Head to Head Contrast: FUCHS (OTCMKTS:FUPBY) versus Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE)

FUCHS (OTCMKTS:FUPBY) and Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE) are both basic materials companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, risk, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability and analyst recommendations.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares FUCHS and Green Plains”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
FUCHS	$4.03 billion	1.43	$346.21 million	$0.70	15.70
Green Plains	$1.94 billion	0.61	-$121.28 million	($0.33)	-50.82

FUCHS has higher revenue and earnings than Green Plains. Green Plains is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than FUCHS, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for FUCHS and Green Plains, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
FUCHS	1	1	1	0	2.00
Green Plains	2	4	3	0	2.11

Green Plains has a consensus target price of $14.29, suggesting a potential downside of 14.81%. Given Green Plains’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Green Plains is more favorable than FUCHS.

Dividends

FUCHS pays an annual dividend of $0.19 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.7%. Green Plains pays an annual dividend of $0.48 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.9%. FUCHS pays out 27.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Green Plains pays out -145.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Green Plains is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Profitability

This table compares FUCHS and Green Plains’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
FUCHS	8.91%	16.57%	12.01%
Green Plains	-0.80%	2.86%	1.39%

Risk & Volatility

FUCHS has a beta of 0.94, suggesting that its share price is 6% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Green Plains has a beta of 1.24, suggesting that its share price is 24% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

FUCHS beats Green Plains on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About FUCHS

Fuchs SE develops, produces, and sells lubricants and related specialties in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and North and South America. The company offers automotive lubricants, such as biodegradable lubricants, central and mobile hydraulic oils, dry coatings, engine and gear oils, motorcycle/two wheelers, and service fluids, as well as various oils for agriculture sector. It also provides industrial lubricants, including chain lubricants, dry coatings, gear and hydraulic oils, machine oils, open gear lubricants, rapidly biodegradable lubricants, compressor and refrigeration oils, release agents, slideways oils, fluids and industrial oils, textile machine oils, and turbine oils. In addition, the company offers lubricating greases comprising assembly pastes, biodegradable greases, food grade greases, multi-purpose/long-life greases, pastes for extreme temperatures, perfluorinated pastes, and wheel bearing greases, as well as gear boxes, and greases for central lubricating system, extreme temperature, machine tools, plain and roller bearings, rail vehicles, spray cans or rattle cans, and solid lubricants. Further, it provides metal processing lubricants consisting of cleaners, corrosion preventives, cutting and grinding, forming lubricants, and quenching oils; and special application lubricants for application equipment, chain lubrication, dry coatings, food and beverage, gears, sugar processing, railway traffic, plain and roller bearings, glass manufacturing process, hot forming, maintenance, open gears, pastes, release agents, other specialties, special greases, and wind power plants. Additionally, the company offers open gear and surface coating services. The company was formerly known as Fuchs Petrolub SE and changed its name to Fuchs SE in July 2023. Fuchs SE was founded in 1931 and is headquartered in Mannheim, Germany.

About Green Plains

Green Plains Inc. produces low-carbon fuels in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Ethanol Production, Agribusiness and Energy Services, and Partnership. The Ethanol Production segment produces ethanol, distillers grains, and ultra-high protein and renewable corn oil. The Agribusiness and Energy Services segment engages in the grain procurement, handling and storage, commodity marketing business; and trading of ethanol, distiller grains, renewable corn oil, grain, natural gas, and other commodities in various markets. This segment also provides grain drying and storage services to grain producers. The Partnership segment offers fuel storage and transportation services. It operates 24 ethanol storage facilities; two fuel terminal facilities; and a fleet of approximately 2,180 leased railcars. The company was formerly known as Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc. and changed its name to Green Plains Inc. in May 2014. Green Plains Inc. was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.