Comparing SEACOR Marine (NYSE:SMHI) and NOV (NYSE:NOV)

SEACOR Marine (NYSE:SMHI) and NOV (NYSE:NOV) are both energy companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, profitability, institutional ownership, risk, analyst recommendations and earnings.

Risk & Volatility

SEACOR Marine has a beta of 1.19, meaning that its stock price is 19% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, NOV has a beta of 0.96, meaning that its stock price is 4% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares SEACOR Marine and NOV”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
SEACOR Marine	$208.49 million	1.15	-$27.84 million	($1.42)	-6.20
NOV	$8.69 billion	0.73	$145.00 million	$0.40	44.40

NOV has higher revenue and earnings than SEACOR Marine. SEACOR Marine is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than NOV, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares SEACOR Marine and NOV’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
SEACOR Marine	-17.55%	-14.51%	-5.74%
NOV	1.65%	4.23%	2.37%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings for SEACOR Marine and NOV, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
SEACOR Marine	1	1	1	0	2.00
NOV	2	9	4	0	2.13

SEACOR Marine presently has a consensus target price of $10.00, indicating a potential upside of 13.53%. NOV has a consensus target price of $21.67, indicating a potential upside of 22.00%. Given NOV’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe NOV is more favorable than SEACOR Marine.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

59.0% of SEACOR Marine shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 93.3% of NOV shares are held by institutional investors. 16.8% of SEACOR Marine shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 1.1% of NOV shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

NOV beats SEACOR Marine on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About SEACOR Marine

SEACOR Marine Holdings Inc. provides marine and support transportation services to offshore oil, natural gas, and windfarm facilities worldwide. Its offshore support and specialty vessels deliver cargo and personnel to offshore installations, including offshore wind farms; handle anchors and mooring equipment for offshore rigs and platforms; assist offshore operations for production and storage facilities; provide construction, well work-over, and offshore wind farm installation and decommissioning support; and carry and launch equipment used underwater in drilling and well installation, maintenance, inspection, and repair, as well as offer accommodations for technicians and specialists, safety support, and emergency response services. As of December 31, 2023, the company operated a fleet of 58 support vessels, of which 55 were owned or leased-in, and three were managed on behalf of unaffiliated third parties. It serves integrated national and international oil companies, independent oil and natural gas exploration and production companies, and oil field service and construction companies, as well as offshore wind farm operators and offshore wind farm installation and maintenance companies. SEACOR Marine Holdings Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

About NOV

NOV Inc. designs, constructs, manufactures, and sells systems, components, and products for oil and gas drilling and production, and industrial and renewable energy sectors in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Energy Equipment, and Energy Products and Services. The company provides solids control and waste management equipment and services, managed pressure drilling, drilling fluids, premium drillpipe, wired pipe, drilling optimization services, tubular inspection and coating services, instrumentation, downhole tools, and drill bits. It also offers equipment and technologies for hydraulic fracture stimulation, including downhole multistage fracturing tools, pressure pumping trucks, blenders, sanders, hydration and injection units, flowline, and manifolds; coiled tubing units, and wireline units and tools; connections and liner hangers; onshore production consists of composite pipe, surface transfer and progressive cavity pumps, and artificial lift systems; and offshore production, such as floating production systems and subsea production technologies, as well as manufactures industrial pumps and mixers. In addition, the company provides substructures, derricks, and masts; cranes; jacking systems; pipe lifting, racking, rotating, and assembly systems; mud pumps; pressure control equipment; drives and generators; rig instrumentation and control systems; mooring, anchor, and deck handling machinery; equipment components for offshore wind construction vessels; and pipelay and construction systems. Further, the company offers spare parts, repair, and rentals as well as comprehensive remote equipment monitoring, technical support, field service, and customer training. The company was formerly known as National Oilwell Varco, Inc. and changed its name to NOV Inc. in January 2021. NOV Inc. was founded in 1862 and is based in Houston, Texas.