Critical Contrast: Miller Industries (NYSE:MLR) & Uni-Select (OTCMKTS:UNIEF)

Miller Industries (NYSE:MLR) and Uni-Select (OTCMKTS:UNIEF) are both auto/tires/trucks companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, risk, dividends and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares Miller Industries and Uni-Select’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Miller Industries	5.55%	20.16%	10.70%
Uni-Select	N/A	N/A	N/A

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Miller Industries and Uni-Select, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Miller Industries	0	0	0	0	N/A
Uni-Select	0	0	0	0	N/A

Institutional & Insider Ownership

79.2% of Miller Industries shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 73.0% of Uni-Select shares are held by institutional investors. 4.2% of Miller Industries 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.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Miller Industries and Uni-Select”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Miller Industries	$1.29 billion	0.53	$58.29 million	$5.73	10.51
Uni-Select	N/A	N/A	N/A	$2.20	16.33

Miller Industries has higher revenue and earnings than Uni-Select. Miller Industries is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Uni-Select, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Dividends

Miller Industries pays an annual dividend of $0.76 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.3%. Uni-Select pays an annual dividend of $0.51 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.4%. Miller Industries pays out 13.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Uni-Select pays out 23.4% 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.

Summary

Miller Industries beats Uni-Select on 8 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Miller Industries

Miller Industries, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells towing and recovery equipment. The company offers wreckers that are used to recover and tow disabled vehicles and other equipment; and car carriers, which are specialized flat-bed vehicles with hydraulic tilt mechanisms, which are used to transport new or disabled vehicles and other equipment. It also provides transport trailers for moving various vehicles for auto auctions, car dealerships, leasing companies, and other similar operations. The company markets its products under the Century, Vulcan, Challenger, Holmes, Champion, Chevron, Eagle, Titan, Jige, and Boniface brands. Miller Industries, Inc. sells its products through independent distributors in North America, and Canada, Mexico; and through prime contractors to governmental entities. Miller Industries, Inc. was incorporated in 1990 and is headquartered in Ooltewah, Tennessee.

About Uni-Select

Uni-Select Inc., together with its subsidiaries, distributes automotive refinish, and industrial coatings and related products in North America. It operates through FinishMaster U.S., Canadian Automotive Group, and GSF Car Parts U.K. segments. The company engages in the distribution of automotive aftermarket parts in Canada; and distribution of automotive original equipment manufacturer and aftermarket parts in the United Kingdom. It operates distribution centers and corporate stores under the BUMPER TO BUMPER, AUTO PARTS PLUS, and FINISHMASTER names. Uni-Select Inc. was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Boucherville, Canada.