Cerus (NASDAQ:CERS – Get Free Report) and Co-Diagnostics (NASDAQ:CODX – Get Free Report) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, profitability, risk and dividends.
Risk & Volatility
Cerus has a beta of 1.31, indicating that its stock price is 31% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Co-Diagnostics has a beta of -0.65, indicating that its stock price is 165% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for Cerus and Co-Diagnostics, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Cerus | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2.67 |
| Co-Diagnostics | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 |
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares Cerus and Co-Diagnostics’ revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Cerus | $156.37 million | 1.92 | -$37.49 million | ($0.21) | -7.71 |
| Co-Diagnostics | $6.81 million | 5.55 | -$35.33 million | ($1.21) | -1.00 |
Co-Diagnostics has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Cerus. Cerus 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 Cerus and Co-Diagnostics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Cerus | -23.98% | -67.17% | -17.68% |
| Co-Diagnostics | -518.69% | -35.37% | -32.58% |
Institutional & Insider Ownership
78.4% of Cerus shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 15.0% of Co-Diagnostics shares are owned by institutional investors. 7.1% of Cerus shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.4% of Co-Diagnostics shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Summary
Cerus beats Co-Diagnostics on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Cerus
Cerus Corporation operates as a biomedical products company. The company focuses on developing and commercializing the INTERCEPT Blood System to enhance blood safety. Its INTERCEPT Blood System, a proprietary technology for controlling biological replication that is designed to reduce blood-borne pathogens in donated blood components intended for transfusion. The company offers INTERCEPT Blood Systems for platelets and plasma, which is designed to inactivate blood-borne pathogens in platelets and plasma donated for transfusion; INTERCEPT Blood System for red blood cells to inactivate blood-borne pathogens in red blood cells donated for transfusion; and INTERCEPT Blood System for Cryoprecipitation that uses its plasma system to produce pathogen reduced cryoprecipitated fibrinogen complex for the treatment and control of bleeding, including massive hemorrhage associated with fibrinogen deficiency, as well as pathogen reduced plasma, cryoprecipitate reduced. It sells platelet and plasma systems through its direct sales force and distributors in the United States, Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Middle East, Latin America, and internationally. Cerus Corporation was incorporated in 1991 and is headquartered in Concord, California.
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.
Receive News & Ratings for Cerus Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cerus and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
