Avnet (AVT) versus Uni-Pixel (UNXL) Financial Survey

Avnet (NYSE: AVT) and Uni-Pixel (NASDAQ:UNXL) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, risk, valuation, profitabiliy, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares Avnet and Uni-Pixel’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Avnet	2.83%	9.24%	3.93%
Uni-Pixel	-619.07%	-290.64%	-177.34%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for Avnet and Uni-Pixel, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Avnet	4	5	0	1	1.80
Uni-Pixel	0	1	1	0	2.50

Avnet presently has a consensus target price of $41.29, suggesting a potential upside of 5.19%. Uni-Pixel has a consensus target price of $1.90, suggesting a potential upside of 387.18%. Given Uni-Pixel’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Uni-Pixel is more favorable than Avnet.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Avnet and Uni-Pixel’s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	EBITDA	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Avnet	$26.28 billion	0.19	$990.42 million	$4.17	9.41
Uni-Pixel	$4.55 million	5.11	-$24.18 million	($0.64)	-0.61

Avnet has higher revenue and earnings than Uni-Pixel. Uni-Pixel is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Avnet, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

98.5% of Avnet shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 9.7% of Uni-Pixel shares are held by institutional investors. 1.5% of Avnet shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.3% of Uni-Pixel shares are held by company 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.

Risk and Volatility

Avnet has a beta of 1.04, suggesting that its stock price is 4% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Uni-Pixel has a beta of 0.7, suggesting that its stock price is 30% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Dividends

Avnet pays an annual dividend of $0.72 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.8%. Uni-Pixel does not pay a dividend. Avnet pays out 17.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Uni-Pixel has increased its dividend for 3 consecutive years.

Summary

Avnet beats Uni-Pixel on 10 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Avnet

Avnet, Inc. is a distributor of electronic components, enterprise computer, networking and storage products and software, and embedded subsystems. The Company operates through Electronics Marketing (EM) segment. The EM segment markets and sells semiconductors; interconnect, passive and electromechanical devices (IP&E), and embedded products to a customer base serving various end markets. The Company creates a link in the technology supply chain that connects electronic component and computer product manufacturers and software developers with a customer base of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), electronic manufacturing services (EMS) providers, original design manufacturers (ODMs), systems integrators (SIs), independent software vendors (ISVs) and value-added resellers (VARs). The Company distributes electronic components, computer products and software, as received from its suppliers or through a customized solution, and offers assembly and other services.

About Uni-Pixel

Uni-Pixel, Inc. develops and markets touch sensor films for the touch screen and flexible electronics markets. The Company’s roll-to-roll electronics manufacturing process patterns fine line conductive elements on thin films. The Company markets its technologies for touch panel sensor and hard coat resin for cover glass replacement, and protective cover film applications under the XTouch and Diamond Guard brands. The Company is engaged in the optical design and manufacturing of microstructured polymer film materials and related technologies for the display, flexible electronics and automotive industries. It makes transparent conductive films and flexible electronic films for high volume, roll to roll patterning of flexible thin-film conductor patterns. The Company sells the touch screen films under the brand XTouch, as sub-components of a fully assembled touch sensor module. The Company has developed a hard coat resin that can be applied using film, spray or inkjet coating methods.