Reviewing Strattec Security Corporation (STRT) & Westport Fuel Systems (WPRT)

Westport Fuel Systems (NASDAQ: WPRT) and Strattec Security Corporation (NASDAQ:STRT) are both small-cap auto/tires/trucks companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, valuation, earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends and institutional ownership.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Westport Fuel Systems and Strattec Security Corporation, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Westport Fuel Systems	0	1	1	0	2.50
Strattec Security Corporation	0	0	0	0	N/A

Westport Fuel Systems presently has a consensus target price of $2.46, indicating a potential upside of 28.80%. Given Westport Fuel Systems’ higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Westport Fuel Systems is more favorable than Strattec Security Corporation.

Dividends

Strattec Security Corporation pays an annual dividend of $0.56 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.6%. Westport Fuel Systems does not pay a dividend. Strattec Security Corporation pays out 28.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Westport Fuel Systems and Strattec Security Corporation’s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	EBITDA	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Westport Fuel Systems	$260.91 million	0.81	-$62.75 million	($0.80)	-2.39
Strattec Security Corporation	$417.33 million	0.30	$25.12 million	$1.96	18.04

Strattec Security Corporation has higher revenue and earnings than Westport Fuel Systems. Westport Fuel Systems is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Strattec Security Corporation, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Volatility and Risk

Westport Fuel Systems has a beta of 2.16, indicating that its stock price is 116% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Strattec Security Corporation has a beta of 1.51, indicating that its stock price is 51% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Westport Fuel Systems and Strattec Security Corporation’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Westport Fuel Systems	-32.70%	-81.28%	-25.48%
Strattec Security Corporation	1.72%	4.53%	2.86%

Insider and Institutional Ownership

9.4% of Westport Fuel Systems shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 85.5% of Strattec Security Corporation shares are held by institutional investors. 6.8% of Strattec Security Corporation shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Strattec Security Corporation beats Westport Fuel Systems on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Westport Fuel Systems

Westport Fuel Systems Inc, formerly Westport Innovations Inc, is a Canada-based provider of low-emission engine and fuel system technologies utilizing gaseous fuels. It operates through the Westport Operations segment. The Westport Operations segment designs, manufactures and sells compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas components and systems to original equipment manufacturers and to aftermarket customers. Its subsidiaries design and manufacture a range of components, including pressure regulators, injectors, electronic control units, valves and filters; sell mono-fuel, bi-fuel and dual-fuel diesel blend conversion kits, and also offer full engine management systems and solutions. The Westport Operations segment has a customer base in Europe and North America, as well as in Asia, South America, and Africa.

About Strattec Security Corporation

Strattec Security Corporation designs, develops, manufactures and markets automotive access control products. The Company offers access control products, including mechanical locks and keys, electronically enhanced locks and keys, steering column and instrument panel ignition lock housings, latches, power sliding side door systems, power lift gate systems, power deck lid systems, door handles and related products for North American automotive customers. The Company supplies its products under the VAST brand name. The Company’s products are shipped to customer locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America, Korea and China, and it also provides full service and aftermarket support. The Company provides its customers with engineered access control products, including locksets, fobs, push button ignition systems, steering column lock housings, seatback and secondary power liftgate systems, power decklids, door handles, and trim and other access products.