Financial Comparison: Vivani Medical (NASDAQ:VANI) versus Star Equity (NASDAQ:STRR)

Vivani Medical (NASDAQ:VANI) and Star Equity (NASDAQ:STRR) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends, earnings and valuation.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Vivani Medical and Star Equity, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Vivani Medical	0	0	0	0	N/A
Star Equity	0	0	0	0	N/A

Volatility & Risk

Vivani Medical has a beta of 3.27, indicating that its stock price is 227% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Star Equity has a beta of 0.22, indicating that its stock price is 78% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Vivani Medical and Star Equity’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Vivani Medical	N/A	-87.15%	-50.47%
Star Equity	42.49%	-0.33%	-0.18%

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Vivani Medical and Star Equity’s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Vivani Medical	N/A	N/A	-$25.65 million	($0.50)	-3.60
Star Equity	$45.78 million	0.31	$25.13 million	$1.47	0.61

Star Equity has higher revenue and earnings than Vivani Medical. Vivani Medical is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Star Equity, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

6.8% of Vivani Medical shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 3.8% of Star Equity shares are held by institutional investors. 55.6% of Vivani Medical shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 28.8% of Star Equity shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Star Equity beats Vivani Medical on 7 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Vivani Medical

Vivani Medical, Inc., a clinical stage company, develops various implants that treat chronic diseases with high unmet medical need. It engages in developing a portfolio of miniature drug implants to deliver minimally fluctuating drug profiles; and implantable visual prostheses devices to deliver useful artificial vision to blind individuals. The company is headquartered in Emeryville, California.

About Star Equity

Star Equity Holdings, Inc. engages in the construction business in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments: Construction, and Investments. It manufactures modular housing units, structural wall panels, permanent wood foundation systems, and other engineered wood products; supplies general contractors with building materials; holds real estate assets; and manages investments. The company was formerly known as Digirad Corporation and changed its name to Star Equity Holdings, Inc. in December 2020. Star Equity Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Old Greenwich, Connecticut.