CorMedix (NASDAQ:CRMD – Get Free Report) and Ardelyx (NASDAQ:ARDX – Get Free Report) are both small-cap healthcare companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends and valuation.
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares CorMedix and Ardelyx”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| CorMedix | $311.71 million | 1.96 | $163.05 million | $2.14 | 3.67 |
| Ardelyx | $450.89 million | 1.70 | -$61.60 million | ($0.22) | -14.00 |
CorMedix has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Ardelyx. Ardelyx is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than CorMedix, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
34.2% of CorMedix shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 58.9% of Ardelyx shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.5% of CorMedix shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 5.3% of Ardelyx shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Volatility & Risk
CorMedix has a beta of 1.4, meaning that its stock price is 40% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Ardelyx has a beta of 0.68, meaning that its stock price is 32% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Profitability
This table compares CorMedix and Ardelyx’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| CorMedix | 40.49% | 40.52% | 20.61% |
| Ardelyx | -12.35% | -36.00% | -10.77% |
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for CorMedix and Ardelyx, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| CorMedix | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2.78 |
| Ardelyx | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 2.83 |
CorMedix presently has a consensus target price of $15.00, suggesting a potential upside of 91.08%. Ardelyx has a consensus target price of $13.90, suggesting a potential upside of 351.30%. Given Ardelyx’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Ardelyx is more favorable than CorMedix.
Summary
CorMedix beats Ardelyx on 8 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About CorMedix
CorMedix Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing and commercializing therapeutic products for the prevention and treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases in the United States. Its lead product candidate is DefenCath, an antimicrobial catheter lock solution to reduce the incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infections in adult patients with kidney failure. The company was formerly known as Picton Holding Company, Inc. and changed its name to CorMedix, Inc. in January 2007. CorMedix Inc. was incorporated in 2006 and is based in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey.
About Ardelyx
Ardelyx, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, and commercializes medicines to treat gastrointestinal and cardiorenal therapeutic areas in the United States and internationally. The company’s lead product candidate is tenapanor for the treatment of patients with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation. It also develops XPHOZAH, which is in Phase III clinical trial to reduce serum phosphorus in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD)on dialysis, or hyperphosphatemia; RDX013, a potassium secretagogue, for the treatment of elevated serum potassium, or hyperkalemia, a problem among patients with kidney and/or heart failure; and RDX020, for adult patients with metabolic acidosis, a serious electrolyte disorder. The company has agreements with Kyowa Kirin, Fosun Pharmaceutical Industrial Development Co. Ltd., and Knight Therapeutics, Inc. for the development and commercialization of tenapanor in their respective territories. The company was formerly known as Nteryx, Inc. and changed its name to Ardelyx, Inc. in June 2008. Ardelyx, Inc. was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.
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