Superior Energy Services (OTCMKTS:SPNX – Get Rating) and Core Laboratories (NYSE:CLB – Get Rating) are both oils/energy companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, dividends, profitability, earnings, valuation and institutional ownership.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of recent ratings for Superior Energy Services and Core Laboratories, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Superior Energy Services | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| Core Laboratories | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.33 |
Core Laboratories has a consensus target price of $21.88, suggesting a potential upside of 2.80%. Given Core Laboratories’ higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Core Laboratories is more favorable than Superior Energy Services.
Profitability
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Superior Energy Services | 32.41% | 36.12% | 23.64% |
| Core Laboratories | 3.97% | 15.98% | 4.93% |
Insider & Institutional Ownership
97.4% of Core Laboratories shares are held by institutional investors. 7.3% of Superior Energy Services shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.4% of Core Laboratories shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Superior Energy Services and Core Laboratories’ top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Superior Energy Services | $883.96 million | N/A | $286.46 million | $14.25 | 0.01 |
| Core Laboratories | $489.73 million | 2.03 | $19.45 million | $0.41 | 51.90 |
Superior Energy Services has higher revenue and earnings than Core Laboratories. Superior Energy Services is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Core Laboratories, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
Superior Energy Services beats Core Laboratories on 7 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Superior Energy Services
Superior Energy Services, Inc. provides oilfield services and equipment to oil and natural gas exploration and production companies in the United States and internationally. The company operates in four segments: Drilling Products and Services, Onshore Completion and Workover Services, Production Services, and Technical Solutions. The Drilling Products and Services segment rents downhole drilling tools, including tubulars, such as primary drill pipe strings, landing strings, completion tubulars, and associated accessories, as well as manufactures and rents bottom hole tools comprising stabilizers, non-magnetic drill collars, and hole openers; and surfaces, such as temporary onshore and offshore accommodation modules and accessories. The Onshore Completion and Workover Services segment offers fluid management services used to obtain, move, store, and dispose of fluids that are involved in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas; and workover services consisting of installations, completions, and sidetracking of wells, as well as support for perforating operations. The Production Services segment provides intervention services, such as coiled tubing, cased hole and mechanical wireline, hydraulic workover and snubbing, pressure control, production testing and optimization, and remedial pumping services. The Technical Solutions segment offers well containment systems; completion tools and services, including sand control systems, well screens and filters, and surface-controlled sub surface safety valves; and well and sand control, and stimulation services. This segment also produces and sells oil and gas. Superior Energy Services, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. On December 7, 2020, Superior Energy Services, Inc., along with its affiliates, filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.
About Core Laboratories
Core Laboratories NV engages in the provision of proprietary and patented reservoir description, production enhancement, and reservoir management services to the oil and gas industry. It operates through the Reservoir Description segment and Production Enhancement segment. The Reservoir Description segment encompasses the characterization of petroleum reservoir rock, fluid, and gas samples and provides analytical and field services to characterize properties of crude oil and petroleum products. The Production Enhancement segment provides products and services relating to reservoir well completions, perforations, stimulations, and production. The company was founded in 1936 and is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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