Head to Head Contrast: Northwest Pipe (NASDAQ:NWPX) and A.M. Castle & Co. (OTCMKTS:CTAM)

Northwest Pipe (NASDAQ:NWPX) and A.M. Castle & Co. (OTCMKTS:CTAM) are both industrial products companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, valuation, earnings, profitability, institutional ownership and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares Northwest Pipe and A.M. Castle & Co.’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Northwest Pipe	4.74%	6.36%	3.55%
A.M. Castle & Co.	N/A	N/A	N/A

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Northwest Pipe and A.M. Castle & Co., as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Northwest Pipe	0	0	1	0	3.00
A.M. Castle & Co.	0	0	0	0	N/A

Northwest Pipe currently has a consensus target price of $40.00, indicating a potential upside of 24.73%. Given Northwest Pipe’s higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Northwest Pipe is more favorable than A.M. Castle & Co..

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Northwest Pipe and A.M. Castle & Co.’s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Northwest Pipe	$444.36 million	0.71	$21.07 million	$2.09	15.34
A.M. Castle & Co.	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Northwest Pipe has higher revenue and earnings than A.M. Castle & Co..

Institutional and Insider Ownership

80.6% of Northwest Pipe shares are held by institutional investors. 2.7% of Northwest Pipe shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Northwest Pipe beats A.M. Castle & Co. on 8 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Northwest Pipe

Northwest Pipe Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and supply of water-related infrastructure products in North America. It operates in two segments, Engineered Steel Pressure Pipe (SPP) and Precast Infrastructure and Engineered Systems (Precast). The SPP segment offers large-diameter and high-pressure steel pipeline systems for use in water infrastructure applications, which are primarily related to drinking water systems. Its products are also used for hydroelectric power systems, wastewater systems, seismic resiliency, and other applications. In addition, this segment makes products for industrial plant piping systems and certain structural applications. The Precast segment provides stormwater and wastewater technology products, precast, and reinforced concrete products, including reinforced concrete pipe, manholes, box culverts, vaults and catch basins, pump lift stations, oil water separators, biofiltration units, steel casing pipes, and bar-wrapped concrete cylinder pipes, as well as pipeline system joints, fittings, specialized components, and other environmental and engineered solutions. The company sells its water infrastructure products under ParkUSA, Geneva Pipe and Precast, Permalok, and Northwest Pipe Company brands primarily to installation contractors. Northwest Pipe Company was incorporated in 1966 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Washington.

About A.M. Castle & Co.

A.M. Castle & Co. engages in the distribution of specialty metals and supply chain services. The firm serves the producer equipment, commercial and military aircraft, heavy equipment, industrial goods, and construction equipment sectors. Its products include alloy and stainless steels, nickel alloys, aluminum, titanium, and carbon. The company was founded in 1890 and is headquartered in Oak Brook, IL.