Comparing Mitsubishi Chemical Group (OTCMKTS:MTLHY) and Smithfield Foods (NASDAQ:SFD)

Smithfield Foods (NASDAQ:SFD) and Mitsubishi Chemical Group (OTCMKTS:MTLHY) are both mid-cap consumer staples companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, valuation, dividends, risk, profitability and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares Smithfield Foods and Mitsubishi Chemical Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Smithfield Foods	N/A	N/A	N/A
Mitsubishi Chemical Group	1.66%	3.18%	1.20%

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Smithfield Foods and Mitsubishi Chemical Group, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Smithfield Foods	0	1	6	0	2.86
Mitsubishi Chemical Group	0	0	0	0	0.00

Smithfield Foods presently has a consensus price target of $27.67, indicating a potential upside of 36.96%. Given Smithfield Foods’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Smithfield Foods is more favorable than Mitsubishi Chemical Group.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Smithfield Foods and Mitsubishi Chemical Group”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Smithfield Foods	$14.19 billion	0.56	N/A	N/A	N/A
Mitsubishi Chemical Group	$30.39 billion	0.25	$825.21 million	$1.72	15.47

Mitsubishi Chemical Group has higher revenue and earnings than Smithfield Foods.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods, Inc. produces and markets a variety of fresh meat and packaged meats products both domestically and internationally. The Company operates in four segments: Pork, Hog Production, International and Corporate, each of which consists of a number of subsidiaries, joint ventures and other investments. The Pork segment consists mainly of its three wholly owned United States fresh pork and packaged meats subsidiaries: The Smithfield Packing Company, Inc. (Smithfield Packing), Farmland Foods, Inc. (Farmland Foods) and John Morrell Food Group (John Morrell). The Hog Production segment consists of the Company’s hog production operations located in the United States. On September 2012 (fiscal 2013), the Company acquired a 70% controlling interest in American Skin Food Group, LLC. Effective September 26, 2013, Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd merged with Smithfield Foods Inc, a producer and wholesaler of pork meat products.

About Mitsubishi Chemical Group

Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation provides performance products, chemicals, industrial gases, health care products, and other products in Japan and internationally. It operates in five segments: Specialty Materials, Industrial Gases, Health Care, MMA, and Basic Materials. The Specialty Materials segment offers performance polymers, soarnol, gohsenol, sustainable polymers, and engineering plastics; coating materials, additives, and fines; packaging, industrial and medical, acetyl, and polyester films; engineering shapes and solutions, carbon fiber and composite materials, and fibers; aqua, life, and infrastructure solutions; and semiconductor, electronics, and battery materials. The Industrial Gases segment provides industrial gases. The Health Care segment offers ethical pharmaceuticals. The MMA segment provides methyl methacrylate (MMA) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The Basic Materials segment offers basic petrochemicals, polyolefins, and basic chemical derivatives, as well as carbon products. The company provides engineering, transportation, and warehousing services. Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.