iBio (NASDAQ:IBIO – Get Free Report) and Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PLRX – Get Free Report) are both small-cap healthcare companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, dividends and earnings.
Volatility and Risk
iBio has a beta of 1.29, meaning that its stock price is 29% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Pliant Therapeutics has a beta of 1.27, meaning that its stock price is 27% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Profitability
This table compares iBio and Pliant Therapeutics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| iBio | N/A | -40.66% | -35.78% |
| Pliant Therapeutics | N/A | -52.17% | -40.46% |
Analyst Ratings
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| iBio | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 3.12 |
| Pliant Therapeutics | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.75 |
iBio presently has a consensus price target of $5.00, suggesting a potential upside of 281.68%. Pliant Therapeutics has a consensus price target of $3.00, suggesting a potential upside of 158.62%. Given iBio’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe iBio is more favorable than Pliant Therapeutics.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
7.9% of iBio shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 97.3% of Pliant Therapeutics shares are held by institutional investors. 2.8% of iBio shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 8.7% of Pliant Therapeutics 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.
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares iBio and Pliant Therapeutics”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| iBio | $100,000.00 | 650.81 | -$33.04 million | ($0.34) | -3.85 |
| Pliant Therapeutics | $1.58 million | 45.46 | -$149.34 million | ($1.49) | -0.78 |
iBio has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Pliant Therapeutics. iBio is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Pliant Therapeutics, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
iBio beats Pliant Therapeutics on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About iBio
iBio, Inc., a biotechnology company, provides contract development and manufacturing services to collaborators and third-party customers in the United States. The company operates in two segments: Biopharmaceuticals and Bioprocessing. Its lead therapeutic candidate is IBIO-100 that is being advanced for investigational new drug development for the treatment of systemic scleroderma and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The company is also developing vaccine candidates comprising IBIO-200 and IBIO-201, which are in preclinical development for the prevention of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; and IBIO-400 for the treatment of classical swine fever. In addition, it is developing recombinant proteins for third parties on a catalog and custom basis; and offers a range of process development, manufacturing, filling and finishing, and bio analytic services. iBio, Inc. has a license agreement with Planet Biotechnology, Inc. to develop therapeutics for infectious diseases; collaboration agreement with The Texas A&M University System for the development of coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine candidates; license agreement with the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna; and collaboration agreement with CC-Pharming Ltd. The company is headquartered in Bryan, Texas.
About Pliant Therapeutics
Pliant Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, and commercializes novel therapies for the treatment of fibrosis and related diseases in the United States. The company's lead candidate is bexotegrast, an oral, small-molecule, dual selective inhibitor of avß6 and avß1 integrins, which is in phase 2b trials for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and in phase 2a trial for primary sclerosing cholangitis. It also develops PLN-1474, an oral, small-molecule selective inhibitor of avß1 for the treatment of liver fibrosis associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; PLN-101095, a dual inhibitor of integrins avß8 and avß1 for the treatment of solid tumors; and PLN-101325 for treatment of muscular dystrophies. Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 2015 and is based in South San Francisco, California.
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