Analyzing Antofagasta (OTCMKTS:ANFGF) and Taseko Mines (NYSE:TGB)

Antofagasta (OTCMKTS:ANFGF) and Taseko Mines (NYSE:TGB) are both basic materials companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, dividends, valuation and profitability.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Antofagasta and Taseko Mines”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Antofagasta	N/A	N/A	N/A	$0.60	39.90
Taseko Mines	$582.21 million	1.32	$61.28 million	$0.19	13.47

Taseko Mines has higher revenue and earnings than Antofagasta. Taseko Mines is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Antofagasta, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares Antofagasta and Taseko Mines’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Antofagasta	N/A	N/A	N/A
Taseko Mines	13.07%	18.82%	4.78%

Institutional and Insider Ownership

17.3% of Antofagasta shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 17.9% of Taseko Mines shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.3% of Taseko Mines shares are owned by 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 for Antofagasta and Taseko Mines, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Antofagasta	0	0	0	0	0.00
Taseko Mines	0	0	2	1	3.33

Taseko Mines has a consensus target price of $3.50, suggesting a potential upside of 36.72%. Given Taseko Mines’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Taseko Mines is more favorable than Antofagasta.

Summary

Taseko Mines beats Antofagasta on 10 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Antofagasta

Antofagasta plc operates as a mining company. It operates through Los Pelambres, Centinela, Antucoya, Zaldívar, Exploration and Evaluation, and Transport Division segments. Its mines produce copper cathodes and copper concentrates; and molybdenum, gold, and silver by-products. The company also has exploration projects in various countries. In addition, it provides rail and road cargo services to mining customers in northern Chile. The company was incorporated in 1888 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Antofagasta plc operates as a subsidiary of Metalinvest Anstalt.

About Taseko Mines

Taseko Mines Limited, a mining company, acquires, develops, and operates mineral properties. It explores for copper, molybdenum, gold, niobium, and silver deposits. The company’s principal asset comprises 100% interest owned the Gibraltar mine located in British Columbia. It also holds interest in the Yellowhead copper project, the Aley niobium project, and the New Prosperity gold and copper project located in British Columbia; and the Florence copper project located in Arizona. Taseko Mines Limited was incorporated in 1966 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.