Analyzing Caris Life Sciences (NASDAQ:CAI) and Lumexa Imaging (NASDAQ:LMRI)

Caris Life Sciences (NASDAQ:CAI) and Lumexa Imaging (NASDAQ:LMRI) are both services companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, earnings, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Caris Life Sciences and Lumexa Imaging”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Caris Life Sciences	$812.03 million	5.75	-$68.09 million	($7.61)	-2.17
Lumexa Imaging	$267.73 million	2.70	N/A	N/A	N/A

Lumexa Imaging has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Caris Life Sciences.

Profitability

This table compares Caris Life Sciences and Lumexa Imaging’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Caris Life Sciences	3.75%	98.28%	48.87%
Lumexa Imaging	N/A	N/A	N/A

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Caris Life Sciences and Lumexa Imaging, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Caris Life Sciences	1	4	6	0	2.45
Lumexa Imaging	1	0	1	1	2.67

Caris Life Sciences currently has a consensus target price of $27.56, suggesting a potential upside of 66.80%. Lumexa Imaging has a consensus target price of $16.00, suggesting a potential upside of 113.05%. Given Lumexa Imaging’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Lumexa Imaging is more favorable than Caris Life Sciences.

Summary

Caris Life Sciences beats Lumexa Imaging on 6 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Caris Life Sciences

We are a leading, patient-centric, next-generation AI TechBio company and precision medicine pioneer. We develop and commercialize innovative solutions to transform healthcare through the use of comprehensive molecular information and artificial intelligence/machine learning algorithms at scale. Our entire portfolio of precision medicine solutions is designed to benefit patients, with an initial focus on oncology, and serves the clinical, academic, and biopharma markets. We founded Caris in 2008 with the belief and vision that combining a vast set of consistently generated molecular information with robust data-driven insights could realize the potential of precision medicine for patients. We have spent the last 17 years developing and building our portfolio of comprehensive, proprietary molecular profiling solutions and generating what we believe to be one of the largest and most comprehensive multi-modal clinico-genomic datasets in oncology based on the more than 6.5 million tests we have run on over 849,000 cases, which have generated measurements of over 38 billion molecular markers. Our platform is purpose-built to leverage the convergence of next-generation sequencing (“NGS”), artificial intelligence (“AI”) and machine learning (“ML”) technologies, and high-performance computing. The power of our differentiated Caris platform has enabled us to develop the latest generation of advanced precision medicine diagnostic solutions designed to address the entire cancer care continuum, including early detection, minimal residual disease (“MRD”) tracking, therapy selection, and treatment monitoring, as well as to create molecular signatures and discover and develop novel precision medicine therapeutics. Our current commercial product portfolio is focused on oncology and consists of MI Profile, our tissue-based molecular profiling solution that has generated the majority of our revenue to date, and Caris Assure, our novel, universal blood-based molecular profiling solution that was broadly launched in the first quarter of 2024 for therapy selection. Dysfunctionality at the molecular level underlies every chronic disease, and this dysfunction is now measurable using techniques such as NGS. Cells are embedded within highly complex biological networks that govern all aspects of life, including how these cells grow, divide, interact, and die. These biological networks and their inherent functions, as well as dysfunctions, are controlled and directed at the molecular level. The precise molecular origins or contributors to a given biological dysfunction, however, are often unknown, and a comprehensive molecular profile is necessary to determine these origins. The central dogma of molecular biology states that genetic information flows in one direction, from DNA, to RNA, to proteins. Our approach is designed to accurately capture the full breadth of the DNA and RNA coding information in cells as well as protein expression through immunohistochemical (“IHC”) tests, constructing a fulsome mosaic of disease, and ultimately unlocking the potential for precision medicine therapeutics to guide individualized patient diagnoses and treatment. We believe we are well-positioned to realize the full potential of our vision and optimally leverage our vast datasets due to the recent convergence of several advancements in biology, medicine, and technology: (1) the medical community’s understanding and appreciation of the molecular nature of cancer has accelerated in recent years, resulting in a continued increase in molecular profiling of different cancer types and stages; (2) NGS costs have declined, making NGS more accessible to the healthcare ecosystem; (3) cloud-computing architecture has enabled massive scalability, distributed real-time collaboration, and greater cost efficiency for the analysis of previously unmanageable amounts of data; and (4) AI and ML computational capabilities have advanced to allow more effective interrogation of large biological datasets. We believe that our early foresight to generate comprehensive data at scale over the past many years and build a robust, foundational infrastructure have uniquely positioned Caris to leverage the benefits of these biological and technological advances to deliver transformative and advanced innovations in precision medicine and patient care into the future. Our purpose-built, proprietary multi-omic profiling solutions capture and analyze molecular information from tissue and blood in a comprehensive manner. We provide whole exome sequencing (“WES”) (all 23,000 encoding DNA genes) and whole transcriptome sequencing (“WTS”) (all 61,000 RNA transcripts that encode proteins) on every eligible patient sample (a sample provided by ordering physicians that contains sufficient genetic material for profiling). Since launching our WTS solution in 2019 and WES solution in 2020, we have performed over 500,000 WES and WTS cases through May 2025, which we believe is more than any other company. We sequence at a sector-leading depth of coverage, which directly correlates with increased accuracy and detection of low frequency molecular markers of relevance. MI Cancer Seek, our U.S. Food and Drug Administration (‘‘FDA’’)-approved companion diagnostic assay to identify cancer patients who may benefit from treatment with targeted therapies (a component of MI Profile), consistently reaches 1,500 times depth of coverage for clinically relevant DNA genes, which is a higher sequencing depth than other assays available in the marketplace based on reported depths of coverage, and 300 times depth of coverage for the whole exome. Caris Assure features a raw average sequencing depth of 8,000 times for clinically relevant genes, similarly a higher sequencing depth than other assays available in the marketplace based on reported depths of coverage. We generate tens of billions of datapoints per clinical case to reveal an individualized molecular blueprint of the patient’s disease. We believe this approach best positions us to provide actionable treatment pathways from targeted therapies to drive superior clinical outcomes for patients while also generating a rich dataset to power insights and innovation. To our knowledge, we remain the only genomic profiling company to consistently utilize WES and WTS as standard practice on every eligible patient sample. We also evaluate protein molecular markers through an extensive menu of IHC tests performed in a tumor-type specific manner, which in combination with WES and WTS, provide a comprehensive view of a patient’s disease. Our in-depth profiling of patient samples has led to the creation of what we believe to be one of the largest and most comprehensive multi-modal clinico-genomic datasets in oncology, including genomic data, clinical data, digitized slide images, and remnant tissue. As of March 31, 2025, we have run more than 6.5 million tests on over 849,000 cases, which have generated measurements of over 38 billion molecular markers. Leveraging high-powered computing and AI/ML algorithms, we, and our biopharma and research partners who use our data and bioinformatics services, analyze our datasets to determine the key molecular characteristics of a particular disease or dysfunction that drives disease, enabling signature identification and drug target discovery. As a leader in the transition to WES/WTS sequencing through our launch of a WTS solution in 2019 and a WES solution the following year, we believe we have more molecular data and information than any other company and are well-positioned to make precision medicine widely accessible. Our molecular profiling solutions and the data generated by our multi-omic technology platform provide value to our more than 100 biopharma partners, such as Moderna, AbbVie, Xencor, and Merck KGaA, through partnerships that aim to increase the probability of technical and regulatory success of their therapeutic pipelines. In addition to biopharma, we leverage our datasets to partner with outside academic centers and researchers to further advance precision oncology research. The Caris Precision Oncology Alliance (“Caris POA”), which we established in 2015, is a growing network of leading cancer centers and research consortia across the globe that collaborate to advance precision oncology and biomarker-driven research, with its members working together to establish and optimize standards of care for molecular testing through innovative research to improve clinical outcomes for cancer patients. As of March 31, 2025, the Caris POA was comprised of 96 members, including 45 National Cancer Institute (“NCI”)-designated comprehensive cancer centers. This academic-industry collaborative network has been exceptionally productive with over 145 peer-reviewed manuscripts published since the beginning of 2022. Close connectivity with this vast network of key opinion leaders (“KOLs”) in oncology clinical care, research, and drug development has enabled us to remain at the forefront of precision oncology and closely attuned to the key needs of the most sophisticated researchers. Our Caris platform is designed to create a virtuous cycle that can enable continued innovation and improved impact for patients and physicians. We believe our comprehensive approach to profiling will continue to drive demand for our genomic profiling capabilities, leading to further expansion of our clinico-genomic datasets, which provide additional valuable inputs to develop and enhance our solutions, with the ultimate goal of contributing to improved patient results. This continuous feedback loop enabled us to develop Caris Assure, which utilized genomic data generated by MI Profile to inform our blood-based bioinformatics algorithms, allowing us to detect previously unknown features and signals in the blood that provide advanced insights into disease development. We believe we will be able to further leverage this process to continue meaningful innovation in precision oncology as well as other chronic disease states, including cardiology, neurology, and metabolic conditions. Our global annual clinical case volume has been growing rapidly, with year-over-year growth of 29% in 2022, 32% in 2023, 26% in 2024, and 31% in the first quarter of 2025, primarily driven by MI Profile. With our broad commercial launch of Caris Assure for therapy selection in the first quarter of 2024 and the FDA approval of MI Cancer Seek as a companion diagnostic in the fourth quarter of 2024 followed by the broad commercial launch of MI Cancer Seek in the first quarter of 2025 as the NGS component of MI Profile, we believe that increased profiling volumes will meaningfully contribute to our growth in 2025 and beyond. We expect to incur additional net losses in the near future, and our expenses will increase as we continue to invest in developing new solutions, expand our organization, and increase our marketing efforts to continue to drive market adoption of our solutions. These investments, together with general and administrative expenses, have resulted in negative cash flows from operations of $245.2 million, $276.1 million, $31.3 million, and $73.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 and the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Our principal executive offices are located in Irving, Texas.

About Lumexa Imaging

We are one of the largest national providers of diagnostic imaging services(1). Our platform is integrated, scalable and has a proven track record of creating value for our stakeholders. As of September 30, 2025, we and our affiliates operated the second largest(1) outpatient imaging center footprint in the United States. It spans 184 centers(2)across 13 states and includes eight joint venture partnerships with health systems. Our centers are in attractive metropolitan statistical areas (“MSAs”). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, these MSAs saw average annual population growth of approximately 1.4% on a center-weighted basis between 2020 and 2024: over two times the national average. Our centers have convenient retail settings and operate with extended hours to facilitate easy access to care. We have built a diversified network of approximately 100,000 referring physicians, representing more than 29,000 physician practices in 2024. We believe our high quality of care, as evidenced by our high referring physician and patient satisfaction scores(3), drives enhanced growth and repeat visits from patients needing multiple imaging exams. We remain at the forefront of imaging care by purchasing best-in-class equipment and technology from innovative manufacturers and software companies. Our premium equipment, skilled technologists and subspecialized radiologists make us the clear choice for advanced imaging referrals, which are growing at an accelerated rate relative to the overall market due to the aging population of the United States and increasing disease prevalence. Magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) and computed tomography (“CT”) referrals, for example, have been a key driver of our revenue growth and accounted for 52% of our consolidated revenue(4) and 63% of our system-wide revenue(5) during the nine months ended September 30, 2025. Lumexa Imaging was established in 2018 under the name US Radiology Specialists by Charlotte Radiology and WCAS, an investment firm with over 45 years of experience building successful companies in the healthcare and technology sectors. We expanded rapidly from 20 centers in 2018 to 184 centers as of September 30, 2025 by making 20 acquisitions and opening 41 de novo centers. Effective July 8, 2025, US Radiology Specialists Holdings, LLC changed its name to Lumexa Imaging Equity Holdco, LLC. — We deliver high-quality, convenient and low-cost care through our expansive network of outpatient imaging centers, meeting the needs of our key stakeholders—patients, referring physicians, health system joint venture partners and payors. To further this goal, we have partnered with third-party technology providers to build a scalable clinical technology system with radiology information systems (“RIS”); picture archiving and communication systems (“PACS”); revenue cycle management (“RCM”) systems; and programs designed to increase both efficiency and accuracy in reporting reads. Utilizing third-party software allows us to operate more efficiently and to quickly scale, adapt and implement new technology across our platform, including in connection with the integration of newly acquired or de novo centers. We have also begun implementing third-party clinical, operational and back-office artificial intelligence (“AI”) solutions across our operations. While early, we are seeing faster scan times, improved clinical efficiency and faster patient scheduling and communication of results. There is significant ongoing third-party investment and innovation across the imaging AI ecosystem, and we believe that our use of externally sourced (as opposed to internally developed) AI can facilitate the accelerated adoption of AI, reduce future capital investment therein and preserve the flexibility to select and maintain the most valuable AI solutions. According to a 2025 analysis of the diagnostic imaging services market by Fortune Business Insights, it is estimated that the total U.S. market for diagnostic imaging services was approximately $140 billion as of December 31, 2024, across inpatient, hospital outpatient (“HOPD”), free standing imaging centers and other settings. That report estimates that this market grew at a 4.2% CAGR from 2019 to 2024, led by freestanding imaging center growth of 6.9% over the same period. — Published reports from third-party research firms(6) forecast future revenues in the diagnostic imaging services market. These reports aggregate the revenues they estimate to be captured by the overall market, and by IDTFs in particular, and apply growth rates to those estimates for future years based on factors which vary from report to report. Using these reports and our industry knowledge, management estimates that the diagnostic imaging services market will continue to grow at a mid-single digit rate between 2024 and 2030, driven by increasing utilization of advanced imaging, an aging population and increasing disease prevalence, with IDTFs growing faster than the broader market. This estimate is based on management’s experience in the diagnostic imaging services market and actual market growth rates may vary. We believe the outperformance of independent diagnostic testing facilities (“IDTFs”) has been primarily driven by patient and payor preference for receiving the same level of care in a more convenient and less expensive setting than HOPDs. Comparable imaging services provided in imaging centers or physician’s offices are approximately 60% less expensive than those provided in HOPDs, based on an analysis of 2019 claims performed by UnitedHealth Group(7). The outpatient portion of the diagnostic imaging services market is highly fragmented. According to management estimates, there were approximately 6,000 IDTFs in the United States as of September 30, 2025, and more than 75% of them were owned by single facility operators or small chains. Furthermore, according to management estimates, there were approximately 8,900 HOPD centers in the United States as of September 30, 2025. We expect IDTFs to continue capturing share from HOPD and inpatient settings, driven by the ability to provide the same quality of care in a lower cost, more convenient setting. HOPDs also represent a significant opportunity for conversion to IDTFs through joint ventures with health systems. Collectively, we believe these factors create significant, long-term tailwinds that will support elevated IDTF growth rates for years to come. — We believe our business is primarily driven by the following key strengths: . National Outpatient Imaging Platform Focused on Advanced Modalities and Attractive MSAs . Commercial, Operational & Clinical Excellence Driving Growth and Margins, Positioning Lumexa Imaging as the Partner of Choice to Health Systems . Integrated Technology System Built on Best-of-Breed Third-Party Solutions . Attractive Financial Profile Characterized by Robust Revenue Growth and Margin Expansion . Public Company Management Team with Deep Industry Experience We intend to continue growing our national platform by: . Ongoing Execution of Same-Center Organic Growth Playbook . De Novo Expansion Strategy Across Existing and New MSAs . New Joint Venture Partnerships in Existing and New MSAs . Acceleration of Growth Through Acquisitions . Further Investment and Implementation of Technology and AI Strategy (1) By freestanding location count as of September 30, 2025. Source: Management estimates using Definitive Healthcare’s imaging database and industry and competitor websites. (2) Our consolidated financial results include those of our wholly owned subsidiaries and our VIEs. Together, our wholly owned subsidiaries and our VIEs owned 99 of the 184 centers that we operated as of September 30, 2025. Of these 99 centers, 51 were owned by our wholly owned subsidiaries and 48 were owned by our VIEs. Our consolidated GAAP total revenue does not, however, include the results of 85 centers owned as of September 30, 2025 by our unconsolidated affiliates, which we instead report using the equity method of accounting: eight health system joint ventures in which we have the ability to exert significant influence but own less than a controlling interest. (3) We contract with a third party to administer surveys to monitor referring physician and patient satisfaction with our quality of care. Our resulting patient net promoter score (“NPS”) was 91 and overall patient satisfaction rate was 97%, each as of September 30, 2025 and based on approximately 1.2 million survey responses. The patient satisfaction survey is sent by the contracted third party to patients who have visited one of our 160+ participating centers. In addition, 88% of participating referring physicians provided a rating of satisfied or higher for our services as of December 31, 2024, as calculated using the more than 1,100 responses the contracted third party collected from our annual survey of physicians who have referred patients to our centers. (4) We refer to numbers and metrics relating to or deriving from only those outpatient imaging centers and managed physician practices (the source of our professional services revenue) that we consolidate for financial reporting purposes: our wholly owned centers and our centers owned by and practices managed through VIEs, as “consolidated.” Consolidated revenue includes revenue from our wholly owned subsidiaries and our VIEs. Consolidated revenue does not include the revenues of our unconsolidated affiliates. (5) We refer to numbers and metrics relating to or deriving from our managed physician practices (the source of our professional services revenue) and all of our outpatient imaging centers, including our wholly owned centers and our centers owned by and practices managed through our VIEs, which we consolidate for financial reporting purposes, plus those centers owned by our unconsolidated affiliates, which we report using the equity method of accounting, collectively, as “system-wide.” We utilize system-wide revenue as a key operating metric. System-wide revenue is equal to consolidated revenue plus revenue from our unconsolidated affiliates, which is not included in our consolidated GAAP total revenue. In our consolidated financial statements, only the net income or net loss from our unconsolidated affiliates is reported in the line item equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates. Because of this, management supplementally focuses on system-wide revenue as an operating metric, which measures revenues from all of our centers and managed physician practices, including revenues from our unconsolidated affiliates (without adjustment based on our percentage of ownership therein), after eliminating transactions between the consolidated Lumexa Imaging entities and our unconsolidated affiliates. Portions of the financial results of our unconsolidated affiliates that are included in our system-wide metrics are unaudited and/or not prepared by our management. (6) Referenced reports include Fortune Business Insights’ Diagnostic Imaging Services U.S. Market Analysis for 2025-2032; Vision Research Reports’ U.S. Imaging Services Market Estimates and Forecast for 2021-2034; Grand View Research’s U.S. Independent Diagnostic Testing Facility Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Service for 2023-2030; and Verified Market Research’s U.S. Diagnostic Imaging Market Size by End-User Setting for 2023-2032. (7) Survey included MRIs, CT scans of the abdomen, chest, head, and other body parts; CT angiographies of the neck; diagnostic cardiac catheterizations; contrast aortograms; and low dose CT scans for lung cancer screening. We were incorporated in the state of Delaware on November 14, 2025. Our principal executive offices are located in Raleigh, North Carolina.