Contrasting Standex International (NYSE:SXI) & Lightwave Logic (NASDAQ:LWLG)

Standex International (NYSE:SXI) and Lightwave Logic (NASDAQ:LWLG) are both technology companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability and institutional ownership.

Profitability

This table compares Standex International and Lightwave Logic’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Standex International	12.54%	14.84%	7.14%
Lightwave Logic	-9,143.60%	-30.34%	-28.76%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

90.3% of Standex International shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 27.0% of Lightwave Logic shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.0% of Standex International shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.2% of Lightwave Logic 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.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for Standex International and Lightwave Logic, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Standex International	0	3	3	0	2.50
Lightwave Logic	1	1	1	0	2.00

Standex International presently has a consensus price target of $304.00, suggesting a potential upside of 32.59%. Lightwave Logic has a consensus price target of $10.00, suggesting a potential upside of 129.36%. Given Lightwave Logic’s higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Lightwave Logic is more favorable than Standex International.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Standex International and Lightwave Logic”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Standex International	$891.60 million	3.11	$104.63 million	$9.40	24.39
Lightwave Logic	$240,000.00	2,800.76	-$20.31 million	($0.16)	-27.25

Standex International has higher revenue and earnings than Lightwave Logic. Lightwave Logic is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Standex International, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Volatility & Risk

Standex International has a beta of 1.07, indicating that its share price is 7% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Lightwave Logic has a beta of 2.42, indicating that its share price is 142% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Standex International beats Lightwave Logic on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Standex International

Standex International Corporation, together with subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of various products and services for commercial and industrial markets in the United States and internationally. It operates through five segments: Electronics, Engraving, Scientific, Engineering Technologies, and Specialty Solutions. The Electronics segment offers reed relays, fluid level, proximity, motion, flow, HVAC condensate, and custom electronics sensors; and custom wound transformers and inductors for low and high frequency, current sense technology, advanced planar transformer technology, value added assembly, and mechanical packaging applications under the Standex Electronics, Renco, and Agile Magnetics. The Engraving segment provides mold texturizing, slush molding tools, roll engraving, hygiene product tooling, and low observation vents, as well as project management and design services for stealth aircraft; and process machinery for various industries under the Piazza Rosa, World Client Services, Tenibac-Graphion, GS Engineering, and Innovent brand names. The Scientific segment offers temperature-controlled equipment for the medical, scientific, pharmaceutical, biotech, and industrial markets under the American BioTech Supply, Lab Research Products, Corepoint, Cryosafe, CryoGuard, and Scientific brands. The Engineering Technologies segment offers net and near net formed single-source customized solutions that are used in the manufacture of engineered components for the aviation, aerospace, defense, energy, industrial, medical, marine, oil and gas, and manned and unmanned space markets under the Spincraft brand. The Specialty Solutions segment manufactures and sells refrigerated, heated, and dry merchandizing display cases; and single and double acting telescopic, and piston rod hydraulic cylinders under the Federal and Custom Hoist brands. The company was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in Salem, New Hampshire.

About Lightwave Logic

Lightwave Logic, Inc. focuses on the development of photonic devices and electro-optical polymer materials systems for fiber-optic data communications, telecommunications, and optical computing markets in the United States. The company is involved in the designing and synthesizing of organic chromophores for use in its electro-optic polymer systems and photonic device designs. It also offers electro-optic modulators, which converts data from electric signals to optical signals for transmission over fiber-optic cables; and polymer photonic integrated circuits, a photonic device, which integrates various photonic functions on a single chip. In addition, the company provides the ridge waveguide modulator, a modulator that fabricates the waveguide within a layer of its electro-optic polymer system. It focuses on selling its products to electro-optic device manufacturers, contract manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, foundries, packaging and assembly manufacturers, etc.; and semiconductor companies, optical network companies, Web 2.0/3.0 media companies, computing companies, telecommunications companies, aerospace companies, automotive companies, and government agencies and defense entities. The company was formerly known as Third-order Nanotechnologies, Inc. and changed its name to Lightwave Logic, Inc. in March 2008. Lightwave Logic, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.