Vistagen Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VTGN – Get Free Report) and Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST – Get Free Report) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, risk, valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and profitability.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
78.4% of Vistagen Therapeutics shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 32.5% of Aquestive Therapeutics shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.3% of Vistagen Therapeutics shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 7.9% of Aquestive Therapeutics shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Risk and Volatility
Vistagen Therapeutics has a beta of 0.78, suggesting that its stock price is 22% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Aquestive Therapeutics has a beta of 2.71, suggesting that its stock price is 171% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Valuation and Earnings
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Vistagen Therapeutics | $1.06 million | 76.69 | -$29.36 million | ($1.24) | -2.35 |
| Aquestive Therapeutics | $50.58 million | 5.59 | -$7.87 million | ($0.45) | -6.89 |
Aquestive Therapeutics has higher revenue and earnings than Vistagen Therapeutics. Aquestive Therapeutics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Vistagen Therapeutics, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Profitability
This table compares Vistagen Therapeutics and Aquestive Therapeutics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Vistagen Therapeutics | -4,521.71% | -36.35% | -33.62% |
| Aquestive Therapeutics | -59.75% | N/A | -33.96% |
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Vistagen Therapeutics and Aquestive Therapeutics, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Vistagen Therapeutics | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4.00 |
| Aquestive Therapeutics | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 3.14 |
Aquestive Therapeutics has a consensus price target of $11.00, suggesting a potential upside of 254.84%. Given Aquestive Therapeutics’ higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Aquestive Therapeutics is more favorable than Vistagen Therapeutics.
Summary
Aquestive Therapeutics beats Vistagen Therapeutics on 9 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Vistagen Therapeutics
Vistagen Therapeutics, Inc., a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, primarily focus to transform the treatment landscape for individuals living with anxiety, depression, and other central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The company's pipeline includes six clinical stage product candidates, including five investigational agents belonging to drugs known as pherines. Its product pipeline comprises PH94B, a fasedienol nasal spray, which is in Phase III development for the treatment of social anxiety disorder; and PH10, a Ituvone nasal spray which is in Phase II development for the treatment of major depressive disorder. In addition, the company is also developing PH15, an early-stage investigational synthetic neuroactive steroid for the treatment of cognition improvement; PH80, an odorless and tasteless synthetic investigational pherine for the treatment of menopausal hot flashes and migraine; PH284, an early-stage investigational synthetic neuroactive steroid for the treatment of wasting syndrome Cachexia; and AV-101, an oral nmdr glycine site antagonist for depression and neurological disorders. Further, it has a license and collaboration agreement with EverInsight Therapeutics Inc. to develop and commercialize to address ophthalmologic and CNS disorders. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, California.
About Aquestive Therapeutics
Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. operates as a pharmaceutical company in the United States and internationally. The company markets Sympazan, an oral soluble film formulation of clobazam for the treatment of lennox-gastaut syndrome; Suboxone, a sublingual film formulation of buprenorphine and naloxone for the treatment of opioid dependence; Zuplenz, an oral soluble film formulation of ondansetron for the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy and post-operative recovery; and Azstarys, a once-daily product for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Its proprietary product candidates comprise Libervant, a buccal soluble film formulation of diazepam for the treatment of seizures; KYNMOBI, a sublingual film formulation of apomorphine for the treatment of episodic off-periods in Parkinson's disease; and Exservan, an oral soluble film formulation of riluzole for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The company's proprietary pipeline of complex molecule product includes AQST-108, a sublingual film formulation delivering systemic epinephrine for the treatment of conditions other than anaphylaxis; and Anaphylm, an epinephrine sublingual film for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. In addition, it develops Adrenaverse, an epinephrine prodrug platform. The company was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Warren, New Jersey.
Receive News & Ratings for Vistagen Therapeutics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vistagen Therapeutics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
