Analyzing AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) and i-80 Gold (NYSE:IAUX)

AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) and i-80 Gold (NYSE:IAUX) are both basic materials companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, earnings, institutional ownership, profitability and dividends.

Volatility & Risk

AngloGold Ashanti has a beta of 0.96, meaning that its stock price is 4% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, i-80 Gold has a beta of 1.29, meaning that its stock price is 29% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares AngloGold Ashanti and i-80 Gold”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
AngloGold Ashanti	$4.58 billion	2.85	-$235.00 million	N/A	N/A
i-80 Gold	$54.91 million	6.10	-$65.20 million	($0.36)	-2.12

i-80 Gold has lower revenue, but higher earnings than AngloGold Ashanti.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

36.1% of AngloGold Ashanti shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 61.3% of i-80 Gold shares are held by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares AngloGold Ashanti and i-80 Gold’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
AngloGold Ashanti	N/A	N/A	N/A
i-80 Gold	-231.43%	-21.18%	-12.67%

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for AngloGold Ashanti and i-80 Gold, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
AngloGold Ashanti	1	1	4	0	2.50
i-80 Gold	0	3	0	1	2.50

AngloGold Ashanti currently has a consensus target price of $31.75, suggesting a potential upside of 2.11%. i-80 Gold has a consensus target price of $3.50, suggesting a potential upside of 359.44%. Given i-80 Gold’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe i-80 Gold is more favorable than AngloGold Ashanti.

Summary

i-80 Gold beats AngloGold Ashanti on 6 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About AngloGold Ashanti

AngloGold Ashanti plc operates as a gold mining company in Africa, Australia, and the Americas. The company primarily explores for gold, as well as produces silver and sulphuric acid as by-products. Its flagship property is a 100% owned Geita mine located in the Lake Victoria goldfields of the Mwanza region in north-western Tanzania. AngloGold Ashanti plc was incorporated in 1944 and is headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

About i-80 Gold

i-80 Gold Corp. is a mining company, engages in the exploration, development and production of gold and silver mineral deposits principally in the United States. i-80 Gold Corp. is based in Reno, Nevada.