Comparing BioLife Solutions (NASDAQ:BLFS) and Veru (NASDAQ:VERU)

BioLife Solutions (NASDAQ:BLFS) and Veru (NASDAQ:VERU) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, risk, valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings and institutional ownership.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares BioLife Solutions and Veru”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
BioLife Solutions	$82.25 million	13.99	-$20.18 million	($0.07)	-341.43
Veru	$16.89 million	2.29	-$22.73 million	($2.20)	-1.10

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

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for BioLife Solutions and Veru, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
BioLife Solutions	1	1	3	0	2.40
Veru	1	0	3	0	2.50

BioLife Solutions presently has a consensus price target of $32.00, suggesting a potential upside of 33.89%. Veru has a consensus price target of $22.50, suggesting a potential upside of 833.61%. Given Veru’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Veru is more favorable than BioLife Solutions.

Risk and Volatility

BioLife Solutions has a beta of 1.93, meaning that its stock price is 93% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Veru has a beta of -1.42, meaning that its stock price is 242% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares BioLife Solutions and Veru’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
BioLife Solutions	-3.20%	0.97%	0.87%
Veru	N/A	-119.51%	-74.98%

Institutional & Insider Ownership

93.2% of BioLife Solutions shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 47.2% of Veru shares are held by institutional investors. 2.2% of BioLife Solutions shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 15.2% of Veru shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

BioLife Solutions beats Veru on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About BioLife Solutions

BioLife Solutions, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets bioproduction tools and services for the cell and gene therapy (CGT) industry in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and internationally. The company’s products are used in the basic and applied research, and commercial manufacturing of biologic-based therapies. It offers proprietary biopreservation media products, including HypoThermosol FRS and CryoStor Freeze Media that are formulated to mitigate preservation-induced, delayed-onset cell damage and death; bioproduction tools, such as human platelet lysates for cell expansion and CellSeal closed system vials that are used in CGT; and the ThawSTAR line that comprises of a family of automated thawing devices for frozen cell and gene therapies packaged in cryovials and cryobags. The company also provides cryogenic freezer technology for controlled rate freezing and cryogenic storage of biologic materials; ultra-low temperature mechanical freezers; evo shipping containers that are cloud-connected passive storage and transport containers for temperature-sensitive biologics and pharmaceuticals; liquid nitrogen laboratory freezers, cryogenic equipment, and accessories; and biological and pharmaceutical storage and transport services. It markets and sells its products directly, as well as through third party distributors. The company was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Bothell, Washington.

About Veru

Veru Inc., a late clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing medicines for treatment of metabolic diseases, oncology, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Its marketed products comprise FC2 female condom for the dual protection against unplanned pregnancy and the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. The company’s development program includes enobosarm, a selective androgen receptor modulator for treatment of augment fat loss and to prevent muscle loss in sarcopenic obese and overweight elderly patients; Enobosarm, a selective androgen receptor modulator for the treatment of AR+ ER+ HER2- metastatic breast cancer; and sabizabulin, a microtubule disruptor for the treatment of hospitalized patients with viral lung infection on oxygen support who are at high risk for viral induced ARDS and death. The company was formerly known as The Female Health Company and changed its name to Veru Inc. in July 2017. Veru Inc. was incorporated in 1971 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida.