South32 (OTCMKTS:SOUHY) & International Tower Hill Mines (NYSE:THM) Critical Comparison

South32 (OTCMKTS:SOUHY) and International Tower Hill Mines (NYSE:THM) are both basic materials companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, earnings, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares South32 and International Tower Hill Mines’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
South32	N/A	N/A	N/A
International Tower Hill Mines	N/A	-5.82%	-5.80%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings for South32 and International Tower Hill Mines, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
South32	1	1	0	0	1.50
International Tower Hill Mines	0	0	0	0	0.00

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares South32 and International Tower Hill Mines”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
South32	$5.48 billion	1.77	-$203.00 million	N/A	N/A
International Tower Hill Mines	N/A	N/A	-$3.40 million	($0.02)	-25.13

International Tower Hill Mines has lower revenue, but higher earnings than South32.

Risk & Volatility

South32 has a beta of 0.99, suggesting that its stock price is 1% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, International Tower Hill Mines has a beta of 1.1, suggesting that its stock price is 10% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

0.1% of South32 shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 54.6% of International Tower Hill Mines shares are held by institutional investors. 0.2% of South32 shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 2.5% of International Tower Hill Mines 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.

About South32

South32 Limited operates as a diversified metals and mining company in Australia, India, China, Japan, the Middle East, Mozambique, the Netherlands, Brazil, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Worsley Alumina, Brazil Alumina, Brazil Aluminium, Hillside Aluminium, Mozal Aluminium, Sierra Gorda, Cannington, Hermosa, Cerro Matoso, Illawarra Metallurgical Coal, Australia Manganese, and South Africa Manganese segments. It has a portfolio of assets producing bauxite, alumina, aluminum, copper, silver, lead, zinc, nickel, metallurgical coal, manganese, ferronickel, and other base metals. The company also exports its products. South32 Limited was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Perth, Australia.

About International Tower Hill Mines

International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. is a Canada-based resource exploration company possessing a portfolio of Alaskan and Nevada based gold and base metal exploration projects. The Company is currently focused on the Livengood Gold Project located in the north of Fairbanks, Alaska. International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.