Financial Analysis: Lisata Therapeutics (NASDAQ:LSTA) & Soligenix (NASDAQ:SNGX)

Soligenix (NASDAQ:SNGX) and Lisata Therapeutics (NASDAQ:LSTA) are both small-cap healthcare companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings and risk.

Risk and Volatility

Soligenix has a beta of 1.92, indicating that its share price is 92% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Lisata Therapeutics has a beta of 0.94, indicating that its share price is 6% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

3.6% of Soligenix shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 8.9% of Lisata Therapeutics shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.9% of Soligenix shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 9.1% of Lisata Therapeutics shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Soligenix and Lisata Therapeutics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Soligenix	N/A	-180.25%	-107.46%
Lisata Therapeutics	N/A	-116.08%	-90.55%

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Soligenix and Lisata Therapeutics”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Soligenix	$120,000.00	46.93	-$11.08 million	($0.98)	-0.39
Lisata Therapeutics	$170,000.00	87.45	-$16.59 million	($1.64)	-1.01

Soligenix has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Lisata Therapeutics. Lisata Therapeutics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Soligenix, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Soligenix and Lisata Therapeutics, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Soligenix	1	0	0	0	1.00
Lisata Therapeutics	1	2	0	0	1.67

Summary

Lisata Therapeutics beats Soligenix on 7 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Soligenix

Soligenix, Inc., a late-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing and commercializing products to treat rare diseases in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Specialized BioTherapeutics and Public Health Solutions. The Specialized BioTherapeutics segment develops SGX301 (HyBryte), a novel photodynamic therapy, which has completed Phase III clinical trial for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma; SGX942, an innate defense regulator technology that is in Phase III clinical trial for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, including oral mucositis in head and neck cancer; SGX302, an IDR technology which is in Phase IIa study to treat mil-to-moderate Psoriasis; and SGX945 and IDR technology that is in Phase IIa protocol for the treatment of Aphthous Ulcers in Behçet's Disease. The Public Health Solutions segment is involved in the development of RiVax, a ricin toxin vaccine candidate, which has completed Phase Ia, Ib, and Ic clinical trials; SGX943, a therapeutic candidate that is in pre-clinical stage for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant and emerging infectious diseases; ThermoVax, a technology in pre-clinical development for thermostabilizing vaccines; and CiVax, a vaccine candidate for the prevention of COVID-19. The company was formerly known as DOR BioPharma, Inc. and changed its name to Soligenix, Inc. in 2009. Soligenix, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey.

About Lisata Therapeutics

Lisata Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of solid tumors and other diseases. Its product candidates include LSTA1, which is in Phase 2a and 2b clinical studies for the treatment of solid tumor, including metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC), in combination with a range of anti-cancer regimens; XOWNA that is in Phase IIa clinical trial for the treatment of coronary microvascular dysfunction; and CD34+ cell therapy for the treatment of chronic kidney disease. Lisata Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 1980 and is headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.