Head-To-Head Comparison: Exela Technologies (NASDAQ:XELAP) versus UniFirst (NYSE:UNF)

UniFirst (NYSE:UNF) and Exela Technologies (NASDAQ:XELAP) are both industrials companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends, valuation, risk, institutional ownership and earnings.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares UniFirst and Exela Technologies”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
UniFirst	$2.43 billion	2.16	$148.27 million	$6.34	45.77
Exela Technologies	$1.02 billion	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

UniFirst has higher revenue and earnings than Exela Technologies.

Profitability

This table compares UniFirst and Exela Technologies’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
UniFirst	4.65%	6.44%	5.03%
Exela Technologies	N/A	N/A	N/A

Insider and Institutional Ownership

78.2% of UniFirst shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.9% of UniFirst shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for UniFirst and Exela Technologies, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
UniFirst	0	4	0	0	2.00
Exela Technologies	0	0	0	0	0.00

UniFirst currently has a consensus price target of $246.67, indicating a potential downside of 14.99%. Given UniFirst’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe UniFirst is more favorable than Exela Technologies.

Summary

UniFirst beats Exela Technologies on 8 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About UniFirst

UniFirst Corporation provides workplace uniforms and protective work wear clothing in the United States, Europe, and Canada. The company operates through U.S. and Canadian Rental and Cleaning, Manufacturing, Specialty Garments Rental and Cleaning, and First Aid segments. It designs, manufactures, personalizes, rents, cleans, delivers, and sells a range of uniforms and protective clothing, including shirts, pants, jackets, coveralls, lab coats, smocks, and aprons; and specialized protective wear, such as flame resistant and high visibility garments. The company also rents and sells industrial wiping products, floor mats, facility service products, and dry and wet mops; restroom and cleaning supplies comprising air fresheners, paper products, gloves, masks, sanitizers, and hand soaps; and other textile products. In addition, it provides first aid cabinet services and other safety supplies; decontaminates and cleans work clothes, and other items that is exposed to radioactive materials; and services special cleanroom protective wear and facilities. Further, it offers a range of garment service options, including full-service rental programs in which garments are cleaned and serviced; lease programs in which garments are cleaned and maintained by individual employees; and purchase programs to buy garments and related items directly. The company serves automobile service centers and dealers, delivery services, food and general merchandise retailers, food processors and service operations, light manufacturers, maintenance facilities, restaurants, service companies, soft and durable goods wholesalers, transportation companies, healthcare providers, government agencies, research and development laboratories, high technology companies, and utilities operating nuclear reactors, as well as others who require employee clothing for image, identification, protection, or utility purposes. UniFirst Corporation was founded in 1936 and is headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts.

About Exela Technologies

Exela Technologies, Inc. provides transaction processing solutions, enterprise information management, document management, and digital business process services worldwide. It operates in three segments: Information & Transaction Processing Solutions (ITPS), Healthcare Solutions (HS), and Legal & Loss Prevention Services (LLPS). The ITPS segment provides lending solutions for mortgages and auto loans; banking solutions for clearing, anti-money laundering, sanctions, and interbank cross-border settlement; property and casualty insurance solutions for origination, enrollments, claims processing, and benefits administration communications; and public sector solutions for income tax processing, benefits administration, and records management. It also offers solutions for payment processing and reconciliation, integrated receivable and payables management, document logistics and location services, records management, and electronic storage of data and documents; and software, hardware, professional, and maintenance services related to information and transaction processing automation. Its HS segment provides revenue cycle solutions, integrated accounts payable and accounts receivable, and information management; claims processing, and claims adjudication and auditing services; enrollment processing and policy management services; scheduling and prescription management services; and medical coding and insurance claim generation, underpayment audit and recovery, and medical records management services. The LLPS segment processes legal claims for class action and mass action settlement administrations, involving project management support, notification, and outreach to claimants; and collects, analyzes, and distributes settlement funds. It also offers data and analytical services in the areas of litigation consulting, economic and statistical analysis, expert witness services, and revenue recovery services for delinquent accounts receivable. The company was incorporated in 2014 and is headquartered in Irving, Texas.