploration and BW LPG”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Odyssey Marine Exploration	$467,122.00	263.70	$15.66 million	($0.78)	-2.83
BW LPG	$3.56 billion	0.50	$354.30 million	$1.13	11.86

BW LPG has higher revenue and earnings than Odyssey Marine Exploration. Odyssey Marine Exploration is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than BW LPG, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

50.0% of Odyssey Marine Exploration shares are owned by institutional investors. 8.0% of Odyssey Marine Exploration shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Odyssey Marine Exploration and BW LPG, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Odyssey Marine Exploration	1	0	0	0	1.00
BW LPG	0	1	2	0	2.67

Summary

BW LPG beats Odyssey Marine Exploration on 9 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Odyssey Marine Exploration

Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, discovers, validates, and develops seafloor mineral resources worldwide. The company provides specialized mineral exploration, project development, and marine services to clients. Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.

About BW LPG

BW LPG Limited, an investment holding company, engages in ship owning and chartering activities worldwide. The company operates through Shipping and Product Services segments. The company involved in the transportation of liquefied petroleum gas to oil companies, and trading and utility companies. It also offers integrated liquified petroleum gas (LPG) delivery services and support; wholesale and trade of LPG; and management services. It owns and operates LPG vessels and a fleet of very large gas carriers. The company was formerly known as BW Gas LPG Holding Limited and changed its name to BW LPG Limited in September 2013. BW LPG Limited was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in Singapore.