Atyr PHARMA (NASDAQ:ATYR – Get Free Report) and Scilex (NASDAQ:SCLX – Get Free Report) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, valuation, risk, dividends, profitability and analyst recommendations.
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares Atyr PHARMA and Scilex”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Atyr PHARMA | $350,000.00 | 482.95 | -$50.39 million | ($0.91) | -2.45 |
| Scilex | $46.74 million | 3.24 | -$114.33 million | ($1.43) | -0.55 |
Atyr PHARMA has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Scilex. Atyr PHARMA is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Scilex, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Recommendations
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Atyr PHARMA | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3.00 |
| Scilex | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3.00 |
Atyr PHARMA currently has a consensus target price of $19.25, indicating a potential upside of 763.23%. Scilex has a consensus target price of $8.00, indicating a potential upside of 912.79%. Given Scilex’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Scilex is more favorable than Atyr PHARMA.
Profitability
This table compares Atyr PHARMA and Scilex’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Atyr PHARMA | N/A | -65.35% | -49.81% |
| Scilex | -233.88% | N/A | -111.82% |
Institutional & Insider Ownership
61.7% of Atyr PHARMA shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 69.7% of Scilex shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.7% of Atyr PHARMA shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 8.7% of Scilex shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Volatility and Risk
Atyr PHARMA has a beta of 1.21, suggesting that its share price is 21% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Scilex has a beta of 1.15, suggesting that its share price is 15% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Atyr PHARMA beats Scilex on 7 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Atyr PHARMA
aTyr Pharma, Inc., a biotherapeutics company, engages in the discovery and development of medicines based on novel immunological pathways in the United States. Its lead therapeutic candidate is efzofitimod, a selective modulator of NRP2 that is in Phase III clinical trial for pulmonary sarcoidosis; and in Phase 1b/2a clinical trial for treatment of other interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), such as chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis and connective tissue disease related ILD. The company is developing ATYR0101, a fusion protein derived from a domain of aspartyl-tRNA synthetase that is in preclinical development for the treatment of fibrosis; and ATYR0750, a domain of alanyl-tRNA synthetase for the treatment of liver disorders. It has collaboration and license agreement with Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for the development and commercialization of efzofitimod for ILDs in Japan. aTyr Pharma, Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.
About Scilex
Scilex Holding Company focuses on acquiring, developing, and commercializing non-opioid pain management products for the treatment of acute and chronic pain. Its commercial products include ZTlido (lidocaine topical system) 1.8% (ZTlido), a prescription lidocaine topical product for the relief of neuropathic pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), which is a form of post-shingles nerve pain; ELYXYB, a ready-to-use oral solution for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults; and GLOPERBA, a liquid oral version of the anti-gout medicine colchicine indicated for the prophylaxis of painful gout flares in adults. The company is also developing three product candidates, including SP-102 (10 mg dexamethasone sodium phosphate viscous gel) (SEMDEXA), a novel viscous gel formulation of a used corticosteroid for epidural injections, which has completed a Phase 3 study to treat lumbosacral radicular pain or sciatica; SP-103 (lidocaine topical system) 5.4% (SP-103), a formulation of ZTlido for the treatment of chronic neck pain and low back pain (LBP) that has completed a Phase 2 trial; and SP-104 (4.5 mg low-dose naltrexone hydrochloride delayed-release capsules) (SP-104), a novel low-dose delayed-release naltrexone hydrochloride, which has completed Phase 1 trials for the treatment of fibromyalgia. The company is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.
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