Rayonier (RYN) Competitors

Rayonier (NYSE:RYN) and Potlatch (NASDAQ:PCH) are both mid-cap construction companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, dividends, media sentiment, profitability, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations and risk.

Is RYN or PCH a better dividend stock?

Rayonier pays an annual dividend of $1.09 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.7%. Potlatch pays an annual dividend of $1.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.5%. Rayonier pays out 46.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Potlatch pays out 295.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Rayonier is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Does the media favor RYN or PCH?

In the previous week, Rayonier had 1 more articles in the media than Potlatch. MarketBeat recorded 5 mentions for Rayonier and 4 mentions for Potlatch. Rayonier's average media sentiment score of 1.05 beat Potlatch's score of 0.97 indicating that Rayonier is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Rayonier	3 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Potlatch	3 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	1 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Is RYN or PCH more profitable?

Rayonier has a net margin of 30.09% compared to Potlatch's net margin of 4.35%. Rayonier's return on equity of 3.29% beat Potlatch's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Rayonier	30.09%	3.29%	1.74%
Potlatch	4.35%	2.36%	1.46%

Which has stronger earnings and valuation, RYN or PCH?

Rayonier has higher revenue and earnings than Potlatch. Rayonier is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Potlatch, 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
Rayonier	$1.26B	2.85	$359.15M	$2.33	9.90
Potlatch	$1.06B	2.99	$21.88M	$0.61	66.15

Do insiders & institutionals believe in RYN or PCH?

89.1% of Rayonier shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 86.1% of Potlatch shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.8% of Rayonier shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.0% of Potlatch shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Do analysts recommend RYN or PCH?

Rayonier presently has a consensus target price of $27.75, suggesting a potential upside of 20.29%. Potlatch has a consensus target price of $48.57, suggesting a potential upside of 20.38%. Given Potlatch's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Potlatch is more favorable than Rayonier.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Rayonier	0 Sell rating(s)	3 Hold rating(s)	1 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.25
Potlatch	0 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	6 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.86

Which has more volatility and risk, RYN or PCH?

Rayonier has a beta of 1.02, meaning that its stock price is 2% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Potlatch has a beta of 1.14, meaning that its stock price is 14% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Rayonier beats Potlatch on 11 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.