Luxfer (NYSE:LXFR) & Manitowoc (NYSE:MTW) Head-To-Head Contrast

Manitowoc (NYSE:MTW) and Luxfer (NYSE:LXFR) are both small-cap industrials companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares Manitowoc and Luxfer’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Manitowoc	1.10%	4.78%	1.78%
Luxfer	1.71%	11.86%	6.92%

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for Manitowoc and Luxfer, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Manitowoc	2	1	0	0	1.33
Luxfer	1	2	0	1	2.25

Manitowoc presently has a consensus target price of $17.50, indicating a potential downside of 28.29%. Luxfer has a consensus target price of $16.40, indicating a potential downside of 5.39%. Given Luxfer’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Luxfer is more favorable than Manitowoc.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

78.7% of Manitowoc shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 90.8% of Luxfer shares are held by institutional investors. 4.0% of Manitowoc shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.0% of Luxfer shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Manitowoc and Luxfer”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Manitowoc	$2.24 billion	0.39	$7.20 million	$0.71	34.37
Luxfer	$384.60 million	1.21	$7.70 million	$0.23	75.37

Luxfer has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Manitowoc. Manitowoc is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Luxfer, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Risk and Volatility

Manitowoc has a beta of 1.78, meaning that its stock price is 78% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Luxfer has a beta of 1.13, meaning that its stock price is 13% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Luxfer beats Manitowoc on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Manitowoc

The Manitowoc Company, Inc. provides engineered lifting solutions in the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. It designs, manufactures, and distributes crawler-mounted lattice-boom cranes under the Manitowoc brand; a line of top-slewing and self-erecting tower cranes under the Potain brand; mobile hydraulic cranes under the Grove, Shuttlelift, and National Crane brands; and hydraulic boom trucks under the National Crane brand. The company also provides aftermarket services, such as sale of parts and accessories, field service work, routine maintenance services, technical support, erection and decommissioning services, crane and component remanufacturing, training, and telematics services. Its crane products are used in various applications, including energy production/distribution and utilities; petrochemical and industrial; infrastructure, such as road, bridge, and airport construction; and commercial and residential construction. The company serves a range of customers, including dealers, rental companies, contractors, and government entities in the petrochemical, industrial, commercial construction, power and utilities, infrastructure, and residential construction end markets. The Manitowoc Company, Inc. was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

About Luxfer

Luxfer Holdings PLC, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and supplies high-performance materials, components, and high-pressure gas containment devices for defense and first response, healthcare, transportation, and general industrial applications. The company operates through three segments: Elektron, Gas Cylinders, and graphic Arts. The Elektron segment focuses on specialty materials based primarily on magnesium and zirconium. This segment also provides magnesium alloys for use in aerospace, healthcare, and oil and gas applications; magnesium powders for use in countermeasure flares, as well as heater meals; and zirconium-based materials and oxides used as catalysts and in the manufacture of advanced ceramics, fiber-optic fuel cells, pharmaceuticals, and other performance products. The Gas Cylinders segment manufactures and markets specialized products using carbon composites and aluminum alloys, including pressurized cylinders for use in various applications comprising self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) for firefighters, containment of oxygen, and other medical gases for healthcare, alternative fuel vehicles, and general industrial applications. The Graphic Art segments provides magnesium photo-engraving plates, engraving metals, and etching chemicals. This segment also offers magnesium, copper, and zinc photo-engraving plates for graphic arts and luxury packaging; developer solutions; and solid wrought magnesium slab and sheet. Luxfer Holdings PLC has operations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Canada, rest of Europe, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.