Comparing Franklin Mining (OTCMKTS:FMNJ) & NioCorp Developments (NASDAQ:NB)

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

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares NioCorp Developments and Franklin Mining”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
NioCorp Developments	N/A	N/A	-$17.41 million	($0.81)	-5.84
Franklin Mining	N/A	N/A	-$430,000.00	($0.03)	-0.08

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

Profitability

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

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
NioCorp Developments	N/A	-25.73%	-21.10%
Franklin Mining	N/A	N/A	N/A

Volatility & Risk

NioCorp Developments has a beta of -0.12, suggesting that its stock price is 112% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Franklin Mining has a beta of -0.2, suggesting that its stock price is 120% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for NioCorp Developments and Franklin Mining, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
NioCorp Developments	1	1	3	0	2.40
Franklin Mining	0	0	0	0	0.00

NioCorp Developments currently has a consensus target price of $8.32, indicating a potential upside of 75.83%. Given NioCorp Developments’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe NioCorp Developments is more favorable than Franklin Mining.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

4.0% of NioCorp Developments shares are owned by institutional investors. 8.2% of NioCorp Developments shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 20.0% of Franklin Mining shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Franklin Mining beats NioCorp Developments on 6 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

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.

About Franklin Mining

Franklin Mining, Inc., a mining and exploration company, acquires and develops mineral properties. The company explores for gold, silver, lead, and zinc deposits. It owns interests in the La Joya mining concession in Bolivia; and Madre de Dios Area, Ch-Mine, and Los Totems project in Peru. The company was formerly known as WCM Capital, Inc. Franklin Mining, Inc. was founded in 1864 and is based in Carson City, Nevada.