Contrasting Energy Fuels (NYSE:UUUU) and Intrepid Potash (NYSE:IPI)

Energy Fuels (NYSE:UUUU) and Intrepid Potash (NYSE:IPI) are both small-cap basic materials companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, institutional ownership, profitability, earnings, dividends and valuation.

Risk and Volatility

Energy Fuels has a beta of 1.61, suggesting that its stock price is 61% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Intrepid Potash has a beta of 2.18, suggesting that its stock price is 118% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Energy Fuels and Intrepid Potash”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Energy Fuels	$45.60 million	20.07	$99.86 million	($0.07)	-81.07
Intrepid Potash	$252.47 million	1.24	-$35.67 million	($3.38)	-6.96

Energy Fuels has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Intrepid Potash. Energy Fuels is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Intrepid Potash, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Energy Fuels and Intrepid Potash, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Energy Fuels	0	2	2	0	2.50
Intrepid Potash	0	1	0	0	2.00

Energy Fuels presently has a consensus price target of $8.58, indicating a potential upside of 51.25%. Intrepid Potash has a consensus price target of $23.00, indicating a potential downside of 2.21%. Given Energy Fuels’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts plainly believe Energy Fuels is more favorable than Intrepid Potash.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

48.2% of Energy Fuels shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 56.1% of Intrepid Potash shares are held by institutional investors. 1.9% of Energy Fuels shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 18.0% of Intrepid Potash shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Energy Fuels and Intrepid Potash’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Energy Fuels	-27.23%	-6.56%	-6.24%
Intrepid Potash	-19.19%	-2.02%	-1.77%

Summary

Intrepid Potash beats Energy Fuels on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Energy Fuels

Energy Fuels Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the extraction, recovery, recycling, exploration, permitting, evaluation, and sale of uranium mineral properties in the United States. The company produces and sells vanadium pentoxide, rare earth elements, and heavy mineral sands, such as ilmenite, rutile, zircon, and monazite. The company was formerly known as Volcanic Metals Exploration Inc. and changed its name to Energy Fuels Inc. in May 2006. Energy Fuels Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado.

About Intrepid Potash

Intrepid Potash, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the extraction and production of the potash in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Potash, Trio, and Oilfield Solutions. The company offers muriate of potash for various markets, such as agricultural market as a fertilizer input; the industrial market as a component in drilling and fracturing fluids for oil and gas wells, as well as an input to other industrial processes; and the animal feed market as a nutrient supplement. It also provides Trio, a specialty fertilizer that delivers potassium, sulfate, and magnesium in a single particle; water for oil and gas services industry; salt for various markets, including animal feed, industrial applications, pool salt, and the treatment of roads and walkways for ice melting or to manage road conditions; magnesium chloride for use as a road treatment agent for deicing and dedusting; brines for use in oil and gas industry to support well workover and completion activities; and metal recovery salts. Intrepid Potash, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is based in Denver, Colorado.