LG Display (NYSE:LPL) & ePlus (NASDAQ:PLUS) Critical Contrast

LG Display (NYSE:LPL) and ePlus (NASDAQ:PLUS) are both mid-cap technology companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, risk, analyst recommendations, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership and profitability.

Volatility and Risk

LG Display has a beta of 1.73, meaning that its stock price is 73% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, ePlus has a beta of 0.96, meaning that its stock price is 4% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares LG Display and ePlus”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
LG Display	$18.16 billion	0.15	$212.66 million	($0.91)	-2.98
ePlus	$2.44 billion	1.04	$132.64 million	$4.57	21.21

LG Display has higher revenue and earnings than ePlus. LG Display is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than ePlus, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

93.8% of ePlus shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.0% of LG Display shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 2.2% of ePlus shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares LG Display and ePlus’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
LG Display	-5.26%	-19.82%	-4.88%
ePlus	4.91%	11.51%	6.73%

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings for LG Display and ePlus, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
LG Display	1	1	0	0	1.50
ePlus	0	2	0	0	2.00

Summary

ePlus beats LG Display on 8 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About LG Display

LG Display Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) and organic light emitting diode (OLED) technology-based display panels. Its TFT-LCD and OLED technology-based display panels are primarily used in televisions, notebook computers, desktop monitors, tablet computers, mobile devices, and automotive displays. The company also provides display panels for industrial and other applications, including entertainment systems, portable navigation devices, and medical diagnostic equipment. In addition, it provides janitorial services; invests in venture business and acquire technologies; and manages intellectual property. The company operates in Korea, China, rest of Asia, the Americas, Poland, and rest of Europe. LG Display Co., Ltd. was formerly known as LG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd. and changed its name to LG Display Co., Ltd. in March 2008. The company was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.

About ePlus

ePlus inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides information technology (IT) solutions that enable organizations to optimize their IT environment and supply chain processes in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Technology and Financing. The Technology segment offers hardware, perpetual and subscription software, maintenance, software assurance, and internally provided and outsourced services; managed services or infrastructure and cloud; and enhanced maintenance support, service desk, storage-as-a-service, cloud hosted and managed, and managed security services; and professional, staff augmentation, cloud consulting, consulting, and security services. The Financing segment engages in financing arrangements, such as sales-type and operating leases; loans and consumption-based financing arrangements; and underwriting, management, and disposal of IT equipment and assets. Its financing operations comprise sales, pricing, credit, contracts, accounting, and risk and asset management. This segment primarily finances IT, communication-related, and medical equipment; and industrial machinery and equipment, office furniture and general office equipment, transportation equipment, and other general business equipment directly, as well as through vendors. The company serves commercial entities, state and local governments, government contractors, healthcare, and educational institutions. The company was formerly known as MLC Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to ePlus inc. in 1999. ePlus inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia.