Comparing i-80 Gold (NYSE:IAUX) and Kinross Gold (NYSE:KGC)

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

Insider and Institutional Ownership

63.7% of Kinross Gold shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 61.3% of i-80 Gold shares are held by institutional investors. 1.0% of Kinross Gold shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Kinross Gold and i-80 Gold”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Kinross Gold	$5.15 billion	2.52	$948.80 million	$0.77	13.71
i-80 Gold	$52.94 million	5.00	-$65.20 million	($0.36)	-1.67

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%

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Kinross Gold and i-80 Gold, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	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 currently has a consensus target price of $11.63, indicating a potential upside of 10.16%. i-80 Gold has a consensus target price of $3.50, indicating a potential upside of 481.30%. Given i-80 Gold’s higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe i-80 Gold is more favorable than Kinross Gold.

Volatility & Risk

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

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.