MARA (NASDAQ:MARA – Get Free Report) and CleanSpark (NASDAQ:CLSK – Get Free Report) are both mid-cap business services companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability and earnings.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
44.5% of MARA shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 43.1% of CleanSpark shares are held by institutional investors. 1.0% of MARA shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 3.0% of CleanSpark shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for MARA and CleanSpark, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| MARA | 0 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2.40 |
| CleanSpark | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3.00 |
Profitability
This table compares MARA and CleanSpark’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| MARA | 27.48% | -8.40% | -6.92% |
| CleanSpark | -38.47% | -2.36% | -2.18% |
Volatility & Risk
MARA has a beta of 5.76, indicating that its stock price is 476% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, CleanSpark has a beta of 4.26, indicating that its stock price is 326% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares MARA and CleanSpark”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| MARA | $387.51 million | 16.54 | $261.17 million | $0.79 | 25.20 |
| CleanSpark | $378.97 million | 9.16 | -$145.78 million | ($0.58) | -20.47 |
MARA has higher revenue and earnings than CleanSpark. CleanSpark is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than MARA, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
MARA beats CleanSpark on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About MARA
MARA Holdings, Inc. operates as a digital asset technology company that mines digital assets with a focus on the bitcoin ecosystem in United States. The company was formerly known as Marathon Digital Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to MARA Holdings, Inc. in August 2024. MARA Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
About CleanSpark
CleanSpark, Inc. operates as a bitcoin miner in the Americas. It owns and operates data centers that primarily run on low-carbon power. Its infrastructure supports Bitcoin, a digital commodity and a tool for financial independence and inclusion. The company was formerly known as Stratean Inc. and changed its name to CleanSpark, Inc. in November 2016. CleanSpark, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Henderson, Nevada.
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