MaxCyte (NASDAQ:MXCT – Get Free Report) and Waters (NYSE:WAT – Get Free Report) are both healthcare companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability and valuation.
Volatility & Risk
MaxCyte has a beta of 1.52, indicating that its share price is 52% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Waters has a beta of 1.19, indicating that its share price is 19% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Profitability
This table compares MaxCyte and Waters’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| MaxCyte | -114.77% | -18.92% | -16.14% |
| Waters | 3.58% | 11.27% | 6.73% |
Valuation and Earnings
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| MaxCyte | $33.03 million | 3.72 | -$44.63 million | ($0.33) | -3.61 |
| Waters | $3.17 billion | 13.09 | $642.63 million | $4.01 | 105.14 |
Waters has higher revenue and earnings than MaxCyte. MaxCyte is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Waters, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for MaxCyte and Waters, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| MaxCyte | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
| Waters | 0 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 2.85 |
MaxCyte currently has a consensus price target of $5.00, suggesting a potential upside of 320.17%. Waters has a consensus price target of $430.10, suggesting a potential upside of 2.01%. Given MaxCyte’s higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe MaxCyte is more favorable than Waters.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
68.8% of MaxCyte shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 94.0% of Waters shares are owned by institutional investors. 4.1% of MaxCyte shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of Waters shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Summary
Waters beats MaxCyte on 12 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About MaxCyte
MaxCyte, Inc., a life sciences company, discovers, develops, and commercializes next-generation cell therapies in the United States and internationally. Its products include ExPERT ATx, a static electroporation instrument for small to medium scale transfection; ExPERT STx, a flow electroporation for protein production and drug development, as well as expression of therapeutic targets for cell-based assays; ExPERT GTx, a flow electroporation for large scale transfection in therapeutic applications; and ExPERT VLx for very large volume cell-engineering. The company also provides disposable processing assemblies (PAs) to process and electroporate cells; and accessories supporting PAs, such as electroporation buffer solution and software protocols. It licenses and sells its instruments and technology; and sells its consumables to developers of cell therapies, as well as to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for use in drug discovery and development, and bio-manufacturing. MaxCyte, Inc. was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland.
About Waters
Waters Corporation provides analytical workflow solutions in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through two segments: Waters and TA. The company designs, manufactures, sells, and services high and ultra-performance liquid chromatography, as well as mass spectrometry (MS) technology systems and support products, including chromatography columns, other consumable products, and post-warranty service plans. It also designs, manufactures, sells, and services thermal analysis, rheometry, and calorimetry instruments; and develops and supplies software-based products that interface with its instruments, as well as other manufacturers' instruments. In addition, the company offers MS technology instruments are used in drug discovery and development comprising clinical trial testing, the analysis of proteins in disease processes, nutritional safety analysis, and environmental testing. Further, the company provides thermal analysis, rheometry, and calorimetry instruments for use in predicting the suitability and stability of fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, water, polymers, metals, and viscous liquids for various industrial, consumer good, and healthcare products, as well as for life science research. Its products are used by clinical, pharmaceutical, biochemical, industrial, nutritional safety, environmental, academic, and governmental customers working in research and development, quality assurance, and other laboratory applications. The company was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts.
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