Coursera (NYSE:COUR – Get Free Report) and Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI – Get Free Report) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation and dividends.
Volatility and Risk
Coursera has a beta of 1.26, indicating that its stock price is 26% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Service Corporation International has a beta of 0.77, indicating that its stock price is 23% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
89.5% of Coursera shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 85.5% of Service Corporation International shares are held by institutional investors. 16.3% of Coursera shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 3.4% of Service Corporation International shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Coursera and Service Corporation International, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Coursera | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2.46 |
| Service Corporation International | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2.60 |
Coursera currently has a consensus price target of $6.36, suggesting a potential upside of 68.71%. Service Corporation International has a consensus price target of $95.67, suggesting a potential upside of 26.80%. Given Coursera’s higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe Coursera is more favorable than Service Corporation International.
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares Coursera and Service Corporation International”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Coursera | $757.50 million | 1.32 | -$51.00 million | ($0.72) | -5.24 |
| Service Corporation International | $4.42 billion | 2.32 | $542.61 million | $4.03 | 18.72 |
Service Corporation International has higher revenue and earnings than Coursera. Coursera is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Service Corporation International, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Profitability
This table compares Coursera and Service Corporation International’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Coursera | -14.35% | 3.47% | 2.14% |
| Service Corporation International | 12.70% | 34.96% | 2.93% |
Summary
Service Corporation International beats Coursera on 9 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Coursera
Coursera, Inc. operates an online educational content platform in the United States, Europe, Africa, the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and internationally. It operates in three segments: Consumer, Enterprise, and Degrees. The company offers guided projects, courses, and specializations, as well as online degrees; and certificates for entry-level professional, non-entry level professional, university, and MasterTrack. It offers its products to individuals, enterprise, business, campus, and government. The company was formerly known as Dkandu, Inc. and changed its name to Coursera, Inc. in April 2012. Coursera, Inc. was incorporated in 2011 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.
About Service Corporation International
Service Corp. International engages in the provision of funeral goods and services. It operates through the Funeral and Cemetery segments. The Funeral segment offers services related to cremations, including the use of home facilities and motor vehicles, arranging and directing services, removal, preparation, embalming, memorialization, and catering. The Cemetery segment provides property interment rights, including lawn crypts, mausoleum spaces, niches, and interment options. The company was founded by Robert L. Waltrip in July 1962 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.
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