Comparing Metals Acquisition (NYSE:MTAL) and TMC the metals (NASDAQ:TMC)

TMC the metals (NASDAQ:TMC) and Metals Acquisition (NYSE:MTAL) are both small-cap basic materials companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, dividends and valuation.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares TMC the metals and Metals Acquisition”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
TMC the metals	N/A	N/A	-$73.78 million	($0.23)	-20.39
Metals Acquisition	$340.74 million	2.97	-$144.55 million	N/A	N/A

TMC the metals has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Metals Acquisition.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent recommendations for TMC the metals and Metals Acquisition, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
TMC the metals	0	1	2	0	2.67
Metals Acquisition	0	2	1	0	2.33

TMC the metals presently has a consensus target price of $5.08, indicating a potential upside of 8.39%. Metals Acquisition has a consensus target price of $12.00, indicating a potential downside of 2.20%. Given TMC the metals’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe TMC the metals is more favorable than Metals Acquisition.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

4.4% of TMC the metals shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 87.5% of Metals Acquisition shares are owned by institutional investors. 30.0% of TMC the metals shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 1.8% of Metals Acquisition shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Risk and Volatility

TMC the metals has a beta of 1.33, indicating that its stock price is 33% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Metals Acquisition has a beta of 0.2, indicating that its stock price is 80% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares TMC the metals and Metals Acquisition’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
TMC the metals	N/A	-624.70%	-155.10%
Metals Acquisition	N/A	N/A	N/A

Summary

TMC the metals beats Metals Acquisition on 6 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About TMC the metals

TMC the metals company Inc., a deep-sea minerals exploration company, focuses on the collection, processing, and refining of polymetallic nodules found on the seafloor in California. It primarily explores for nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese products. The company holds exploration and commercial rights in three polymetallic nodule contract areas in the Clarion Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean. Its products are used in electric vehicles (EV), renewable energy storage markets, EV wiring, energy transmission, manganese alloy production required for steel production, and other applications. The company was formerly known as Sustainable Opportunities Acquisition Corporation and changed its name to TMC the metals company Inc. TMC the metals company Inc. was founded in 2011 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

About Metals Acquisition

Metals Acquisition Limited focuses on mining and production of copper and silver. It operates the CSA copper mine in Cobar, Australia. The company was incorporated in 2022 and is headquartered in Saint Helier, Jersey.