Contrasting International Seaways (NYSE:INSW) and Natural Resource Partners (NYSE:NRP)

International Seaways (NYSE:INSW) and Natural Resource Partners (NYSE:NRP) are both energy companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings and profitability.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

67.3% of International Seaways shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 31.8% of Natural Resource Partners shares are held by institutional investors. 1.7% of International Seaways shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 35.3% of Natural Resource Partners shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Dividends

International Seaways pays an annual dividend of $20.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 19.3%. Natural Resource Partners pays an annual dividend of $3.00 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.6%. International Seaways pays out 129.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Natural Resource Partners pays out 38.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for International Seaways and Natural Resource Partners, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
International Seaways	0	1	6	1	3.00
Natural Resource Partners	0	1	0	0	2.00

International Seaways currently has a consensus target price of $109.80, indicating a potential upside of 4.81%. Given International Seaways’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe International Seaways is more favorable than Natural Resource Partners.

Volatility and Risk

International Seaways has a beta of -0.14, meaning that its stock price is 114% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Natural Resource Partners has a beta of 0.24, meaning that its stock price is 76% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares International Seaways and Natural Resource Partners”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
International Seaways	$843.30 million	6.15	$309.26 million	$15.64	6.70
Natural Resource Partners	$207.28 million	7.28	$136.37 million	$7.84	14.52

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

Profitability

This table compares International Seaways and Natural Resource Partners’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
International Seaways	61.98%	31.75%	23.54%
Natural Resource Partners	57.13%	16.65%	13.88%

Summary

International Seaways beats Natural Resource Partners on 12 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

About International Seaways

International Seaways, Inc. owns and operates a fleet of oceangoing vessels for the transportation of crude oil and petroleum products in the international flag trade. It operates in two segments: Crude Tankers and Product Carriers. As of December 31, 2023, the company owned a fleet of 73 vessels. It serves independent and state-owned oil companies, oil traders, refinery operators, and international government entities. The company was formerly known as OSG International, Inc. and changed its name to International Seaways, Inc. in October 2016. International Seaways, Inc. was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

About Natural Resource Partners

Natural Resource Partners L.P., together with its subsidiaries, owns, manages, and leases a portfolio of mineral properties in the United States. It operates in two segments, Mineral Rights and Soda Ash. The company owns interests in coal, soda ash, trona, and other natural resources. Its coal reserves are primarily located in the Appalachia Basin, the Illinois Basin, and the Northern Powder River Basin in the United States; industrial minerals and aggregates properties located in the United States; and oil and gas properties located in Louisiana. The company leases a portion of its reserves in exchange for royalty payments; and owns and leases transportation and processing infrastructure related to coal properties. NRP (GP) LP serves as the general partner of the company. Natural Resource Partners L.P. was incorporated in 2002 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.