Analyzing Axsome Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AXSM) and Grifols (NASDAQ:GRFS)

Grifols (NASDAQ:GRFS) and Axsome Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AXSM) are both mid-cap medical companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership and risk.

Profitability

This table compares Grifols and Axsome Therapeutics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Grifols	N/A	N/A	N/A
Axsome Therapeutics	-101.07%	-92.39%	-36.35%

Risk and Volatility

Grifols has a beta of 0.46, suggesting that its share price is 54% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Axsome Therapeutics has a beta of 1.87, suggesting that its share price is 87% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Grifols and Axsome Therapeutics’ top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Grifols	$6.46 billion	1.00	$219.44 million	$1.11	8.46
Axsome Therapeutics	$182.49 million	21.12	-$187.13 million	($4.28)	-19.09

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

Institutional and Insider Ownership

16.4% of Grifols shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 76.6% of Axsome Therapeutics shares are held by institutional investors. 0.2% of Grifols shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 24.5% of Axsome Therapeutics shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for Grifols and Axsome Therapeutics, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Grifols	0	4	2	0	2.33
Axsome Therapeutics	0	2	10	0	2.83

Grifols presently has a consensus target price of $20.75, indicating a potential upside of 120.98%. Axsome Therapeutics has a consensus target price of $103.25, indicating a potential upside of 26.39%. Given Grifols’ higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Grifols is more favorable than Axsome Therapeutics.

Summary

Grifols beats Axsome Therapeutics on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Grifols

Grifols, S.A. operates as a plasma therapeutic company in Spain, the United States, Canada and internationally. The Biopharma segment provides plasma derivatives products, including Gamunex/Gamunex-C Immune Globulin Injection, Flebogamma Immune Globulin Intravenous, Xembify Immune Globulin Subcutaneous solution, HyperRAB Rabies Immune Globulin, Prolastin/Prolastin-C/Prolastin-C Liquid/Prolasplan/Prolastina/Pulmolast/Lynspad Alpha 1-Proteinase Inhibitor, Fanhdi and Alphanate, Antihemophilic Factor/von Willebrand factor Complex, Koate-DVI Antihemophilic Factor, Albutein/Albutein Flexbag/ Human Albumin Grifols/Plasbumin Albumin, and Vistaseal/Veraseal; and Tavlesse, a non-plasma derivative medicinal product. The Diagnostic segment offers transfusion medicine, which includes Procleix Panther systems/Procleix Panther with Automation Ready technology, Automated NAT blood screening systems, assays, software, WADiana/Erytra/Erytra Eflexys analyzers, BLOODchip ID/IDCore/IDHPA/IDRHD/IDCORE/BIDS, and antigens; and clinical and diagnostics products, such as Promonitor and Alpha1D. The Bio Supplies segment provides human biological materials for life sciences research and the development and manufacturing of pharmaceutical and diagnostic products. The Others segment offers healthcare solutions, which provides services and manufactures products, including parenteral solutions, robotics, and software used by hospitals, blood banks, plasma collection centers and other healthcare systems. The company's products and services are used by healthcare providers to diagnose and treat patients with hemophilia, immune deficiencies, infectious diseases, and other medical conditions. Grifols, S.A. has collaboration agreements with Canadian Blood Services for the processing of other plasma-derived products, and with GIANT and GigaGen to develop recombinant polyclonal immunoglobulin therapies. The company was founded in 1940 and is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain.

About Axsome Therapeutics

Axsome Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development of novel therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders in the United States. The company's commercial product portfolio includes Auvelity (dextromethorphan-bupropion), a N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist with multimodal activity indicated for the treatment of major depressive disorder; and Sunosi (solriamfetol), a medication indicated to the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with narcolepsy or obstructive sleep apnea. It is also developing AXS-05, which is in Phase III clinical trial to treat Alzheimer's disease agitation, as well as that has completed phase II clinical trial for the treatment of smoking cessation; AXS-07, an investigational medicine that has completed Phase III trials for the acute treatment of migraine; AXS-12, an investigational medicine, which is in Phase III trial to treat narcolepsy; AXS-14, a selective and potent norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor that is in Phase III trial for the treatment of fibromyalgia and other conditions; and solriamfetol, a dual-acting dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, which has completed a Phase 2 trial of for treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Axsome Therapeutics, Inc. has a research collaboration agreement with Duke University for evaluating AXS-05 in smoking cessation. The company was incorporated in 2012 and is based in New York, New York.