AltaGas (ALA) Competitors

Pembina Pipeline (TSE:PPL) and AltaGas (TSE:ALA) are both large-cap energy companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, media sentiment, risk, institutional ownership, earnings, profitability, valuation and analyst recommendations.

Does the media favor PPL or ALA?

In the previous week, Pembina Pipeline had 16 more articles in the media than AltaGas. MarketBeat recorded 18 mentions for Pembina Pipeline and 2 mentions for AltaGas. AltaGas' average media sentiment score of 0.22 beat Pembina Pipeline's score of 0.07 indicating that AltaGas is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Pembina Pipeline	3 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	5 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Neutral
AltaGas	0 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	1 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Neutral

Is PPL or ALA a better dividend stock?

Pembina Pipeline pays an annual dividend of C$2.76 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.4%. AltaGas pays an annual dividend of C$1.19 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.9%. Pembina Pipeline pays out 80.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. AltaGas pays out 69.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Is PPL or ALA more profitable?

Pembina Pipeline has a net margin of 25.73% compared to AltaGas' net margin of 4.04%. Pembina Pipeline's return on equity of 12.06% beat AltaGas' return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Pembina Pipeline	25.73%	12.06%	4.31%
AltaGas	4.04%	6.36%	2.69%

Which has higher valuation and earnings, PPL or ALA?

Pembina Pipeline has higher earnings, but lower revenue than AltaGas. Pembina Pipeline is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than AltaGas, 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
Pembina Pipeline	C$7.71B	3.80	C$1.98B	C$3.45	14.70
AltaGas	C$12.70B	0.97	C$513.15M	C$1.73	24.10

Do analysts prefer PPL or ALA?

Pembina Pipeline currently has a consensus target price of C$57.91, indicating a potential upside of 14.31%. AltaGas has a consensus target price of C$44.33, indicating a potential upside of 6.62%. Given Pembina Pipeline's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Pembina Pipeline is more favorable than AltaGas.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Pembina Pipeline	1 Sell rating(s)	3 Hold rating(s)	6 Buy rating(s)	2 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.75
AltaGas	1 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	7 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.67

Do institutionals and insiders hold more shares of PPL or ALA?

63.9% of Pembina Pipeline shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 35.3% of AltaGas shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.1% of Pembina Pipeline shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.6% of AltaGas shares are owned 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.

Which has more risk and volatility, PPL or ALA?

Pembina Pipeline has a beta of 1.48, meaning that its share price is 48% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, AltaGas has a beta of 1.23, meaning that its share price is 23% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Pembina Pipeline beats AltaGas on 13 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.