Analyzing Ener-Core (OTCMKTS:ENCR) & ARQ (NASDAQ:ARQ)

Ener-Core (OTCMKTS:ENCR) and ARQ (NASDAQ:ARQ) are both oils/energy companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, earnings, dividends, valuation, profitability and institutional ownership.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

18.5% of ARQ shares are held by institutional investors. 3.8% of Ener-Core shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 26.9% of ARQ shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Ener-Core and ARQ’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Ener-Core	N/A	N/A	N/A
ARQ	-0.44%	-0.25%	-0.19%

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Ener-Core and ARQ”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Ener-Core	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
ARQ	$110.02 million	2.95	-$12.25 million	($0.01)	-771.00

Ener-Core has higher earnings, but lower revenue than ARQ.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Ener-Core and ARQ, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Ener-Core	0	0	0	0	0.00
ARQ	0	0	2	0	3.00

ARQ has a consensus price target of $10.00, suggesting a potential upside of 29.70%. Given ARQ’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe ARQ is more favorable than Ener-Core.

Summary

ARQ beats Ener-Core on 6 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Ener-Core

Ener-Core, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, license, and market its products that are based on Power Oxidizer technologies. The company's Power Oxidizer technology generates industrial levels of usable heat in a pressure vessel using various organic gases as fuel for an oxidation reaction. Its products include Ener-Core PowerStation EC250 and Ener-Core Powerstation KG2-3GEF/PO, which have applications in landfills, distilleries, and various industrial processes. The company sells its products directly, as well as through distributors in the United States and the Netherlands. Ener-Core, Inc. was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.

About ARQ

Arq, Inc. produces activated carbon products in North America. The company's products include granular activated carbon, powdered and granular activated carbon, and colloidal carbon products; Arq Powder Wetcake, a fine and low-ash coal waste-derived particle; and additives for air emissions control. Its products are used in various applications, including water treatment, ground water remediation, soil sediments, air emissions, and asphalt additives. The company was formerly known as Advanced Emissions Solutions, Inc. and changed its name to Arq, Inc. in February 2024. Arq, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado.