Caspian Services (OTCMKTS:CSSV) & Helix Energy Solutions Group (NYSE:HLX) Head to Head Comparison

Helix Energy Solutions Group (NYSE:HLX) and Caspian Services (OTCMKTS:CSSV) are both energy companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, institutional ownership, risk, profitability, earnings and analyst recommendations.

Risk and Volatility

Helix Energy Solutions Group has a beta of 1.25, indicating that its share price is 25% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Caspian Services has a beta of 18.72, indicating that its share price is 1,772% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Helix Energy Solutions Group and Caspian Services’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Helix Energy Solutions Group	3.25%	2.75%	1.62%
Caspian Services	N/A	N/A	N/A

Institutional & Insider Ownership

91.3% of Helix Energy Solutions Group shares are held by institutional investors. 6.6% of Helix Energy Solutions Group shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Helix Energy Solutions Group and Caspian Services”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Helix Energy Solutions Group	$1.36 billion	0.78	$55.64 million	$0.28	25.70
Caspian Services	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Helix Energy Solutions Group has higher revenue and earnings than Caspian Services.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Helix Energy Solutions Group and Caspian Services, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Helix Energy Solutions Group	0	2	3	0	2.60
Caspian Services	0	0	0	0	0.00

Helix Energy Solutions Group presently has a consensus target price of $10.50, indicating a potential upside of 45.93%. Given Helix Energy Solutions Group’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Helix Energy Solutions Group is more favorable than Caspian Services.

Summary

Helix Energy Solutions Group beats Caspian Services on 9 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Helix Energy Solutions Group

Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, an offshore energy services company, provides specialty services to the offshore energy industry in Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico, the East Coast of the United States, North Sea, the Asia Pacific, and West Africa regions. The company operates through four segments: Well Intervention, Robotics, Production Facilities, and Shallow Water Abandonment segments. It engages in the installation of flowlines, control umbilicals, and manifold assemblies and risers; trenching and burial of pipelines; installation and tie-in of riser and manifold assembly; commissioning, testing, and inspection activities; and provision of cable and umbilical lay, and connection services. The company also provides well intervention, intervention engineering, and production enhancement services; coiled tubing operations; inspection, repair, and maintenance of production structures, trees, jumpers, risers, pipelines, and subsea equipment; and related support services. In addition, it offers reclamation and remediation services; well plug and abandonment services; pipeline, cable and umbilical abandonment services; and site inspections. Additionally, the company offers oil and natural gas processing facilities and services; and fast response system, as well as site clearance and subsea support services. Further, it provides offshore oilfield decommissioning and reclamation, project management, engineered solutions, intervention, maintenance, repair, heavy lift, and commercial diving services. It serves independent oil and gas producers and suppliers, pipeline transmission companies, renewable energy companies, and offshore engineering and construction firms. The company was formerly known as Cal Dive International, Inc. and changed its name to Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. in March 2006. Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. was incorporated in 1979 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

About Caspian Services

Caspian Services, Inc. provides various oilfield services for the oil and gas industry in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Caspian Sea region. The company operates in three segments: Vessel Operations, Geophysical Services, and Marine Base Services. The Vessel Operations segment charters a fleet of shallow draft offshore support vessels to oil and natural gas exploration companies. This segment's vessel fleet includes supply vessels, survey/utility vessels, anchor handling multicats and support vessel tugs, cable laying barges, accommodation vessels, and crewboats. The Geophysical Services segment offers onshore geophysical services to independent oil and gas exploration and development companies operating in Kazakhstan. This segment provides geophysical seismic surveys, such as 2D and 3D seismic surveys. The Marine Base Services segment operates a marine base located at the Port of Bautino on the North Caspian Sea. This segment offers various facilities and services comprising long and short terms vessel moorings, wharf front crane pad for vessel loading/offloading, boat yard with vessel lifting facilities, long-term berths, water storage facilities and vessel bunkering, oily and waste water collection and removing facilities, weighbridge facilities, electrical power supply and distribution systems, and open lay-down storage area. The company was formerly known as EMPS Corporation and changed its name to Caspian Services, Inc. in July 2005. Caspian Services, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is based in Almaty, Kazakhstan.