Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ: SYMC) and ANSYS (NASDAQ:ANSS) are both large-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, institutional ownership, profitabiliy, analyst recommendations, earnings and risk.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
93.0% of Symantec Corporation shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 98.5% of ANSYS shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.8% of Symantec Corporation shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.3% of ANSYS shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Profitability
This table compares Symantec Corporation and ANSYS’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Symantec Corporation | -2.64% | 11.06% | 2.63% |
| ANSYS | 26.82% | 13.81% | 11.09% |
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares Symantec Corporation and ANSYS’s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | EBITDA | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Symantec Corporation | $4.02 billion | 4.69 | $727.00 million | ($0.17) | -182.53 |
| ANSYS | $1.02 billion | 10.76 | $455.21 million | $3.09 | 41.56 |
Symantec Corporation has higher revenue and earnings than ANSYS. Symantec Corporation is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than ANSYS, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Symantec Corporation and ANSYS, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Symantec Corporation | 1 | 11 | 13 | 0 | 2.48 |
| ANSYS | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1.91 |
Symantec Corporation currently has a consensus price target of $30.55, indicating a potential downside of 1.56%. ANSYS has a consensus price target of $105.75, indicating a potential downside of 17.66%. Given Symantec Corporation’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Symantec Corporation is more favorable than ANSYS.
Risk and Volatility
Symantec Corporation has a beta of 1.11, meaning that its share price is 11% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, ANSYS has a beta of 1.09, meaning that its share price is 9% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Dividends
Symantec Corporation pays an annual dividend of $0.30 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.0%. ANSYS does not pay a dividend. Symantec Corporation pays out -176.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.
Summary
Symantec Corporation beats ANSYS on 9 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.
Symantec Corporation Company Profile
Symantec Corporation is a United States-based cyber security company. The Company offers products under categories, such as threat protection, information protection, cyber security services and Website security. Under threat protection, it offers Advanced Threat Protection, Endpoint Protection, Endpoint Protection Cloud, IT Management Suite, Email Security.Cloud, Data Center Security and Cloud Workload Protection products. Under the information protection category, it offers Data Loss Prevention, Encryption, Managed PKI, Service, VIP Access Manager, and Data Loss Prevention and CloudSOC products. The Company also offers consulting services, customer success services, cyber security services and education services. Its cyber security services include DeepSight Intelligence software, which provides an analysis of attacks. The Company offers the Blue Coat Security Platform, which provides Web security solutions for global enterprises and governments.
ANSYS Company Profile
ANSYS, Inc. (ANSYS) develops and markets engineering simulation software and services used by engineers, designers, researchers and students across a range of industries and academia, including aerospace and defense, automotive, industrial equipment, electronics, biomedical, energy, materials and chemical processing, and semiconductors. The Company focuses on the development of open and flexible solutions that enable users to analyze designs directly on the desktop, providing a common platform for product development, from design concept to final-stage testing and validation. The Company distributes its ANSYS suite of simulation technologies through a network of independent resellers and distributors, and direct sales offices in various locations. Its product portfolio consists of Simulation Platform: ANSYS Workbench, Structures, Fluids, Electronics, Semiconductors, Multiphysics, AIM, Embedded Software, Systems, Three Dimensional (3-D) Direct Modeling and Academic.
Receive News & Ratings for Symantec Corporation Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Symantec Corporation and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
