Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Universal Electronics Inc. (UEIC) vs Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWSN) 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 | BWSN | -1.4% revenue growth vs UEIC's -6.1% |
| Quality / Margins | UEIC | -5.6% net margin vs BWSN's -20.1% |
| Stability / Safety | BWSN | Beta 0.25 vs UEIC's 1.12 |
| Dividends | BWSN | 0.8% yield; 1-year raise streak; UEIC pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | BWSN | +16.6% vs UEIC's -51.6% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | UEIC | -7.9% ROA vs BWSN's -16.5%, ROIC -6.0% vs 8.8% |
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.
Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises is a provider of fossil and renewable power generation equipment and environmental solutions. It makes money through three main segments: B&W Renewable (waste-to-energy systems), B&W Environmental (emissions control equipment), and B&W Thermal (steam generation and aftermarket services). The company's competitive advantage lies in its century-plus engineering expertise and established relationships with power utilities and industrial clients.
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
UEIC leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). BWSN leads in 2 (Total Returns, Risk & Volatility).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
BWSN and UEIC operate at a comparable scale, with $541M and $391M in trailing revenue. UEIC is the more profitable business, keeping -5.6% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to BWSN's -20.1%. On growth, UEIC holds the edge at -11.3% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | UEICUniversal Electro… | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $391M | $541M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $4M | $12M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$22M | -$108M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $28M | -$102M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +28.6% | +26.8% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -3.0% | +0.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -5.6% | -20.1% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +7.1% | -18.9% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -11.3% | -29.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -2.1% | +4.0% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, UEIC's 26.6x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than BWSN's 69.6x.
| Metric | UEICUniversal Electro… | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $50M | $2.4B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $73M | $2.9B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -2.04x | -30.71x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 26.57x | 69.63x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.13x | 3.34x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.32x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 7.88x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), UEIC scores 6/9 vs BWSN's 3/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | UEICUniversal Electro… | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -15.1% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -7.9% | -16.5% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -6.0% | +8.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -8.5% | +6.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.32x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $23M | $515M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $27M | $23M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $50M | $538M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -15.50x | -0.79x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in BWSN five years ago would be worth $13,644 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $622 for UEIC. Over the past 12 months, BWSN leads with a +16.6% total return vs UEIC's -51.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors BWSN at 7.5% vs UEIC's -33.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | UEICUniversal Electro… | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +3.9% | — |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -51.6% | +16.6% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -70.4% | +24.3% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -93.8% | +36.4% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -92.9% | +37.3% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -33.3% | +7.5% |
Risk & Volatility
BWSN is the less volatile stock with a 0.25 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. BWSN currently trades 99.1% 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… | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.12x | 0.25x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $8.07 | $25.40 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $2.69 | $7.09 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +46.7% | +99.1% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 45.4 | 67.9 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 59K | 2K |
Analyst Outlook
BWSN is the only dividend payer here at 0.80% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | UEICUniversal Electro… | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | — |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | — |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | — |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +0.8% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $0.20 |
| 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 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Electroni… (UEIC) | 100 | 6.45 | -93.5% |
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWSN) | 100.59 | 99.29 | -1.3% |
Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWSN) returned +36% over 5 years vs Universal Electroni… (UEIC)'s -94%. A $10,000 investment in BWSN 5 years ago would be worth $13,644 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Electroni… (UEIC) | $603M | $395M | -34.5% |
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWSN) | $1.8B | $717M | -59.2% |
Universal Electronics Inc.'s revenue grew from $603M (2015) to $395M (2024) — a -4.6% CAGR. Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I's revenue grew from $1.8B (2015) to $717M (2024) — a -9.5% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Electroni… (UEIC) | 4.8% | -6.1% | -225.7% |
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWSN) | 1.1% | -8.4% | -866.8% |
Universal Electronics Inc.'s net margin went from 5% (2015) to -6% (2024). Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I's net margin went from 1% (2015) to -8% (2024).
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 | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Electroni… (UEIC) | 1.88 | -1.85 | -198.4% |
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWSN) | 1.78 | -0.82 | -146.1% |
Universal Electronics Inc.'s EPS grew from $1.88 (2015) to $-1.85 (2024) — a NaN% CAGR. Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I's EPS grew from $1.78 (2015) to $-0.82 (2024) — a NaN% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Universal Electronics Inc. generated $6M FCF in 2024 (-72% vs 2021). Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I generated $-130M FCF in 2024 (-10% vs 2021).
UEIC vs BWSN: Frequently Asked Questions
6 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Which is the better long-term investment — UEIC or BWSN?
Over the past 5 years, Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWSN) delivered a total return of +36.4%, compared to -93.8% for Universal Electronics Inc. (UEIC). A $10,000 investment in BWSN five years ago would be worth approximately $14K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: BWSN returned +37.3% 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.
02Which is safer — UEIC or BWSN?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWSN) is the lower-risk stock at 0.25β versus Universal Electronics Inc.'s 1.12β — meaning UEIC is approximately 358% more volatile than BWSN relative to the S&P 500.
03Which has better profit margins — UEIC or BWSN?
Universal Electronics Inc. (UEIC) is the more profitable company, earning -6.1% net margin versus -8.4% for Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I — meaning it keeps -6.1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: BWSN leads at 3.5% versus -3.9% for UEIC. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — UEIC leads at 28.9%, 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.
04Which pays a better dividend — UEIC or BWSN?
In this comparison, BWSN (0.8% yield) pays a dividend. UEIC does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
05Is UEIC or BWSN better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWSN) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.25), 0.8% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (BWSN: +37.3%, 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.
06What are the main differences between UEIC and BWSN?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. BWSN pays a dividend while UEIC does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. 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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