Upstream Bio (NASDAQ:UPB – Get Free Report) and Aclaris Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ACRS – Get Free Report) are both small-cap healthcare companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, earnings, institutional ownership, risk, analyst recommendations and profitability.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
98.3% of Aclaris Therapeutics shares are held by institutional investors. 16.5% of Upstream Bio shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 4.8% of Aclaris Therapeutics shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Upstream Bio and Aclaris Therapeutics, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Upstream Bio | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2.43 |
| Aclaris Therapeutics | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 3.11 |
Profitability
This table compares Upstream Bio and Aclaris Therapeutics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Upstream Bio | -4,955.67% | -48.40% | -46.57% |
| Aclaris Therapeutics | -921.50% | -61.65% | -42.41% |
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Upstream Bio and Aclaris Therapeutics”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Upstream Bio | $3.16 million | 91.63 | -$143.44 million | ($2.90) | -1.82 |
| Aclaris Therapeutics | $7.83 million | 97.91 | -$64.92 million | ($0.58) | -9.45 |
Aclaris Therapeutics has higher revenue and earnings than Upstream Bio. Aclaris Therapeutics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Upstream Bio, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Volatility & Risk
Upstream Bio has a beta of 1.28, meaning that its share price is 28% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Aclaris Therapeutics has a beta of 0.79, meaning that its share price is 21% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Aclaris Therapeutics beats Upstream Bio on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Upstream Bio
Upstream Bio, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, develops treatments for inflammatory diseases that focuses on severe respiratory disorders. It develops verekitug, a monoclonal antibody that targets and inhibits the thymic stromal lymphopoietin receptor. The company also develops therapies to treat severe asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Upstream Bio, Inc. was incorporated in 2021 and is based in Waltham, Massachusetts.
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.
Receive News & Ratings for Upstream Bio Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Upstream Bio and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
