Financial Contrast: Vector Group (NYSE:VGR) & Pyxus International (OTCMKTS:PYYX)

Vector Group (NYSE:VGR) and Pyxus International (OTCMKTS:PYYX) are both consumer defensive companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, institutional ownership, dividends, risk, earnings, analyst recommendations and valuation.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

64.1% of Vector Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 64.3% of Pyxus International shares are owned by institutional investors. 7.1% of Vector Group shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 10.1% of Pyxus International shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings for Vector Group and Pyxus International, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Vector Group	0	0	1	0	3.00
Pyxus International	0	0	0	0	N/A

Vector Group currently has a consensus price target of $16.00, indicating a potential upside of 5.51%. Given Vector Group’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Vector Group is more favorable than Pyxus International.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Vector Group and Pyxus International’s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Vector Group	$1.42 billion	1.68	$183.53 million	$1.16	13.07
Pyxus International	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Vector Group has higher revenue and earnings than Pyxus International.

Profitability

This table compares Vector Group and Pyxus International’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Vector Group	14.05%	-26.62%	19.66%
Pyxus International	N/A	N/A	N/A

Summary

Vector Group beats Pyxus International on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Vector Group

Vector Group Ltd., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the United States. It operates in two segments, Tobacco and Real Estate. The company produces cigarettes under the Montego, EAGLE 20’s, Pyramid, Grand Prix, Liggett Select, Eve, and USA brand names, as well as various partner and private label brands. It also invests in planned communities, condominium and mixeduse developments, apartment buildings, hotels, and commercial properties. The company markets and sells its cigarettes to wholesalers and distributors of tobacco and convenience products, as well as grocery, drug, and convenience store chains. The company was formerly known as Brooke Group Ltd. and changed its name to Vector Group Ltd. in May 2000. Vector Group Ltd. was founded in 1873 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida.

About Pyxus International

Pyxus International, Inc., an agricultural company, offers value-added products and services to businesses and customers. It also involved in the purchasing, processing, packing, storing, and shipping tobacco to manufacturers of cigarettes and other consumer tobacco products. The company offers its products in China, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Russia, Northern Africa, and internationally. The company was formerly known as Old Holdco, Inc. Pyxus International, Inc. was founded in 1873 and is headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina.