Critical Survey: NPK International (NYSE:NPKI) vs. QS Energy (OTCMKTS:QSEP)

NPK International (NYSE:NPKI) and QS Energy (OTCMKTS:QSEP) are both small-cap oils/energy companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, institutional ownership and earnings.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

80.8% of NPK International shares are owned by institutional investors. 4.8% of NPK International shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 9.0% of QS Energy shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Volatility and Risk

NPK International has a beta of 2.86, suggesting that its share price is 186% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, QS Energy has a beta of -0.47, suggesting that its share price is 147% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for NPK International and QS Energy, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
NPK International	0	0	1	0	3.00
QS Energy	0	0	0	0	0.00

NPK International currently has a consensus target price of $12.00, suggesting a potential upside of 95.12%. Given NPK International’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe NPK International is more favorable than QS Energy.

Profitability

This table compares NPK International and QS Energy’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
NPK International	-28.47%	5.93%	4.08%
QS Energy	N/A	N/A	-1,020.74%

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares NPK International and QS Energy”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
NPK International	$217.49 million	2.45	$14.52 million	($1.72)	-3.58
QS Energy	N/A	N/A	-$1.22 million	N/A	N/A

NPK International has higher revenue and earnings than QS Energy.

Summary

NPK International beats QS Energy on 9 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About NPK International

NPK International Inc. provides products, rentals, and services primarily to the oil and natural gas exploration and production (E&P) industry. It operates through two segments, Fluids Systems and Industrial Solutions. The Fluids Systems segment provides drilling, completion, and stimulation fluids products and related technical services to customers primarily in the North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as other countries in the Asia Pacific and Latin America. The Industrial Solutions segment offers composite matting system rentals utilized for temporary worksite access; related site construction and services to customers in various markets, including power transmission, E&P, pipeline, renewable energy, petrochemical, construction, and other industries primarily in the United States and Europe; recyclable composite mats to customers worldwide; and access road construction, site planning and preparation, environmental protection, erosion control, and site restoration services. The company was formerly known as Newpark Resources, Inc. and changed its name to NPK International Inc. in December 2024. The company was incorporated in 1932 and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas.

About QS Energy

QS Energy, Inc. develops and commercializes energy efficiency technologies in the United States and internationally. The company’s energy efficiency technologies assist in meeting energy demands, enhancing the economics of oil transport, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The company’s primary technology comprises Applied Oil Technology, a commercial-grade crude oil pipeline transportation flow-assurance product that reduces crude oil viscosity by applying a high intensity electrical field to crude oil while in transit. It serves upstream and midstream energy sectors. The company was formerly known as Save the World Air, Inc. and changed its name to QS Energy, Inc. in August 2015. QS Energy, Inc. was incorporated in 1998 and is based in Tomball, Texas.