Reviewing Escalon Medical (OTCMKTS:ESMC) & Guided Therapeutics (OTCMKTS:GTHP)

Guided Therapeutics (OTCMKTS:GTHP) and Escalon Medical (OTCMKTS:ESMC) are both medical companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares Guided Therapeutics and Escalon Medical’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Guided Therapeutics	N/A	N/A	-163.62%
Escalon Medical	-2.32%	-22.59%	-5.53%

Volatility & Risk

Guided Therapeutics has a beta of 0.45, indicating that its stock price is 55% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Escalon Medical has a beta of -0.24, indicating that its stock price is 124% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for Guided Therapeutics and Escalon Medical, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Guided Therapeutics	0	0	0	0	N/A
Escalon Medical	0	0	0	0	N/A

Insider & Institutional Ownership

9.7% of Guided Therapeutics shares are held by institutional investors. 66.8% of Guided Therapeutics shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 1.9% of Escalon Medical shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Guided Therapeutics and Escalon Medical’s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Guided Therapeutics	$100,000.00	56.83	-$3.49 million	N/A	N/A
Escalon Medical	$12.18 million	N/A	$460,000.00	($0.02)	-8.00

Escalon Medical has higher revenue and earnings than Guided Therapeutics.

Summary

Guided Therapeutics beats Escalon Medical on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Guided Therapeutics

Guided Therapeutics, Inc., a medical technology company, focuses on developing medical devices. It focuses on the commercialization of LuViva, a non-invasive cervical cancer detection device that identifies cervical cancers and precancers painlessly, non-invasively, and at the point-of-care by scanning the cervix with light, then analyzing the light reflected and fluorescent light. The company was formerly known as SpectRx, Inc. and changed its name to Guided Therapeutics, Inc. in February 2008. Guided Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 1992 and is based in Norcross, Georgia.

About Escalon Medical

Escalon Medical Corp. engages in the development, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of medical devices and pharmaceuticals in the area of ophthalmology in the United States and internationally. It offers A-Scan, which provides information about the internal structure of the eye; B-Scan, a diagnostic tool that supplies information to physicians where the media within the eye are cloudy or opaque; UBM, a high frequency/high resolution ultrasound device, which provides detailed information about the anterior segment of the eye; and Pachymeter that measures the thickness of cornea. The company also provides Ispan Intraocular Gases, such as C3F8 and SF6 that are used by vitreoretinal surgeons as a temporary tamponade in detached retina surgery; and AXIS Image management system for managing ophthalmic diagnostic images through the web browser from various devices. In addition, it markets disposable surgical packs used in vitreoretinal surgery, including packs that aid surgeons in the process of injecting and extracting silicone oil. Further, the company engages in the manufacturing and distribution of patented disposable universal gas kit, which delivers the gas from the canister to the patient. It sells its products to medical institutions through independent sales representatives, network of distributors, and internal sales employees. Escalon Medical Corp. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Wayne, Pennsylvania.