Arbutus Biopharma (NASDAQ:ABUS – Get Free Report) and Syndax Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:SNDX – Get Free Report) are both small-cap healthcare companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, risk, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends and analyst recommendations.
Profitability
This table compares Arbutus Biopharma and Syndax Pharmaceuticals’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Arbutus Biopharma | 84.22% | 90.98% | 82.34% |
| Syndax Pharmaceuticals | -87.52% | -372.94% | -39.11% |
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares Arbutus Biopharma and Syndax Pharmaceuticals”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Arbutus Biopharma | $181.72 million | 4.57 | -$33.50 million | $0.79 | 5.30 |
| Syndax Pharmaceuticals | $252.25 million | 4.75 | -$285.42 million | ($2.51) | -5.39 |
Arbutus Biopharma has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Syndax Pharmaceuticals. Syndax Pharmaceuticals is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Arbutus Biopharma, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Arbutus Biopharma and Syndax Pharmaceuticals, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Arbutus Biopharma | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.50 |
| Syndax Pharmaceuticals | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 2.82 |
Arbutus Biopharma currently has a consensus target price of $5.00, indicating a potential upside of 19.33%. Syndax Pharmaceuticals has a consensus target price of $41.80, indicating a potential upside of 208.94%. Given Syndax Pharmaceuticals’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Syndax Pharmaceuticals is more favorable than Arbutus Biopharma.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
43.8% of Arbutus Biopharma shares are held by institutional investors. 19.9% of Arbutus Biopharma shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 4.8% of Syndax Pharmaceuticals shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Volatility & Risk
Arbutus Biopharma has a beta of 0.76, suggesting that its stock price is 24% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Syndax Pharmaceuticals has a beta of 0.42, suggesting that its stock price is 58% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Arbutus Biopharma beats Syndax Pharmaceuticals on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Arbutus Biopharma
Arbutus Biopharma Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company, develops novel therapeutics for chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the United States. Its HBV product pipeline consists of imdusiran (AB-729), a proprietary subcutaneously-delivered RNAi therapeutic product candidate that suppresses all HBV antigens, including HBsAg expression. The company’s research and development programs include AB-101, an oral PD-L1 inhibitor to reawaken patients’ HBV-specific immune system; and small molecule antiviral medicines to treat coronaviruses, including COVID-19. It has licensing agreements with Gritstone Oncology, Inc; Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Qilu Pharmaceuticals Co, Ltd; Assembly Biosciences, Inc.; Acuitas Therapeutics, Inc.; and Antios Therapeutics, Inc. Arbutus Biopharma Corporation also has a clinical collaboration agreement with Barinthus Biotherapeutics plc to evaluate VTP-300. The company was formerly known as Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation and changed its name to Arbutus Biopharma Corporation in July 2015. Arbutus Biopharma Corporation is headquartered in Warminster, Pennsylvania.
About Syndax Pharmaceuticals
Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, develops therapies for the treatment of cancer. Its lead product candidates are revumenib, a potent, selective, small molecule inhibitor of the menin-MLL binding interaction for the treatment of KMT2A rearranged, acute leukemias, and solid tumor; and SNDX-6352 or axatilimab, a monoclonal antibody that blocks the colony stimulating factor 1, or CSF-1 receptor for the treatment of patients with chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The company is also developing Entinostat. It has an agreement with Eddingpharm International Company Limited for licensing, development, and commercialization of Entinostat. Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.
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