AVAV vs. CWCO: Look to the Balance Sheet for Guidance
Nasdaq While the markets struggled in Wednesday trading, a drone company and a water business were two U.S.-listed stocks that did well on this down day.
Virginia-based AeroVironment (AVAV) manufactures unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), tactical missile systems (TMS), and unmanned ground vehicles (UGV). Its primary customers are the U.S. Department of Defense, other federal agencies, and international governments.
Consolidated Water (CWCO) is a Cayman Island-based water company. It sells potable water from seawater to end users in the Caribbean. The water has been desalinated using reverse osmosis technology.
It has 11 water production plants in the Caribbean that can produce 25.5 million gallons of water daily. It owns 27 water treatment plants in the U.S., which can treat 52.5 million gallons per day.
AVAV was up more than 20% in Wednesday trading and 37% year-to-date. CWCO was up nearly 6% on the day and 101% YTD.
While both companies have interesting businesses, despite being one-seventh of the market cap of AVAV, Consolidated Water is the better investment, not just because of its balance sheet.
