Kinross Gold (NYSE:KGC) versus i-80 Gold (NYSE:IAUX) Critical Contrast

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

Earnings & Valuation

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

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Kinross Gold	$5.15 billion	2.66	$948.80 million	$0.77	14.49
i-80 Gold	$52.94 million	5.27	-$65.20 million	($0.36)	-1.76

Kinross Gold has higher revenue and earnings than i-80 Gold. i-80 Gold is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Kinross Gold, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

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

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Kinross Gold	18.43%	12.65%	7.83%
i-80 Gold	-231.43%	-21.18%	-12.67%

Risk and Volatility

Kinross Gold has a beta of 1.29, meaning that its share price is 29% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, i-80 Gold has a beta of 1.13, meaning that its share price is 13% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

63.7% of Kinross Gold shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 61.3% of i-80 Gold shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.0% of Kinross Gold shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings for Kinross Gold and i-80 Gold, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Kinross Gold	0	1	3	0	2.75
i-80 Gold	0	3	0	1	2.50

Kinross Gold presently has a consensus target price of $11.63, suggesting a potential upside of 4.21%. i-80 Gold has a consensus target price of $3.50, suggesting a potential upside of 451.62%. Given i-80 Gold’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe i-80 Gold is more favorable than Kinross Gold.

Summary

Kinross Gold beats i-80 Gold on 12 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Kinross Gold

Kinross Gold Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold properties principally in the United States, Brazil, Chile, Canada, and Mauritania. The company operates the Fort Knox mine and the Manh Choh project in Alaska, as well as the Round Mountain and the Bald Mountain mines in Nevada, the United States; the Paracatu mine in Brazil; the La Coipa and the Lobo-Marte project in Chile; the Tasiast mine in Mauritania; and the Great Bear project in Canada. It is also involved in the extraction and processing of gold-containing ores; reclamation of gold mining properties; and production and sale of silver. Kinross Gold Corporation was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

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.