Contrasting Spectral Medical (OTCMKTS:EDTXF) & UFP Technologies (NASDAQ:UFPT)

Spectral Medical (OTCMKTS:EDTXF) and UFP Technologies (NASDAQ:UFPT) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability, earnings and valuation.

Risk & Volatility

Spectral Medical has a beta of 0.73, meaning that its stock price is 27% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, UFP Technologies has a beta of 0.87, meaning that its stock price is 13% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

84.6% of UFP Technologies shares are held by institutional investors. 1.5% of Spectral Medical shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 7.8% of UFP Technologies shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Spectral Medical and UFP Technologies’ revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Spectral Medical	$1.28 million	57.78	-$8.65 million	($0.03)	-8.85
UFP Technologies	$353.79 million	3.49	$41.79 million	$5.44	29.68

UFP Technologies has higher revenue and earnings than Spectral Medical. Spectral Medical is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than UFP Technologies, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Spectral Medical and UFP Technologies, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Spectral Medical	0	0	0	0	N/A
UFP Technologies	0	0	1	0	3.00

UFP Technologies has a consensus target price of $222.00, suggesting a potential upside of 37.48%. Given UFP Technologies’ higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe UFP Technologies is more favorable than Spectral Medical.

Profitability

This table compares Spectral Medical and UFP Technologies’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Spectral Medical	-649.73%	N/A	-109.96%
UFP Technologies	10.72%	25.37%	16.47%

Summary

UFP Technologies beats Spectral Medical on 12 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Spectral Medical

Spectral Medical Inc., together with its subsidiaries, focuses on the development and commercialization of products for the treatment of septic shock in North America. The company markets Endotoxin Activity Assay, a rapid in vitro diagnostic test for the detection of components of gram negative bacterial cell wall; and Polymyxin B Hemoperfusion, a therapeutic hemoperfusion device that removes endotoxin from the bloodstream. It also develops and manufactures monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, recombinant cardiac proteins, and calibrators for use in the research and development, as well as products that are manufactured by other diagnostic companies. The company was formerly known as Spectral Diagnostics Inc. and changed its name to Spectral Medical Inc. in December 2014. Spectral Medical Inc. was incorporated in 1991 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

About UFP Technologies

UFP Technologies, Inc. designs, engineers, and manufactures solutions for medical devices, sterile packaging, and other highly engineered custom products. The company offers protective drapes for robotic surgery, single patient use surfaces, advanced wound care, infection prevention, disposables for surgical and endoscopic procedures, packaging for orthopedic implants, orthopedic appliances, biopharma drug manufacturing, and coils for catheters; and molded components for applications in acoustic insulation, interior trim, load floors, sunshades, SUV cargo cover handles, driveshaft damping, engine and manifold covers, quarter panels, and wheel liners. It also provides molded composites for commercial aviation and military gear for use in backpack components, knee and elbow pads, eyewear, and helmets; recycled protective packaging for business-to-consumer brands primarily focused on electronics, candles, wine, and other high-volume consumer products; and reusable cases and custom for applications in military ballistics panels, virtual training systems, drones, communications equipment, and rugged portable computers. In addition, the company provides engineered products and components to customers in the automotive, aerospace and defense, and industrial markets for applications in military uniform and gear components, automotive interior trim, air filtration, and protective cases and inserts. It markets and sells its products in the United States principally through a direct sales force. The company was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Newburyport, Massachusetts.