Comparing BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:BCRX) & Syndax Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:SNDX)

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:BCRX) and Syndax Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:SNDX) are both small-cap healthcare companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, risk, valuation, profitability, institutional ownership, dividends and analyst recommendations.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

85.9% of BioCryst Pharmaceuticals shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.8% of BioCryst Pharmaceuticals shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 4.8% of Syndax Pharmaceuticals shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Volatility and Risk

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals has a beta of 0.55, indicating that its stock price is 45% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Syndax Pharmaceuticals has a beta of 0.42, indicating that its stock price is 58% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares BioCryst Pharmaceuticals and Syndax Pharmaceuticals”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals	$874.84 million	2.23	$263.86 million	($1.50)	-5.10
Syndax Pharmaceuticals	$252.25 million	4.71	-$285.42 million	($2.51)	-5.34

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

Profitability

This table compares BioCryst Pharmaceuticals and Syndax Pharmaceuticals’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals	-40.90%	-86.89%	66.37%
Syndax Pharmaceuticals	-87.52%	-372.94%	-39.11%

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for BioCryst Pharmaceuticals and Syndax Pharmaceuticals, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals	1	4	6	0	2.45
Syndax Pharmaceuticals	1	0	10	0	2.82

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals currently has a consensus target price of $19.44, suggesting a potential upside of 154.18%. Syndax Pharmaceuticals has a consensus target price of $41.80, suggesting a potential upside of 211.94%. Given Syndax Pharmaceuticals’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Syndax Pharmaceuticals is more favorable than BioCryst Pharmaceuticals.

Summary

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals beats Syndax Pharmaceuticals on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About BioCryst Pharmaceuticals

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company, develops oral small-molecule and protein therapeutics to treat rare diseases. The company markets peramivir injection, an intravenous neuraminidase inhibitor for the treatment of acute uncomplicated influenza under the RAPIVAB, RAPIACTA, and PERAMIFLU names; and ORLADEYO, an oral serine protease inhibitor to treat hereditary angioedema. It is also developing BCX10013, an oral factor D inhibitor for complement-mediated diseases. The company has collaborations and in-license relationships with the Torii Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Seqirus UK Limited; Shionogi & Co., Ltd.; Green Cross Corporation; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and The University of Alabama at Birmingham, as well as Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and Industrial Research, Ltd. BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Durham, North Carolina.

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.