Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Universal Electronics Inc. (UEIC) vs Nextpower Inc. (NXT) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | NXT | 18.4% revenue growth vs UEIC's -6.1% |
| Value | UEIC | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | NXT | 16.4% net margin vs UEIC's -5.6% |
| Stability / Safety | NXT | Beta 1.09 vs UEIC's 1.12 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | NXT | +138.8% vs UEIC's -51.6% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | NXT | 15.6% ROA vs UEIC's -7.9%, ROIC 62.8% vs -6.0% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Universal Electronics is a technology company that designs and manufactures universal remote controls, smart home devices, and control systems for consumer electronics and home automation. It generates revenue primarily from selling pre-programmed remote controls to video service providers and OEMs (~60% of sales), integrated circuits with embedded control software (~25%), and cloud services and licensing for its control technology (~15%). The company's key advantage is its extensive universal device control database—covering over 500,000 devices—which creates significant switching costs for customers who rely on its compatibility ecosystem.
Nextracker designs and manufactures solar tracking systems that follow the sun to maximize energy production from photovoltaic power plants. It generates revenue primarily from selling its NX Horizon and NX Gemini tracker hardware—which accounts for the bulk of sales—alongside software subscriptions for its TrueCapture optimization platform. The company's competitive advantage lies in its proprietary software algorithms that optimize tracker positioning and its extensive installation experience across diverse terrains.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
NXT leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). UEIC leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
NXT is the larger business by revenue, generating $3.6B annually — 9.2x UEIC's $391M. NXT is the more profitable business, keeping 16.4% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to UEIC's -5.6%. On growth, NXT holds the edge at +33.9% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | UEICUniversal Electro… | NXTNextpower Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $391M | $3.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $4M | $766M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$22M | $592M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $28M | $589M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +28.6% | +32.4% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -3.0% | +20.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -5.6% | +16.4% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +7.1% | +16.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -11.3% | +33.9% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -2.1% | +7.6% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, NXT's 22.7x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than UEIC's 26.6x.
| Metric | UEICUniversal Electro… | NXTNextpower Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $50M | $15.6B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $73M | $14.8B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -2.04x | 30.29x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 24.07x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 12.21x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 26.57x | 22.74x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.13x | 5.27x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.32x | 9.64x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 7.88x | 25.09x |
Profitability & Efficiency
NXT delivers a 27.5% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $28 in annual profit, vs $-15 for UEIC.
| Metric | UEICUniversal Electro… | NXTNextpower Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -15.1% | +27.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -7.9% | +15.6% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -6.0% | +62.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -8.5% | +33.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.32x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $23M | -$766M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $27M | $766M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $50M | $0 |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -15.50x | 161.08x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in NXT five years ago would be worth $33,892 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $622 for UEIC. Over the past 12 months, NXT leads with a +138.8% total return vs UEIC's -51.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors NXT at 51.1% vs UEIC's -33.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | UEICUniversal Electro… | NXTNextpower Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +3.9% | +13.3% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -51.6% | +138.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -70.4% | +245.3% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -93.8% | +238.9% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -92.9% | +238.9% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -33.3% | +51.1% |
Risk & Volatility
NXT is the less volatile stock with a 1.09 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than UEIC's 1.12 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. NXT currently trades 79.9% from its 52-week high vs UEIC's 46.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | UEICUniversal Electro… | NXTNextpower Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.12x | 1.09x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $8.07 | $131.59 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $2.69 | $36.06 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +46.7% | +79.9% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 45.4 | 44.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 59K | 1.7M |
Analyst Outlook
| Metric | UEICUniversal Electro… | NXTNextpower Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $112.60 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 26 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +3.9% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 23 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Electroni… (UEIC) | 100 | 32.1 | -67.9% |
| Nextpower Inc. (NXT) | 100.23 | 372.78 | +271.9% |
Nextpower Inc. (NXT) returned +239% over 5 years vs Universal Electroni… (UEIC)'s -94%. A $10,000 investment in NXT 5 years ago would be worth $33,892 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Electroni… (UEIC) | $651M | $395M | -39.4% |
| Nextpower Inc. (NXT) | $661M | $3.0B | +347.9% |
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Electroni… (UEIC) | 3.1% | -6.1% | -294.7% |
| Nextpower Inc. (NXT) | -0.2% | 17.2% | +7251.4% |
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 4 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Electroni… (UEIC) | 29.7 | 104.5 | +251.9% |
Universal Electronics Inc. has traded in a 19x–201x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~-2x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Electroni… (UEIC) | 1.38 | -1.85 | -234.1% |
| Nextpower Inc. (NXT) | -0.04 | 3.47 | +8501.9% |
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Universal Electronics Inc. generated $6M FCF in 2024 (-72% vs 2021). Nextpower Inc. generated $622M FCF in 2025 (+581% vs 2021).
UEIC vs NXT: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is UEIC or NXT a better buy right now?
Nextpower Inc. (NXT) offers the better valuation at 30.3x trailing P/E (24.1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Nextpower Inc. (NXT) a "Buy" — based on 26 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — UEIC or NXT?
Over the past 5 years, Nextpower Inc. (NXT) delivered a total return of +238.9%, compared to -93.8% for Universal Electronics Inc. (UEIC). A $10,000 investment in NXT five years ago would be worth approximately $34K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: NXT returned +238.9% versus UEIC's -92.9%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — UEIC or NXT?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Nextpower Inc. (NXT) is the lower-risk stock at 1.09β versus Universal Electronics Inc.'s 1.12β — meaning UEIC is approximately 3% more volatile than NXT relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — UEIC or NXT?
Nextpower Inc. (NXT) is the more profitable company, earning 17.2% net margin versus -6.1% for Universal Electronics Inc. — meaning it keeps 17.2% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: NXT leads at 21.6% versus -3.9% for UEIC. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — NXT leads at 34.1%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Which pays a better dividend — UEIC or NXT?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
06Is UEIC or NXT better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Nextpower Inc. (NXT) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.09), +238.9% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (NXT: +238.9%, UEIC: -92.9%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
07What are the main differences between UEIC and NXT?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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