Hayward (NYSE:HAYW – Get Free Report) and ESS Tech (NYSE:GWH – Get Free Report) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends, valuation, profitability and analyst recommendations.
Profitability
This table compares Hayward and ESS Tech’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Hayward | 13.51% | 11.27% | 5.59% |
| ESS Tech | -1,045.28% | -1,141.31% | -140.58% |
Risk & Volatility
Hayward has a beta of 1.13, meaning that its stock price is 13% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, ESS Tech has a beta of 1.46, meaning that its stock price is 46% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Analyst Ratings
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Hayward | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3.00 |
| ESS Tech | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
Hayward currently has a consensus target price of $19.25, suggesting a potential upside of 40.97%. ESS Tech has a consensus target price of $2.50, suggesting a potential upside of 107.47%. Given ESS Tech’s higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe ESS Tech is more favorable than Hayward.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
46.8% of ESS Tech shares are held by institutional investors. 5.1% of Hayward shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.7% of ESS Tech shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares Hayward and ESS Tech”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Hayward | $1.12 billion | 2.64 | $151.57 million | $0.68 | 20.08 |
| ESS Tech | $1.58 million | 20.72 | -$63.44 million | ($4.33) | -0.28 |
Hayward has higher revenue and earnings than ESS Tech. ESS Tech is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Hayward, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
Hayward beats ESS Tech on 11 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Hayward
Hayward Holdings, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets a portfolio of pool equipment and associated automation systems in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company offers pool equipment, including pumps, filters, robotics, suction and pressure cleaners, gas heaters and heat pumps, water features and landscape lighting, water sanitizers, salt chlorine generators, safety equipment, and in-floor automated cleaning systems, as well as LED illumination solutions. It sells its products through specialty distributors, retailers, and buying groups. The company was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
About ESS Tech
ESS Tech, Inc., an energy storage company, designs and produces iron flow batteries for commercial and utility-scale energy storage applications worldwide. It offers energy storage products, which include Energy Warehouse, a behind-the-meter solution; and Energy Center, a front-of-the-meter solution. The company was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Wilsonville, Oregon.
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