Head-To-Head Review: Novavax (NASDAQ:NVAX) & Co-Diagnostics (NASDAQ:CODX)

Novavax (NASDAQ:NVAX) and Co-Diagnostics (NASDAQ:CODX) are both small-cap healthcare companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, valuation, risk, earnings, analyst recommendations and profitability.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Novavax and Co-Diagnostics”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Novavax	$1.12 billion	1.50	$440.30 million	($1.52)	-6.72
Co-Diagnostics	$721,386.00	11.23	-$46.90 million	($10.32)	-0.11

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

Profitability

This table compares Novavax and Co-Diagnostics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Novavax	-59.87%	-14.82%	-13.35%
Co-Diagnostics	-6,531.77%	-210.99%	-174.97%

Volatility & Risk

Novavax has a beta of 2.45, suggesting that its stock price is 145% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Co-Diagnostics has a beta of 2.85, suggesting that its stock price is 185% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Novavax and Co-Diagnostics, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Novavax	2	2	5	0	2.33
Co-Diagnostics	1	1	1	1	2.50

Novavax currently has a consensus price target of $14.00, suggesting a potential upside of 36.99%. Co-Diagnostics has a consensus price target of $67.50, suggesting a potential upside of 5,718.97%. Given Co-Diagnostics’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Co-Diagnostics is more favorable than Novavax.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

53.0% of Novavax shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 15.0% of Co-Diagnostics shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.6% of Novavax shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 2.3% of Co-Diagnostics shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Novavax beats Co-Diagnostics on 8 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Novavax

Novavax, Inc., a biotechnology company, that promotes improved health by discovering, developing, and commercializing vaccines to protect against serious infectious diseases. It offers vaccine platform that combines a recombinant protein approach, nanoparticle technology, and its patented Matrix-M adjuvant to enhance the immune response. It focuses on urgent health challenges, which is evaluating vaccines for COVID-19, influenza, and COVID-19 influenza combination. The company is commercializing a COVID-19 vaccine, NVX-CoV2373 under the brand names of Nuvaxovid, Covovax, and Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine, adjuvanted for adult and adolescent populations as a primary series and for both homologous and heterologous booster indications. It is also developing R21/Matrix-M adjuvant malaria vaccine. Novavax, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

About Co-Diagnostics

Co-Diagnostics, Inc., a molecular diagnostics company, develops, manufactures, and sells reagents used for diagnostic tests that function through the detection and/or analysis of nucleic acid molecules in the United States and internationally. The company offers Co-Dx PCR platform, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to patients in point-of-care and at-home setting. It also provides PCR diagnostic tests for COVID-19, influenza, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, human papillomavirus, malaria, chikungunya, dengue, and the zika virus. In addition, the company offers three multiplexed tests to test mosquitos for the identification of diseases carried by the mosquitos; molecular tools for detection of infectious diseases, liquid biopsy for cancer screening, and agricultural applications; tests that identify genetic traits in plant and animal genomes; and portable diagnostic device designed to bring PCR to patients in point-of-care and at-home settings. The company was incorporated in 2013 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.