Reviewing PTC (NASDAQ:PTC) & ImageWare Systems (OTCMKTS:IWSY)

ImageWare Systems (OTCMKTS:IWSY) and PTC (NASDAQ:PTC) are both technology companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends, profitability and analyst recommendations.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares ImageWare Systems and PTC”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
ImageWare Systems	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
PTC	$2.74 billion	5.85	$734.00 million	$10.34	14.27

PTC has higher revenue and earnings than ImageWare Systems.

Profitability

This table compares ImageWare Systems and PTC’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
ImageWare Systems	N/A	N/A	N/A
PTC	41.67%	25.31%	14.55%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

2.2% of ImageWare Systems shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 95.1% of PTC shares are held by institutional investors. 37.7% of ImageWare Systems shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of PTC shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings for ImageWare Systems and PTC, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
ImageWare Systems	0	0	0	0	0.00
PTC	1	6	7	0	2.43

PTC has a consensus target price of $170.14, indicating a potential upside of 15.30%. Given PTC’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe PTC is more favorable than ImageWare Systems.

Volatility and Risk

ImageWare Systems has a beta of 2.27, meaning that its stock price is 127% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, PTC has a beta of 0.98, meaning that its stock price is 2% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

PTC beats ImageWare Systems on 8 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About ImageWare Systems

ImageWare Systems, Inc. operates as a biometric solution provider in the United States and internationally. It offers Imageware Biometric Engine, a biometric identity and authentication database built for multi-biometric enrollment, management, and authentication. The company also provides Imageware Proof that enables an entity to prove user identity from their biometrics, government issued ID, and credit bureau data; Imageware Capture that enables the capture of biographic and biometric details, such as face, fingerprint, palm print, and iris, as well as scars, marks, and tattoos; Imageware Identify, which enables a user to identify others from their biometrics; and Imageware Investigate that enables an officer to create digital lineups. In addition, it offers Imageware Credential that enables a user to design, build, and print badges for access control systems, which includes tickets, smart badges, wristbands, personal identity verification cards, and others; Imageware Digital ID, a decentralized identity service that enables self-sovereign identity underpinned by blockchain technology tied to biometrics; and Imageware Authenticate, which enables users to leverage multimodal biometrics hosted in a central server or cloud to log in to services and applications from a device. Further, the company provides Law Enforcement 2.0 solution which enables state, local, and federal agencies to capture, archive, search, retrieve, and share digital images, fingerprints, and other biometrics, as well as criminal history records on a stand-alone, networked, wireless or browser-based platform. It serves airports and seaports, education, financial, government, healthcare, and law enforcement industries. The company was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

About PTC

PTC Inc. operates as software company in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company provides Windchill, a suite that manages all aspects of the product development lifecycle(PLM) that provides real-time information sharing, dynamic data visualization, collaborate across geographically distributed teams, and enabling manufacturers to elevate product development, manufacturing, and field service processes; ThingWorx, a platform for Industrial Internet of Things; ServiceMax, a field service management solutions enable companies to asset uptime with optimized in-person and remote service and technician productivity with mobile tools. and deliver metrics; and Arena, a SaaS PLM solution enables product teams to collaborate virtually to share product and quality information with internal teams and supply chain partners and deliver products to customers. It offers Codebeamer, an application lifecycle management for products and software development; Servigistics, a service parts management solution; and FlexPLM, a solution provides retailers with a single platform for merchandising and line planning, materials management, sampling, and others. In addition, it offers Kepware, a portfolio of industrial connectivity solutions helps companies connect diverse automation devices and software applications; Creo, a 3D CAD technology enables the digital design, testing, and modification of product models; and Onshape, a cloud product development platform that delivers computer-aided design with data management tools. Further, it offers Vuforia, an augmented reality (AR) technology enables the visualization of digital information in a physical context and the creation of AR enabling companies to drive results in manufacturing, service, engineering, and operations; and Arbortext, a dynamic publishing solution streamlines how organizations create, manage, and publish technical documentation. PTC Inc. was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.