Harvard Bioscience (NASDAQ:HBIO) versus Kewaunee Scientific (NASDAQ:KEQU) Critical Comparison

Harvard Bioscience (NASDAQ:HBIO) and Kewaunee Scientific (NASDAQ:KEQU) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, earnings, profitability, institutional ownership, dividends and risk.

Volatility and Risk

Harvard Bioscience has a beta of 1.56, suggesting that its share price is 56% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Kewaunee Scientific has a beta of 0.56, suggesting that its share price is 44% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Harvard Bioscience and Kewaunee Scientific”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Harvard Bioscience	$94.14 million	0.25	-$12.40 million	($1.32)	-0.40
Kewaunee Scientific	$203.76 million	0.51	$18.75 million	$5.91	6.21

Kewaunee Scientific has higher revenue and earnings than Harvard Bioscience. Harvard Bioscience is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Kewaunee Scientific, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares Harvard Bioscience and Kewaunee Scientific’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Harvard Bioscience	-63.51%	-4.96%	-2.24%
Kewaunee Scientific	7.99%	24.66%	9.76%

Institutional & Insider Ownership

80.9% of Harvard Bioscience shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 32.7% of Kewaunee Scientific shares are owned by institutional investors. 9.5% of Harvard Bioscience shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 14.2% of Kewaunee Scientific shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Harvard Bioscience and Kewaunee Scientific, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Harvard Bioscience	0	1	1	0	2.50
Kewaunee Scientific	0	0	0	0	0.00

Harvard Bioscience presently has a consensus price target of $3.00, indicating a potential upside of 464.23%. Given Harvard Bioscience’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Harvard Bioscience is more favorable than Kewaunee Scientific.

Summary

Kewaunee Scientific beats Harvard Bioscience on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Harvard Bioscience

Harvard Bioscience, Inc. develops, manufactures, and sells technologies, products, and services for life science applications in the United States and internationally. The company offers cellular and molecular technology products, such as syringe and peristaltic infusion pump products; electroporation and electrofusion instruments, amino acid analyzers, spectrophotometers, and other equipment for molecular level testing and research; and precision scientific measuring instrumentation and equipment, including data acquisition systems for cellular analysis, complete micro electrode array solutions for in vivo recordings, and in vitro systems for extracellular recordings. It also provides preclinical products that includes platform to assess physiological data from organisms for research, drug discovery, and drug development services comprising implantable and externally worn telemetry systems for use in research to collect cardiovascular, central nervous system, respiratory, and metabolic data; behavioral products; isolated organ and surgical products, instruments and accessories for tissue, and organ-based lab research, including surgical products, infusion systems, and behavior research systems; turn-key respiratory system solutions, including plethysmograph chambers, data acquisition hardware, physiological signal analysis software, and final report generation; inhalation and exposure systems; and GLP-capable data acquisition and analysis systems. The company markets its products through sales organizations, websites, and distributors to research scientists in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities, hospitals, and government laboratories; and contract research organizations and academic labs. It primarily sells its products under Harvard Apparatus, DSI, Buxco, Biochrom, BTX, Heka, Hugo Sachs, Multichannel Systems MCS GmbH, and Panlab brands. Harvard Bioscience, Inc. was founded in 1901 and is based in Holliston, Massachusetts.

About Kewaunee Scientific

Kewaunee Scientific Corporation designs, manufactures, and installs laboratory, healthcare, and technical furniture and infrastructure products. The company operates through two segments, Domestic and International. Its products include steel and wood casework, fume hoods, adaptable modular systems, moveable workstations, stand-alone benches, biological safety cabinets, and epoxy resin work surfaces and sinks. The company's laboratory products are used in chemistry, physics, biology, and other general science laboratories in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, industrial, chemical, commercial, educational, government, and health care markets; and technical products are used in facilities manufacturing computers and light electronics and by users of computer and networking furniture. It sells its products primarily through dealers, its subidiaries, and a national distributor. The company was founded in 1906 and is headquartered in Statesville, North Carolina.