Critical Contrast: Ducommun (NYSE:DCO) vs. Loar (NYSE:LOAR)

Loar (NYSE:LOAR) and Ducommun (NYSE:DCO) are both aerospace companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, earnings, valuation and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares Loar and Ducommun’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Loar	N/A	N/A	N/A
Ducommun	3.82%	7.40%	4.27%

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Loar and Ducommun”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Loar	$378.81 million	18.74	N/A	N/A	N/A
Ducommun	$781.49 million	1.20	$15.93 million	$1.99	32.01

Ducommun has higher revenue and earnings than Loar.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

92.2% of Ducommun shares are owned by institutional investors. 8.8% of Ducommun shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Loar and Ducommun, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Loar	0	1	3	0	2.75
Ducommun	0	0	4	0	3.00

Loar presently has a consensus price target of $85.50, suggesting a potential upside of 8.04%. Ducommun has a consensus price target of $73.00, suggesting a potential upside of 14.62%. Given Ducommun’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Ducommun is more favorable than Loar.

Summary

Ducommun beats Loar on 9 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Loar

Loar Holdings Inc., through its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets aerospace and defense components for aircraft, and aerospace and defense systems in the United States and internationally. It offers products in various categories, which include airframe components, structural components, avionics, composites, braking system components, de-ice and ice protection, electro-mechanical, engineered materials, flight controls, fluid and motion controls, environmental, metal forming, molded components, and restraints and safety devices. The company also provides auto throttles, lap-belt airbags, two-and three-point seat belts, water purification systems, fire barriers, polyimide washers and bushings, latches, hold-open and tie rods, temperature and fluid sensors and switches, carbon and metallic brake discs, fluid and pneumatic-based ice protection, RAM air components, sealing solutions, actuation devices, and others. It primarily serves commercial, business jet and general aviation, and defense markets. Loar Holdings Inc. was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in White Plains, New York.

About Ducommun

Ducommun Incorporated provides engineering and manufacturing services for products and applications used primarily in the aerospace and defense, industrial, medical, and other industries in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Electronic Systems and Structural Systems. The Electronic Systems segment provides cable assemblies and interconnect systems; printed circuit board assemblies; electronic, electromechanical, and mechanical components and assemblies, as well as lightning diversion systems; and radar enclosures, aircraft avionics racks, shipboard communications and control enclosures, printed circuit board assemblies, cable assemblies, wire harnesses, interconnect systems, lightning diversion strips, surge suppressors, conformal shields, and other assemblies. The segment also supplies engineered products, including illuminated pushbutton switches and panels for aviation and test systems; microwave and millimeter switches and filters for radio frequency systems and test instrumentation; and motors and resolvers for motion control. In addition, this segment provides engineering expertise for aerospace system design, development, integration, and testing. The Structural Systems segment designs, engineers, and manufactures contoured aluminum, titanium, and Inconel aero structure components; structural assembly products, such as winglets, engine components, and fuselage structural panels; aerodynamic systems; and metal and composite bonded structures and assemblies comprising aircraft wing spoilers, large fuselage skins, rotor blades on rotary-wing aircraft and components, flight control surfaces, engine components, ammunition handling systems, and magnetic seals. It serves commercial aircraft, military fixed-wing aircraft, military and commercial rotary-wing aircraft, and space programs, as well as industrial, medical, and other end-use markets. The company was founded in 1849 and is headquartered in Santa Ana, California.