Analyzing Xeris Biopharma (NASDAQ:XERS) and Cocrystal Pharma (NASDAQ:COCP)

Cocrystal Pharma (NASDAQ:COCP) and Xeris Biopharma (NASDAQ:XERS) are both small-cap healthcare companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership and risk.

Volatility & Risk

Cocrystal Pharma has a beta of 1.48, indicating that its share price is 48% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Xeris Biopharma has a beta of 0.53, indicating that its share price is 47% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings for Cocrystal Pharma and Xeris Biopharma, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Cocrystal Pharma	1	0	1	0	2.00
Xeris Biopharma	1	1	4	0	2.50

Xeris Biopharma has a consensus price target of $13.20, suggesting a potential upside of 23.25%. Given Xeris Biopharma’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Xeris Biopharma is more favorable than Cocrystal Pharma.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Cocrystal Pharma and Xeris Biopharma”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Cocrystal Pharma	$330,000.00	58.08	-$8.83 million	($0.76)	-1.31
Xeris Biopharma	$291.85 million	6.69	$550,000.00	($0.11)	-97.36

Xeris Biopharma has higher revenue and earnings than Cocrystal Pharma. Xeris Biopharma is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Cocrystal Pharma, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

6.7% of Cocrystal Pharma shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 42.7% of Xeris Biopharma shares are owned by institutional investors. 39.4% of Cocrystal Pharma shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 4.3% of Xeris Biopharma shares are owned by 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.

Profitability

This table compares Cocrystal Pharma and Xeris Biopharma’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Cocrystal Pharma	N/A	-207.47%	-123.33%
Xeris Biopharma	-5.12%	338.21%	3.50%

Summary

Xeris Biopharma beats Cocrystal Pharma on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Cocrystal Pharma

Cocrystal Pharma, Inc., a biotechnology company, focuses on the discovery and development of antiviral therapeutic treatments for serious and/or chronic viral diseases. It employs structure-based technologies to create antiviral drugs primarily to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV), influenza virus, coronavirus, norovirus, and respiratory virus infections. The company develops CC-31244, a HCV non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitor that has completed Phase II a clinical trial to treat HCV infection; and CC-42344, a PB2 inhibitor that has completed Phase I clinical trial for treating influenza infection. It is also involved in identifying and developing non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitors for norovirus infections. Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. has a license and research collaboration agreement with Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. to discover and develop proprietary influenza A/B antiviral agents; and a license agreement with Kansas State University Research Foundation to develop antiviral compounds for the treatment of norovirus and coronavirus infections. The company is headquartered in Bothell, Washington.

About Xeris Biopharma

Xeris Biopharma Holdings, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in developing and commercializing therapies in Illinois. The company offers Gvoke, a ready-to-use liquid-stable glucagon for the treatment of severe hypoglycemia pediatric and adult patients; Keveyis, a therapy for the treatment of hyperkalemic, hypokalemic, and related variants of primary periodic paralysis; and Recorlev, a cortisol synthesis inhibitor proved for the treatment of endogenous hypercortisolemia in adult patients with Cushing's syndrome. It is also developing XP-8121, a once-weekly subcutaneous injection of levothyroxine that is in phase I clinical trial for the treatment of hypothyroidism; and non-aqueous XeriSol and XeriJect technologies for various therapies. The company was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.