Post (NYSE:POST – Get Free Report) and Chefs’ Warehouse (NASDAQ:CHEF – Get Free Report) are both mid-cap consumer staples companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, institutional ownership, profitability, dividends, risk and analyst recommendations.
Profitability
This table compares Post and Chefs’ Warehouse’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Post | 3.82% | 12.37% | 3.54% |
| Chefs’ Warehouse | 1.74% | 14.75% | 4.38% |
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Post and Chefs’ Warehouse”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Post | $8.16 billion | 0.58 | $335.70 million | $5.41 | 18.16 |
| Chefs’ Warehouse | $4.15 billion | 0.56 | $72.36 million | $1.65 | 34.63 |
Post has higher revenue and earnings than Chefs’ Warehouse. Post is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Chefs’ Warehouse, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Volatility & Risk
Post has a beta of 0.44, meaning that its stock price is 56% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Chefs’ Warehouse has a beta of 1.34, meaning that its stock price is 34% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
94.9% of Post shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 91.6% of Chefs’ Warehouse shares are held by institutional investors. 14.1% of Post shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 11.9% of Chefs’ Warehouse shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Post and Chefs’ Warehouse, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Post | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2.63 |
| Chefs’ Warehouse | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2.43 |
Post presently has a consensus price target of $129.67, indicating a potential upside of 32.01%. Chefs’ Warehouse has a consensus price target of $77.67, indicating a potential upside of 35.92%. Given Chefs’ Warehouse’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Chefs’ Warehouse is more favorable than Post.
Summary
Post beats Chefs’ Warehouse on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Post
Post Holdings, Inc. operates as a consumer packaged goods holding company in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Post Consumer Brands, Weetabix, Foodservice, and Refrigerated Retail. The Post Consumer Brands segment manufactures, markets, and sells branded and private label ready-to-eat (RTE) cereals under Honey Bunches of Oats, Pebbles, and Malt-O-Meal brand names; hot cereal; peanut butter under the Peter Pan brand; and branded and private label dog and cat food products under Rachael Ray Nutrish, Nature's Recipe, 9Lives, Kibbles 'n Bits and Gravy Train brand names. The Weetabix segment primarily manufactures, markets, and distributes branded and private label RTE cereal under Weetabix and Alpen brands; hot cereals and other cereal-based food products; breakfast drinks; protein-based shakes under the UFIT brand, and nutritional snacks, such as muesli. The Foodservice segment produces and distributes egg products primarily under Papetti's and Abbotsford Farms brands, as well as potato products in the foodservice and food ingredient channels. The segment also manufactures certain meat products. The Refrigerated Retail segment produces and distributes side dish, potato, sausage products under Bob Evans, Bob Evans Farms, and Simply Potatoes brands; eggs and egg products under Bob Evans Egg Whites and Egg Beaters brands; and cheese, and other dairy and refrigerated products under Crystal Farms brand. It serves grocery stores, mass merchandise customers, supercenters, club stores, natural/specialty stores, dollar stores, discounters, wholesalers, convenience stores, pet supply retailers, drug store customers, foodservice distributors, and national restaurant chains, as well as sells its products in the military, ecommerce, and foodservice channels. The company was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri.
About Chefs’ Warehouse
The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, distributes specialty food and center-of-the-plate products in the United States, the Middle East, and Canada. The company’s product portfolio includes specialty food products, such as artisan charcuterie, specialty cheeses, unique oils and vinegars, truffles, caviar, chocolate, and pastry products; and center-of-the-plate products consisting of custom cut beef, seafood, and hormone-free poultry, as well as broadline food products comprising cooking oils, butter, eggs, milk, and flour. The company serves menu-driven independent restaurants, fine dining establishments, country clubs, hotels, caterers, culinary schools, bakeries, patisseries, chocolatiers, cruise lines, casinos, and specialty food stores. It markets its center-of-the-plate products directly to consumers through a mail and e-commerce platform. The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Ridgefield, Connecticut.
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