Financial Analysis: BeyondSpring (NASDAQ:BYSI) vs. Lisata Therapeutics (NASDAQ:LSTA)

Lisata Therapeutics (NASDAQ:LSTA) and BeyondSpring (NASDAQ:BYSI) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability, risk, dividends and earnings.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

8.9% of Lisata Therapeutics shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 40.3% of BeyondSpring shares are owned by institutional investors. 9.1% of Lisata Therapeutics shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 29.3% of BeyondSpring shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Risk & Volatility

Lisata Therapeutics has a beta of 1.11, suggesting that its stock price is 11% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, BeyondSpring has a beta of 0.55, suggesting that its stock price is 45% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Lisata Therapeutics and BeyondSpring’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Lisata Therapeutics	N/A	-79.04%	-65.79%
BeyondSpring	N/A	N/A	N/A

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Lisata Therapeutics and BeyondSpring”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Lisata Therapeutics	$1.00 million	19.05	-$19.99 million	($2.13)	-1.01
BeyondSpring	$1.75 million	39.18	-$11.12 million	($0.15)	-11.33

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

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Lisata Therapeutics and BeyondSpring, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Lisata Therapeutics	1	1	2	0	2.25
BeyondSpring	1	0	0	0	1.00

Lisata Therapeutics presently has a consensus target price of $23.50, suggesting a potential upside of 987.96%. Given Lisata Therapeutics’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe Lisata Therapeutics is more favorable than BeyondSpring.

Summary

BeyondSpring beats Lisata Therapeutics on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Lisata Therapeutics

Lisata Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of solid tumors and other diseases. Its product candidates include LSTA1, which is in Phase 2a and 2b clinical studies for the treatment of solid tumor, including metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC), in combination with a range of anti-cancer regimens; XOWNA that is in Phase IIa clinical trial for the treatment of coronary microvascular dysfunction; and CD34+ cell therapy for the treatment of chronic kidney disease. Lisata Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 1980 and is headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.

About BeyondSpring

BeyondSpring Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, together with its subsidiaries, focuses on the development of cancer therapies. The company's lead asset is the Plinabulin, a selective immunomodulating microtubule-binding agent that has completed Phase III clinical trials for treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); and as an anti-cancer agent, as well as for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. It is also developing Plinabulin in combination with docetaxel vs. docetaxel alone for the treatment of NSCLC and epidermal growth factor receptor wild type. In addition, the company develops Plinabulin in combination with various immuno-oncology agents and chemotherapy or radiation, including; nivolumab, a PD-1 antibody that is has completed phase 1 clinical trials for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer; ipilimumab, a CTLA-4 antibody for the treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer; in combination with PD-1 or PD-L1 antibodies and radiation for the treatment of various cancers; and pembrolizumab, etoposide, and platinum to treat extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. Further, it engages in the development of three small molecule immune agents in preclinical stages; and a drug discovery platform to develop therapeutic agents from internal research and development efforts and from collaboration. The company was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey.