Reviewing Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ:ADP) and Benchmark Energy (OTCMKTS:BMRK)

Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ:ADP – Get Rating) and Benchmark Energy (OTCMKTS:BMRK – Get Rating) are both business services companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, institutional ownership, valuation, dividends, earnings and profitability.

Risk and Volatility

Automatic Data Processing has a beta of 0.81, suggesting that its stock price is 19% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Benchmark Energy has a beta of 3.86, suggesting that its stock price is 286% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Automatic Data Processing and Benchmark Energy’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Automatic Data Processing	18.46%	104.60%	5.84%
Benchmark Energy	N/A	N/A	N/A

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Automatic Data Processing and Benchmark Energy’s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Automatic Data Processing	$16.50 billion	5.27	$2.95 billion	$7.83	26.87
Benchmark Energy	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Automatic Data Processing has higher revenue and earnings than Benchmark Energy.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

79.2% of Automatic Data Processing shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.3% of Automatic Data Processing shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for Automatic Data Processing and Benchmark Energy, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Automatic Data Processing	2	1	2	0	2.00
Benchmark Energy	0	0	0	0	N/A

Automatic Data Processing presently has a consensus target price of $237.91, suggesting a potential upside of 13.07%. Given Automatic Data Processing’s higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe Automatic Data Processing is more favorable than Benchmark Energy.

Summary

Automatic Data Processing beats Benchmark Energy on 8 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Automatic Data Processing

(Get Rating)

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. engages in the provision of business outsourcing solutions specializing in cloud-based human capital management. It operates through the following business segments: Employer Services, Professional Employer Organization Services, and Other. The Employer Services segment provides clients ranging from single-employee small businesses to large enterprises with tens of thousands of employees around the world, offering a range of human resources outsourcing and technology-based human capital management solutions, including strategic, cloud-based platforms. The Professional Employer Organization Services segment offers small and mid-sized businesses a human resources outsourcing solution through a co-employment mode. The company was founded by Henry Taub in 1949 and is headquartered in Roseland, NJ.

About Benchmark Energy

(Get Rating)

Benchmark Energy Corporation, through its subsidiary, Energy Partners LLC, buys industrial grade glycerin and sells it to boiler plants as an alternative bunker fuel in the United States and internationally. The company offers crude and refined glycerin, a co-product of biodiesel production used in various industrial and commercial applications, such as power, energy, and boiler operations, as well as in the de-icing process and manufacturing of animal feed. It has a strategic relationship with the University of North Dakota (UND) to utilize industrial grade glycerin as an additive to the UND coal-burning plant. The company is based in Coldspring, Texas.