Reviewing MP Materials (NYSE:MP) and AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU)

MP Materials (NYSE:MP) and AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) are both materials companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation and institutional ownership.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares MP Materials and AngloGold Ashanti”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
MP Materials	$305.38 million	23.43	-$85.87 million	($0.34)	-118.18
AngloGold Ashanti	$11.82 billion	3.96	$2.64 billion	$7.46	12.43

AngloGold Ashanti has higher revenue and earnings than MP Materials. MP Materials is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than AngloGold Ashanti, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

52.5% of MP Materials shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 36.1% of AngloGold Ashanti shares are owned by institutional investors. 8.2% of MP Materials shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares MP Materials and AngloGold Ashanti’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
MP Materials	-19.85%	-1.21%	-0.62%
AngloGold Ashanti	32.19%	38.77%	25.72%

Risk & Volatility

MP Materials has a beta of 1.98, suggesting that its stock price is 98% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, AngloGold Ashanti has a beta of 0.73, suggesting that its stock price is 27% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for MP Materials and AngloGold Ashanti, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
MP Materials	2	1	13	1	2.76
AngloGold Ashanti	0	2	6	2	3.00

MP Materials currently has a consensus price target of $71.92, indicating a potential upside of 78.98%. AngloGold Ashanti has a consensus price target of $120.14, indicating a potential upside of 29.57%. Given MP Materials’ higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe MP Materials is more favorable than AngloGold Ashanti.

Summary

AngloGold Ashanti beats MP Materials on 9 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About MP Materials

MP Materials Corp., together with its subsidiaries, produces rare earth materials. The company owns and operates the Mountain Pass Rare Earth mine and processing facility in North America. It holds the mineral rights to the Mountain Pass mine and surrounding areas, as well as intellectual property rights related to the processing and development of rare earth minerals. The company was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.

About AngloGold Ashanti

AngloGold Ashanti plc operates as a gold mining company in Africa, Australia, and the Americas. The company primarily explores for gold, as well as produces silver and sulphuric acid as by-products. Its flagship property is a 100% owned Geita mine located in the Lake Victoria goldfields of the Mwanza region in north-western Tanzania. AngloGold Ashanti plc was incorporated in 1944 and is headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado.