BioLife Solutions (NASDAQ:BLFS – Get Free Report) and Icon (NASDAQ:ICLR – Get Free Report) are both healthcare companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, earnings, valuation, risk, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.
Volatility and Risk
BioLife Solutions has a beta of 1.82, suggesting that its stock price is 82% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Icon has a beta of 1.19, suggesting that its stock price is 19% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
93.2% of BioLife Solutions shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 95.6% of Icon shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.2% of BioLife Solutions shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 44.0% of Icon shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Profitability
This table compares BioLife Solutions and Icon’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| BioLife Solutions | 53.29% | 2.70% | 2.49% |
| Icon | 5.45% | 7.73% | 4.39% |
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares BioLife Solutions and Icon”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| BioLife Solutions | $106.69 million | 17.71 | -$4.59 million | $1.16 | 33.28 |
| Icon | $8.25 billion | 1.81 | $229.34 million | $5.81 | 33.50 |
Icon has higher revenue and earnings than BioLife Solutions. BioLife Solutions is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Icon, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for BioLife Solutions and Icon, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| BioLife Solutions | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2.09 |
| Icon | 1 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 2.50 |
BioLife Solutions presently has a consensus price target of $31.38, indicating a potential downside of 18.74%. Icon has a consensus price target of $213.76, indicating a potential upside of 9.82%. Given Icon’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Icon is more favorable than BioLife Solutions.
Summary
Icon beats BioLife Solutions on 12 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About BioLife Solutions
BioLife Solutions, Inc. develops and supplies products and services used in the development and commercial production of cell and gene therapies and other biologic medicines. Its offerings support the handling, preservation, storage and distribution of sensitive biological materials. The company’s products include CryoStor and HypoThermosol preservation media, as well as CellSeal bags designed for cryogenic storage. BioLife also provides temperature-controlled storage and repository services for biological materials through its SciSafe business.
About Icon
ICON plc is a global contract research organization (CRO) that provides outsourced development services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and government organizations. Its work supports the development of medicines and other healthcare products from early research through clinical trials and regulatory submission. The company’s services include clinical trial design and management, data management and biostatistics, regulatory support, laboratory services, medical imaging and patient recruitment.
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