Comparing EpicQuest Education Group International (NASDAQ:EEIQ) & Matthews International (NASDAQ:MATW)

EpicQuest Education Group International (NASDAQ:EEIQ) and Matthews International (NASDAQ:MATW) are both small-cap consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, earnings, analyst recommendations, dividends, valuation, profitability and institutional ownership.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current recommendations for EpicQuest Education Group International and Matthews International, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
EpicQuest Education Group International	1	0	0	0	1.00
Matthews International	2	0	0	0	1.00

Risk & Volatility

EpicQuest Education Group International has a beta of -0.68, meaning that its stock price is 168% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Matthews International has a beta of 1.09, meaning that its stock price is 9% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares EpicQuest Education Group International and Matthews International”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
EpicQuest Education Group International	$8.94 million	0.45	-$2.43 million	N/A	N/A
Matthews International	$1.21 billion	0.60	-$24.47 million	($0.93)	-25.00

EpicQuest Education Group International has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Matthews International.

Profitability

This table compares EpicQuest Education Group International and Matthews International’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
EpicQuest Education Group International	N/A	N/A	N/A
Matthews International	-2.65%	4.51%	1.45%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

83.1% of Matthews International shares are owned by institutional investors. 20.6% of EpicQuest Education Group International shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 4.7% of Matthews International 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.

Summary

Matthews International beats EpicQuest Education Group International on 6 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About EpicQuest Education Group International

EpicQuest Education Group International Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides education solutions for students interested in college and university programs in the United States and internationally. The company offers English proficiency educational programming and transfer pathways for students pursuing academic degrees; and operates a career-training college. It also operates and manages the U.S. coordination projects and services during and after studying abroad, including student dormitory management, academic guidance, international student services, student catering services, student transfer application services, internship and employment guidance, lawyer services, medical services, and student entrepreneurship services. In addition, the company acts as a recruiting agent for the University of the West of Scotland and Coventry University; offers educational programs related to kinesiology and recreation education; and organizes sports-related entertainment projects. The company was formerly known as Elite Education Group International Limited and changed its name to EpicQuest Education Group International Limited in August 2022. The company was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Middletown, Ohio.

About Matthews International

Matthews International Corporation provides brand solutions, memorialization products, and industrial technologies worldwide. It operates through three segments: Memorialization, Industrial Technologies, and SGK Brand Solutions. The Memorialization segment provides bronze and granite memorials, upright granite memorials and monuments, concrete burial vaults, cremation memorialization products, granite benches, flower vases, crypt plates and letters, cremation urns, niche units, cemetery features, and statues, as well as bronze plaques, letters, emblems, vases, lights and photo ceramics, granite monuments, mausoleums, crypts, and flush memorials. The Industrial Technologies segment designs, manufactures, services, and distributes high-tech custom energy storage solutions, and product identification and warehouse automation technologies and solutions, including order fulfillment systems for identifying, tracking, picking, and conveying consumer and industrial products. This segment also provides engineered calendaring, laminating, and coating equipment; stand-alone marking products; laser and ink-jet printing systems; and spare parts, calendar, and coating-roller refurbishing and retrofits. The SGK Brand solutions segment provides brand management, pre-media services, printing plates and cylinders, imaging services, digital asset management, merchandising display systems, and marketing and design services for the consumer goods and retail industries. The company was founded in 1850 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.