Suburban Propane Partners (NYSE:SPH) versus Genesis Energy (NYSE:GEL) Head-To-Head Survey

Suburban Propane Partners (NYSE:SPH) and Genesis Energy (NYSE:GEL) are both energy companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, profitability and earnings.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

30.9% of Suburban Propane Partners shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 66.8% of Genesis Energy shares are held by institutional investors. 1.3% of Suburban Propane Partners shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.7% of Genesis Energy shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Volatility and Risk

Suburban Propane Partners has a beta of 0.16, indicating that its stock price is 84% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Genesis Energy has a beta of 1.05, indicating that its stock price is 5% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Suburban Propane Partners and Genesis Energy’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Suburban Propane Partners	6.65%	15.98%	4.06%
Genesis Energy	-20.98%	-19.28%	-1.84%

Dividends

Suburban Propane Partners pays an annual dividend of $1.30 per share and has a dividend yield of 7.0%. Genesis Energy pays an annual dividend of $0.66 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.9%. Suburban Propane Partners pays out 90.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Genesis Energy pays out -12.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Genesis Energy has increased its dividend for 1 consecutive years.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Suburban Propane Partners and Genesis Energy”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Suburban Propane Partners	$1.33 billion	0.91	$74.17 million	$1.44	12.88
Genesis Energy	$2.97 billion	0.71	-$63.95 million	($5.21)	-3.29

Suburban Propane Partners has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Genesis Energy. Genesis Energy is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Suburban Propane Partners, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings for Suburban Propane Partners and Genesis Energy, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Suburban Propane Partners	1	0	0	0	1.00
Genesis Energy	0	0	3	0	3.00

Suburban Propane Partners currently has a consensus price target of $17.00, indicating a potential downside of 8.34%. Genesis Energy has a consensus price target of $16.50, indicating a potential downside of 3.65%. Given Genesis Energy’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Genesis Energy is more favorable than Suburban Propane Partners.

Summary

Suburban Propane Partners beats Genesis Energy on 9 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Suburban Propane Partners

Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., through its subsidiaries, engages in the retail marketing and distribution of propane, renewable propane, fuel oil, and refined fuels in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Propane, Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels, Natural Gas and Electricity, and All Other. The Propane segment is involved in the retail distribution of propane for space heating, water heating, cooking, and clothes drying for use as a motor fuel in internal combustion engines to power over-the-road vehicles, forklifts, and stationary engines, as well as to fire furnaces as a cutting gas to the industrial customers; and for tobacco curing, crop drying, poultry brooding, and weed control in the agricultural markets. It also engages in the wholesale distribution of propane to industrial end users. Its Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels segment engages in the retail distribution of fuel oil, diesel, kerosene, and gasoline to residential and commercial customers for use in primarily as a source of heat in homes and buildings. The Natural Gas and Electricity segment markets natural gas and electricity to residential and commercial customers in the deregulated energy markets in New York and Pennsylvania. The All Other segment sells, installs, and services a range of home comfort equipment, including whole-house heating products, air cleaners, humidifiers, and space heaters. The company serves residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural customers primarily in the east and west coast regions of the United States, as well as portions of the Midwest region of the United States and Alaska. Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. was founded in 1945 and is based in Whippany, New Jersey.

About Genesis Energy

Genesis Energy, L.P. provides integrated suite of midstream services in crude oil and natural gas industry in the United States. It operates through Offshore Pipeline Transportation, Soda and Sulfur Services, Marine Transportation, and Onshore Facilities and Transportation segments. The Offshore Pipeline Transportation segment engages in offshore crude oil and natural gas pipeline transportation and handling operations, as well as deep water pipeline servicing. This segment also owns interests in offshore crude oil and natural gas pipeline systems, platforms, and related infrastructure. The Soda and Sulfur Services segment produces, markets, and sells soda ash; and provides sulfur removal services. This segment also owns and operates soda ash production facilities, underground trona ore mines and brine solution mining operations and related equipment, and logistics and other assets; and sells sodium hydrosulfide and caustic soda to industrial and commercial companies involved in the mining of base metals. The Marine Transportation segment offers waterborne transportation of petroleum and crude oil in North America. This segment owns a fleet of 91 barges and 42 push/tow boats. The Onshore Facilities and Transportation segment offers onshore facilities and transportation services to crude oil refineries and producers by purchasing, transporting, storing, blending, and marketing crude oil and refined products; and operates trucks, trailers, railcars, and terminals and tankage in various locations along the Gulf Coast. This segment also transports crude oil, as well as owns four onshore crude oil pipeline systems and four operational crude oil rail unloading facilities. The company was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.