Contrasting Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) & Benesse (OTCMKTS:BSEFY)

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) and Benesse (OTCMKTS:BSEFY) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, earnings, valuation and dividends.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Universal Technical Institute and Benesse, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Universal Technical Institute	0	1	5	0	2.83
Benesse	0	0	0	0	N/A

Universal Technical Institute presently has a consensus price target of $15.20, suggesting a potential upside of 6.67%. Given Universal Technical Institute’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Universal Technical Institute is more favorable than Benesse.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Universal Technical Institute and Benesse’s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Universal Technical Institute	$607.41 million	0.80	$12.32 million	$0.26	54.81
Benesse	N/A	N/A	N/A	$55.01	0.31

Universal Technical Institute has higher revenue and earnings than Benesse. Benesse is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Universal Technical Institute, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares Universal Technical Institute and Benesse’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Universal Technical Institute	2.41%	9.25%	2.20%
Benesse	N/A	N/A	N/A

Insider and Institutional Ownership

75.7% of Universal Technical Institute shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.0% of Benesse shares are owned by institutional investors. 27.6% of Universal Technical Institute shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Universal Technical Institute beats Benesse on 9 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Universal Technical Institute

Universal Technical Institute, Inc. provides transportation, skilled trades, and healthcare education programs in the United States. The company operates in two segments, UTI and Concorde. It offers certificate, diploma, or degree programs under various brands, such as Universal Technical Institute, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, Marine Mechanics Institute, NASCAR Technical Institute, and MIAT College of Technology. The company also provides manufacturer specific advanced training programs, including student paid electives at its campuses; and manufacturer or dealer sponsored training at various campuses and dedicated training centers. It serves students, partners, and communities by providing education and support services in various fields. Universal Technical Institute, Inc. was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

About Benesse

Benesse Holdings, Inc. provides educational, and nursing care and childcare services in Japan and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Domestic Education Business; Nursing Care and Childcare Business; and Kids & Family Business. The company engages in the correspondence course business, school and teacher support business, cram school business, English language lessons for children business, and other businesses for preschool to high school students; and nursing care and childcare business, which include the operation of nursing homes for seniors comprising fee-based homes and elderly houses with care services, home help and daytime nursing care services, food delivery, and daycare and afterschool care services. It also offers information and products relating to pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting; lifestyle information and support everyday living through forums for communication with customers; and magazines, websites, and others to help enrich life with pets. The company was formerly known as Benesse Corporation and changed its name to Benesse Holdings, Inc. in 2009. Benesse Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 1955 and is headquartered in Okayama, Japan.