Gridsum (NASDAQ:GSUM) and Symantec (NASDAQ:SYMC) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, profitability, risk and valuation.
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Gridsum and Symantec’s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Gridsum | $72.16 million | 1.51 | -$36.73 million | N/A | N/A |
| Symantec | $4.85 billion | 3.05 | $1.14 billion | $0.95 | 24.37 |
Symantec has higher revenue and earnings than Gridsum.
Dividends
Symantec pays an annual dividend of $0.30 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.3%. Gridsum does not pay a dividend. Symantec pays out 31.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.
Profitability
This table compares Gridsum and Symantec’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Gridsum | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Symantec | -0.86% | 13.24% | 4.67% |
Risk and Volatility
Gridsum has a beta of 3.1, indicating that its share price is 210% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Symantec has a beta of 1.05, indicating that its share price is 5% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of recent recommendations for Gridsum and Symantec, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Gridsum | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| Symantec | 2 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 2.05 |
Symantec has a consensus price target of $22.46, indicating a potential downside of 2.99%. Given Symantec’s higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Symantec is more favorable than Gridsum.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
31.4% of Gridsum shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 87.8% of Symantec shares are held by institutional investors. 1.9% of Symantec shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Summary
Symantec beats Gridsum on 10 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Gridsum
Gridsum Holding Inc. provides data analysis software for enterprises and government agencies in China. Its proprietary distributed data architecture allows its customers to collect and analyze information; and Gridsum Big Data platform and Gridsum Prophet performs multi-dimensional correlation analysis and analyzes complex real-time events. The company offers Web Dissector to analyze customer Websites by monitoring and analyzing key performance indicators; Mobile Dissector to understand mobile app user activity; SEM Dissector for search engine marketing; SEO Dissector, a search engine optimization tool; Ad Dissector, an advertisement performance monitoring and optimization product; Contribution Dissector to track and analyze user behavior from original access to ultimate conversion; Audience Dissector, an audience analysis product; and Recommendation Engine, a data driven content recommendation solution. It also provides Government Web Dissector, a digital intelligence solution; Government Website Group Integrated Management Platform, an integrated management platform; Streaming Dissector, a real-time viewership analysis for digital online video; Video Dissector, an online video content analytics tool; TV Dissector, an analytics tool; Rating Plus, a television viewing data analytics tool; and Media Dissector, a mass, social, and user-generated content media monitoring and analytics tool. In addition, the company offers Law Dissector, a search and statistical analysis tool; Smart Push, a legal research tool; voice recognition and transcription system; Information Dissector, an insightful analytical system; Social Listening, a cloud-based social listening solution; Gridsum Dashboard, a data visualization tool; and Gridsum Report Center, an automated report generation and distribution tool. Further, it develops new media analytics and information discovery solutions to address customer needs. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Beijing, China.
About Symantec
Symantec Corporation provides cybersecurity products, services, and solutions worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Enterprise Security and Consumer Digital Safety. The Enterprise Security segment provides endpoint and information protection products, including endpoint security, advanced threat protection, and information protection solutions and their related support services; and network and Web security products, such as network security, Web security, and cloud security solutions and their related support services. It also offers consulting, premium support, and cyber security services. The Consumer Digital Safety segment provides Norton Security solutions as a subscription service providing protection for devices against malware, viruses, adware, and ransomware on various platforms; and LifeLock identity theft protection solution that provides identity monitoring, alerts, and restoration to its customers, as well as Norton Wi-Fi Privacy services. The company serves business, government, and public-sector customers; small, medium, and large enterprises; and individuals, households, and small businesses. It markets and sells its products and related services through direct sales force, direct marketing and co-marketing programs, e-commerce and telesales platforms, distributors, Internet-based resellers, system builders, Internet service providers, employee benefits providers, wireless carriers, retailers, original equipment manufacturers, and retail and online stores. Symantec Corporation has strategic alliance with Ernst & Young LLP to help organizations address intellectual property and data, as well as manage cyber risk. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.
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