Pampa Energia (NYSE:PAM) vs. Companhia Paranaense de Energia – Copel (NYSE:ELPC) Head to Head Analysis

Pampa Energia (NYSE:PAM) and Companhia Paranaense de Energia – Copel (NYSE:ELPC) are both mid-cap utilities companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations, dividends and institutional ownership.

Profitability

This table compares Pampa Energia and Companhia Paranaense de Energia – Copel’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Pampa Energia	23.58%	15.33%	8.26%
Companhia Paranaense de Energia – Copel	N/A	N/A	N/A

Volatility & Risk

Pampa Energia has a beta of 0.93, suggesting that its share price is 7% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Companhia Paranaense de Energia – Copel has a beta of -0.11, suggesting that its share price is 111% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current recommendations for Pampa Energia and Companhia Paranaense de Energia – Copel, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Pampa Energia	0	3	2	0	2.40
Companhia Paranaense de Energia – Copel	0	1	1	2	3.25

Pampa Energia currently has a consensus price target of $105.00, indicating a potential upside of 44.55%. Companhia Paranaense de Energia – Copel has a consensus price target of $10.40, indicating a potential downside of 1.70%. Given Pampa Energia’s higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe Pampa Energia is more favorable than Companhia Paranaense de Energia – Copel.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

12.8% of Pampa Energia shares are owned by institutional investors. 55.5% of Pampa Energia shares are owned 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.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Pampa Energia and Companhia Paranaense de Energia – Copel”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Pampa Energia	$2.00 billion	1.95	$377.00 million	$10.53	6.90
Companhia Paranaense de Energia – Copel	$4.68 billion	1.68	$521.00 million	$0.70	15.11

Companhia Paranaense de Energia – Copel has higher revenue and earnings than Pampa Energia. Pampa Energia is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Companhia Paranaense de Energia – Copel, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Pampa Energia beats Companhia Paranaense de Energia – Copel on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Pampa Energia

Pampa Energía S.A. operates as an integrated power company in Argentina. The company operates through Electricity Generation, Oil and Gas, Petrochemicals, and Holding and Other Business segments. It generates electricity through thermal plants, hydroelectric plants, and wind farms with a 5,332 megawatt (MW) installed capacity. The company also explores for and produces oil and gas in the provinces of Neuquén and Río Negro. In addition, it produces petrochemicals, such as styrene, synthetic rubber, and polystyrene. Further, the company operates and maintains a 22,391 km high-voltage electricity transmission network in Argentina. Additionally, it holds a concession for the transportation of natural gas with 9,248 km of gas pipelines in the center, west, and south of Argentina; and processes and sells natural gas liquids in Bahía Blanca in the Province of Buenos Aires, as well as offers related advisory services. The company was formerly known as Pampa Holding S.A. and changed its name to Pampa Energía S.A. in September 2008. Pampa Energía S.A. was incorporated in 1945 and is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

About Companhia Paranaense de Energia – Copel

Companhia Paranaense de Energia – COPEL engages in the generation, transformation, distribution, and sale of electricity to industrial, residential, commercial, rural, and other customers in Brazil. The company operates through Power Generation and Transmission, Power Distribution, GAS, Power Sale, and Holding and Services segments. It is also involved in the piped natural gas distribution. The company operates hydroelectric, wind, and thermoelectric plants; and owns and operates transmission and distribution lines. It holds concessions to distribute electricity in municipalities in the State of Paraná and in the municipality of Porto União in the State of Santa Catarina. Companhia Paranaense de Energia COPEL was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Curitiba, Brazil.