Lucid Diagnostics (NASDAQ:LUCD – Get Free Report) and Merit Medical Systems (NASDAQ:MMSI – Get Free Report) are both medical companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, dividends, valuation, institutional ownership and earnings.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
74.0% of Lucid Diagnostics shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 99.7% of Merit Medical Systems shares are held by institutional investors. 8.8% of Lucid Diagnostics shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 3.7% of Merit Medical Systems shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Risk & Volatility
Lucid Diagnostics has a beta of 1.47, meaning that its share price is 47% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Merit Medical Systems has a beta of 0.87, meaning that its share price is 13% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Profitability
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Lucid Diagnostics | -1,227.74% | N/A | -112.67% |
| Merit Medical Systems | 9.02% | 15.29% | 8.58% |
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares Lucid Diagnostics and Merit Medical Systems”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Lucid Diagnostics | $3.80 million | 11.05 | -$52.67 million | ($1.27) | -0.63 |
| Merit Medical Systems | $1.30 billion | 4.27 | $94.41 million | $1.74 | 54.99 |
Merit Medical Systems has higher revenue and earnings than Lucid Diagnostics. Lucid Diagnostics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Merit Medical Systems, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Lucid Diagnostics and Merit Medical Systems, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Lucid Diagnostics | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3.20 |
| Merit Medical Systems | 0 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 2.92 |
Lucid Diagnostics currently has a consensus price target of $3.94, suggesting a potential upside of 391.39%. Merit Medical Systems has a consensus price target of $101.82, suggesting a potential upside of 6.42%. Given Lucid Diagnostics’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Lucid Diagnostics is more favorable than Merit Medical Systems.
Summary
Merit Medical Systems beats Lucid Diagnostics on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Lucid Diagnostics
Lucid Diagnostics Inc. operates as a commercial-stage medical diagnostics technology company in the United States. The company focuses on patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) who are at risk of developing esophageal precancer and cancer, primarily highly lethal esophageal adenocarcinoma. Its flagship product, the EsoGuard Esophageal DNA Test performed on samples collected with the EsoCheck Esophageal Cell collection device, a testing tool with the goal of preventing EAC deaths through early detection of esophageal precancer in at-risk GERD patients. The company was incorporated in 2018 and is based in New York, New York. Lucid Diagnostics Inc. is a subsidiary of PAVmed Inc.
About Merit Medical Systems
Merit Medical Systems, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and markets single-use medical products for interventional, diagnostic, and therapeutic procedures in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments, Cardiovascular and Endoscopy. The company provides micropuncture kits, angiographic needles, sheaths, guide wires, and safety products; peripheral intervention, including angiography, drainage, delivery systems, and embolotherapy products; spine products, such as vertebral augmentation, radiofrequency ablation, and bone biopsy systems; oncology products; and cardiac intervention products, such as access, angiography, electrophysiology and cardiac rhythm management, fluid management, hemodynamic monitoring, hemostasis, and intervention to treat various heart conditions. It also offers custom procedural solutions that include critical care products, disinfection protection systems, syringes, manifold kits, and trays and packs; coating services for medical tubes and wires; and sensor components for microelectromechanical systems. In addition, the company provides pulmonary products that consist of laser-cut tracheobronchial stents, over-the-wire and direct visualization delivery systems, and dilation balloons to endoscopically dilate structures; gastroenterology products, such as covered esophageal stents, syringe and gauges, and balloon dilators; and kits and accessories for endoscopy and bronchoscopy procedures. It sells its products to hospitals and alternate site-based physicians, technicians, and nurses through direct sales force, distributors, original equipment manufacturer partners, or custom procedure tray manufacturers. The company was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in South Jordan, Utah.
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