Head to Head Analysis: THQ (OTCMKTS:THQIQ) and Oblong (NASDAQ:OBLG)

THQ (OTCMKTS:THQIQ) and Oblong (NASDAQ:OBLG) are both business services companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, risk, earnings, profitability, institutional ownership, valuation and analyst recommendations.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for THQ and Oblong, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
THQ	0	0	0	0	0.00
Oblong	1	0	0	0	1.00

Given THQ’s higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe THQ is more favorable than Oblong.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

2.0% of Oblong shares are held by institutional investors. 5.4% of Oblong shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares THQ and Oblong”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
THQ	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Oblong	$2.38 million	2.63	-$4.04 million	N/A	N/A

THQ has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Oblong.

Profitability

This table compares THQ and Oblong’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
THQ	N/A	N/A	N/A
Oblong	-135.92%	-55.01%	-44.02%

About THQ

THQ Inc. (THQ), is a worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for game systems. THQ develops software for all game systems, including home video game consoles, such as the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Xbox 360 Kinect (Xbox 360), Nintendo Wii (Wii), and Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3), handheld platforms, such as the Nintendo DS, DSi and 3DS (DS), and Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP); wireless devices based on the Apple iOS (including the iPhone, iTouch and iPad), Google Android, and Windows Mobile platforms; personal computers (PCs), including games played online, and the Internet, including on social networking sites, such as Facebook. THQ also develops and publishes titles (and supplemental downloadable content) for digital distribution through Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE Marketplace (Xbox LIVE) and Xbox LIVE Arcade (XBLA) and Sony’s PlayStation Network (PSN), as well as digitally offer its PC titles through online download stores and services, such as Amazon and Valve.

About Oblong

Oblong Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides multi-stream collaboration technologies and managed services for video collaboration and network applications in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Collaboration Products and Managed Services. Its flagship product is Mezzanine that enables visual collaboration across multi-users, multi-screens, multi-devices, and multi-locations for video telepresence, laptop and application sharing, and whiteboard sharing and slides applications. The company also provides managed videoconferencing services; and remote service management, which provides an overlay to enterprise information technology and channel partner support organizations, as well as support and management services for customer video environments. In addition, it offers network services comprising Cloud Connect: Video that allows its customers to outsource the management of their video traffic to them and provides the customer’s office locations with a secure, dedicated video network connection to the Oblong Cloud for video communications; Cloud Connect: Converge, which offers customized multiprotocol label switching solutions; and Cloud Connect: Cross Connect that allows the customer to leverage existing carrier for the extension of a Layer 2 private line to its data center. Further, it provides professional services, such as software development, visual and interaction design, engineering, and project support services; and resells video equipment to its customers. Oblong Inc. is based in Conifer, Colorado.