Sprout Social (NASDAQ:SPT – Get Free Report) and Upland Software (NASDAQ:UPLD – Get Free Report) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, institutional ownership and valuation.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
77.8% of Upland Software shares are held by institutional investors. 11.0% of Sprout Social shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 11.3% of Upland Software shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Sprout Social and Upland Software, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Sprout Social | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 2.40 |
| Upland Software | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2.60 |
Profitability
This table compares Sprout Social and Upland Software’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Sprout Social | -17.24% | -40.94% | -15.70% |
| Upland Software | -44.92% | 50.06% | 2.64% |
Volatility and Risk
Sprout Social has a beta of 1.03, indicating that its stock price is 3% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Upland Software has a beta of 1.32, indicating that its stock price is 32% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Sprout Social and Upland Software”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Sprout Social | $392.40 million | 4.81 | -$66.43 million | ($1.20) | -27.38 |
| Upland Software | $297.85 million | 0.49 | -$179.87 million | ($4.52) | -1.17 |
Sprout Social has higher revenue and earnings than Upland Software. Sprout Social is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Upland Software, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
Upland Software beats Sprout Social on 8 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Sprout Social
Sprout Social, Inc. designs, develops, and operates a web-based social media management platform in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company provides cloud software for social messaging, data and workflows in a unified system of record, intelligence, and action. It offers integrated tools, such as social engagement/response; publishing; reporting and analytics; social listening and business intelligence; reputation management; social commerce; employee advocacy; and automation and workflows. In addition, the company provides smart inbox, social customer relationship management, social monitoring and alerts, customer service tools, and automation; and centralized content planning, creation, and publishing, automated scheduling, content performance reporting, suggested content, message approval workflows, publishing permissions and governance, and content and asset libraries. Further, it offers social media; content performance, customer service and team, custom report builder, and reporting API; and market research, brand health, competitive insights, consumer trends, and product feedback; and social commerce, reputation management, employee advocacy, mobile applications, and chat bot creation and management. Additionally, the company offers professional services consisting of consulting and training services. It serves social and community management; public relations; marketing; influencer marketing; customer service and care; commerce, sales and customer acquisition; recruiting and hiring, product development, and business strategy; and small-and-medium-sized businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises, marketing agencies, government, non-profit, and educational institutions. Sprout Social, Inc. was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
About Upland Software
Upland Software, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides cloud-based software applications under the Upland brand name in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and internationally. It offers software applications that enable organizations to plan, manage and execute projects, and work in the areas of marketing, sales, contact center, knowledge management, project management, information technology, business operations, human resources, and legal. The company also provides professional services, such as implementation, data extraction, integration and configuration, and training services, as well as customer support services. It serves corporations, government agencies, and small and medium-sized businesses in the financial, consulting, technology, manufacturing, media, telecommunication, insurance, non-profit healthcare, life sciences, retail, and hospitality sectors. The company was formerly known as Silverback Enterprise Group, Inc. and changed its name to Upland Software, Inc. in November 2013. Upland Software, Inc. was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
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