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

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

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Uni-Pixel and Avnet, as reported by MarketBeat.

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

Uni-Pixel currently has a consensus price target of $1.21, suggesting a potential upside of 299.34%. Avnet has a consensus price target of $41.14, suggesting a potential upside of 10.15%. Given Uni-Pixel’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe Uni-Pixel is more favorable than Avnet.

Earnings & Valuation

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

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	EBITDA	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Uni-Pixel	$4.55 million	3.97	-$24.18 million	($0.70)	-0.43
Avnet	$17.44 billion	0.27	$754.18 million	$4.07	9.18

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.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

9.7% of Uni-Pixel shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 97.7% of Avnet shares are held by institutional investors. 1.5% of Uni-Pixel shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.5% of Avnet shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Dividends

Avnet pays an annual dividend of $0.72 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.9%. Uni-Pixel does not pay a dividend. Avnet pays out 17.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Avnet has raised its dividend for 3 consecutive years.

Profitability

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

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Uni-Pixel	-675.26%	-627.00%	-249.93%
Avnet	3.00%	8.87%	4.00%

Risk and Volatility

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

Summary

Avnet beats Uni-Pixel on 11 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

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.

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.