NiSource (NI) Competitors

Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE) and NiSource (NYSE:NI) are both large-cap utilities companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, media sentiment, earnings, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, risk and dividends.

Does the media refer more to SRE or NI?

In the previous week, Sempra Energy had 1 more articles in the media than NiSource. MarketBeat recorded 20 mentions for Sempra Energy and 19 mentions for NiSource. Sempra Energy's average media sentiment score of 1.54 beat NiSource's score of 1.10 indicating that Sempra Energy is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Sempra Energy	17 Very Positive mention(s)	3 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Very Positive
NiSource	15 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	4 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Which has more risk and volatility, SRE or NI?

Sempra Energy has a beta of 0.63, meaning that its stock price is 37% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, NiSource has a beta of 0.54, meaning that its stock price is 46% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Which has preferable valuation and earnings, SRE or NI?

Sempra Energy has higher revenue and earnings than NiSource. Sempra Energy is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than NiSource, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Sempra Energy	$13.19B	3.74	$2.86B	$4.55	16.60
NiSource	$5.46B	3.41	$760.40M	$1.85	21.34

Do institutionals & insiders hold more shares of SRE or NI?

89.7% of Sempra Energy shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 91.6% of NiSource shares are held by institutional investors. 0.3% of Sempra Energy shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of NiSource shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Do analysts rate SRE or NI?

Sempra Energy presently has a consensus price target of $80.83, indicating a potential upside of 7.00%. NiSource has a consensus price target of $41.50, indicating a potential upside of 5.14%. Given Sempra Energy's higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe Sempra Energy is more favorable than NiSource.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Sempra Energy	0 Sell rating(s)	6 Hold rating(s)	7 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.54
NiSource	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	10 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	3.00

Is SRE or NI more profitable?

Sempra Energy has a net margin of 22.15% compared to NiSource's net margin of 14.67%. Sempra Energy's return on equity of 8.55% beat NiSource's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Sempra Energy	22.15%	8.55%	3.24%
NiSource	14.67%	8.41%	2.80%

Is SRE or NI a better dividend stock?

Sempra Energy pays an annual dividend of $2.58 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.4%. NiSource pays an annual dividend of $1.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.8%. Sempra Energy pays out 56.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. NiSource pays out 60.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Sempra Energy has increased its dividend for 22 consecutive years and NiSource has increased its dividend for 14 consecutive years. Sempra Energy is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Summary

Sempra Energy beats NiSource on 15 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.