Verve Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VERV) & Elite Pharmaceuticals (OTCMKTS:ELTP) Head-To-Head Contrast

Verve Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VERV) and Elite Pharmaceuticals (OTCMKTS:ELTP) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, dividends, risk, profitability, institutional ownership and earnings.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

97.1% of Verve Therapeutics shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.0% of Elite Pharmaceuticals shares are owned by institutional investors. 19.9% of Verve Therapeutics shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 14.4% of Elite Pharmaceuticals shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Verve Therapeutics and Elite Pharmaceuticals, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Verve Therapeutics	0	6	3	0	2.33
Elite Pharmaceuticals	0	0	0	0	0.00

Verve Therapeutics currently has a consensus price target of $14.57, suggesting a potential upside of 32.23%. Given Verve Therapeutics’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts plainly believe Verve Therapeutics is more favorable than Elite Pharmaceuticals.

Risk and Volatility

Verve Therapeutics has a beta of 2.23, suggesting that its stock price is 123% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Elite Pharmaceuticals has a beta of 0.25, suggesting that its stock price is 75% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Verve Therapeutics and Elite Pharmaceuticals’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Verve Therapeutics	-303.64%	-35.81%	-27.57%
Elite Pharmaceuticals	-5.13%	3.96%	2.13%

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Verve Therapeutics and Elite Pharmaceuticals”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Verve Therapeutics	$32.33 million	30.38	-$198.71 million	($2.11)	-5.22
Elite Pharmaceuticals	$84.04 million	6.75	-$4.32 million	N/A	N/A

Elite Pharmaceuticals has higher revenue and earnings than Verve Therapeutics.

Summary

Verve Therapeutics beats Elite Pharmaceuticals on 7 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Verve Therapeutics

Verve Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical stage genetic medicines company, engages in developing gene editing medicines for patients to treat cardiovascular diseases in the United States. The company's lead product candidate is VERVE-101, a single-course gene editing treatment that permanently turns off the PCSK9 gene in the liver; and VERVE-102, a product candidate that targets the PCSK9 gene for the treatment of HeFH. It engages in the development of ANGPTL3 program to permanently turn off the ANGPTL3 gene in the liver. It has a collaboration and license agreement with Beam Therapeutics Inc.; a development and option agreement with Acuitas Therapeutics, Inc.; and a Cas9 license agreement with The Broad Institute and the President and Fellows of Harvard College. The company was formerly known as Endcadia, Inc. and changed its name to Verve Therapeutics, Inc. in January 2019. Verve Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 2018 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

About Elite Pharmaceuticals

Elite Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, engages in the development, manufacture, and sale of oral, controlled-release products, and generic pharmaceuticals. The company operates in two segments, Abbreviated New Drug Applications for Generic Pharmaceuticals and New Drug Applications for Branded Pharmaceuticals. It owns, licenses, manufactures, and sells various generic and oral dose pharmaceuticals products, such as Phentermine HCl 37.5mg tablets, and 15mg and 30mg capsules for the treatment of bariatrics under Adipex-P brand; Phendimetrazine Tartrate 35mg tablets for bariatrics under the Bontril brand; Naltrexone HCl 50mg tablets for the treatment of pains under the Revia brand; and Isradipine 2.5mg and 5mg capsules for cardiovascular diseases. The company also provides Trimipramine Maleate Immediate Release antidepressant capsules under the Surmontil brand; Dextroamphetamine Saccharate, Amphetamine Aspartate, Dextroamphetamine Sulfate, and Amphetamine Sulfate Immediate Release tablets under the Adderall brand, as well as Dextroamphetamine Saccharate, Amphetamine Aspartate, Dextroamphetamine Sulfate, Amphetamine Sulfate Extended Release capsules under the Adderall XR brand for central nervous system diseases; Dantrolene Sodium capsules for muscle relaxant under the Dantrium brand; SequestOX, an immediate release Oxycodone with Naltrexone; Loxapine Succinate capsules for treating antipsychotic under the Loxapine brand; Acetaminophen and Codeine Phosphate for the management of mild to moderate pain; and antibiotic products. In addition, it manufactures controlled-release products on a contract basis for third parties in the areas of pain, allergy, bariatric, attention deficit, and infection. Further, the company is developing a range of abuse deterrent opioid products. Elite Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Northvale, New Jersey.