FXCM (NASDAQ: GLBR) and BGC Partners (NASDAQ:BGCP) are both finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation, institutional ownership, profitabiliy and dividends.
Risk & Volatility
FXCM has a beta of -0.09, indicating that its share price is 109% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, BGC Partners has a beta of 1.29, indicating that its share price is 29% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares FXCM and BGC Partners’ top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | EBITDA | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| FXCM | $270.43 million | 0.05 | $17.84 million | ($1.13) | -1.86 |
| BGC Partners | $2.62 billion | 1.45 | $111.12 million | $0.39 | 34.28 |
BGC Partners has higher revenue and earnings than FXCM. FXCM is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than BGC Partners, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of recent ratings for FXCM and BGC Partners, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| FXCM | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| BGC Partners | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
Dividends
BGC Partners pays an annual dividend of $0.72 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.4%. FXCM does not pay a dividend. BGC Partners pays out 184.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
24.1% of FXCM shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 45.9% of BGC Partners shares are owned by institutional investors. 9.0% of FXCM shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 37.4% of BGC Partners shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Profitability
This table compares FXCM and BGC Partners’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| FXCM | -3.49% | -81.10% | 6.13% |
| BGC Partners | 4.14% | 32.21% | 8.14% |
Summary
BGC Partners beats FXCM on 11 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.
About FXCM
Global brokerage, Inc., formerly FXCM Inc. (FXCM), is engaged in providing online foreign exchange (FX) trading, contract for difference (CFD) trading, spread betting and related services. The Company owns over 50% of FXCM Group, LLC (FXCM Group). FXCM Group is a holding company of Forex Capital Markets LLC, (FXCM US), Forex Capital Markets Limited, inclusive of all EU branches (FXCM UK), FXCM Australia Pty. Limited, (FXCM AU). The Company focuses on providing global traders with access to market by offering trading tools, hiring trading educators. In addition, FXCM offers educational courses on FX trading and provides trading tools data and resources. FXCM Pro provides retail brokers, small hedge funds and market banks access to wholesale execution and liquidity, as well as providing high and medium frequency funds access to prime brokerage services through FXCM Prime.
About BGC Partners
BGC Partners, Inc. (BGC) is a global brokerage company servicing the financial and real estate markets. The Company operates through two segments: Financial Services and Real Estate Services. It provides a range of services, including trade execution, broker-dealer services clearing, trade compression, post trade, information, and other back-office services to a range of financial and non-financial institutions. Its integrated platform is designed to provide flexibility to customers with regard to price discovery, execution and processing of transactions, and enables them to use voice, hybrid, or in various markets, electronic brokerage services in connection with transactions executed either over-the-counter or through an exchange. Through the Company’s FENICS, Lucera, BGC Trader, BGC Market Data and Capitalab brands, it offers electronic brokerage, financial technology solutions, market data, post-trade services, and analytics related to select financial instruments and markets.
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