Aclaris Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ACRS – Get Free Report) and NovelStem International (OTCMKTS:NSTM – Get Free Report) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings, profitability, institutional ownership, valuation and risk.
Risk & Volatility
Aclaris Therapeutics has a beta of 0.2, meaning that its stock price is 80% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, NovelStem International has a beta of 0.32, meaning that its stock price is 68% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Aclaris Therapeutics and NovelStem International, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Aclaris Therapeutics | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 |
| NovelStem International | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
Insider & Institutional Ownership
98.3% of Aclaris Therapeutics shares are held by institutional investors. 6.4% of Aclaris Therapeutics shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 13.6% of NovelStem International shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Profitability
This table compares Aclaris Therapeutics and NovelStem International’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Aclaris Therapeutics | -183.28% | -53.18% | -41.74% |
| NovelStem International | -9,166.67% | N/A | -73.18% |
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Aclaris Therapeutics and NovelStem International”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Aclaris Therapeutics | $32.02 million | 2.87 | -$88.48 million | ($1.09) | -1.18 |
| NovelStem International | $10,000.00 | 196.90 | -$4.19 million | ($0.04) | -1.05 |
NovelStem International has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Aclaris Therapeutics. Aclaris Therapeutics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than NovelStem International, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
NovelStem International beats Aclaris Therapeutics on 7 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Aclaris Therapeutics
Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development of novel drug candidates for immune-inflammatory diseases in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Therapeutics and Contract Research. The Therapeutics segment is involved in identifying and developing therapies to address significant unmet needs for immuno-inflammatory diseases. The Contract Research segment provides laboratory services. It develops Zunsemetinib (ATI-450), an MK2 inhibitor which is under Phase 1b/2 trials for the treatment of metastatic breast and pancreatic cancer; ATI-1777, a soft JAK 1/3 inhibitor, completed Phase 2b trails for the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis and other dermatologic conditions; and ATI-2138, an oral covalent inhibitor of ITK and JAK3 inhibitor under Phase 1 trials as a treatment for T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. The company was incorporated in 2012 and is headquartered in Wayne, Pennsylvania.
About NovelStem International
NovelStem International Corp., a development stage biotechnology holding company, focuses on development and commercialization of stem cell-based diagnostic technology for cancer treatments and to reduce resistance to chemotherapy. The company was formerly known as Hollywood Media Corp. and changed its name to NovelStem International Corp. in September 2018. NovelStem International Corp. was incorporated in 1993 and is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida.
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