Tactile Systems Technology (NASDAQ:TCMD) & Ekso Bionics (NASDAQ:EKSO) Head-To-Head Contrast

Tactile Systems Technology (NASDAQ:TCMD) and Ekso Bionics (NASDAQ:EKSO) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, profitability, earnings, institutional ownership, risk and analyst recommendations.

Profitability

This table compares Tactile Systems Technology and Ekso Bionics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Tactile Systems Technology	5.06%	7.72%	5.59%
Ekso Bionics	-75.66%	-86.60%	-41.70%

Institutional & Insider Ownership

83.4% of Tactile Systems Technology shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 6.4% of Ekso Bionics shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.5% of Tactile Systems Technology shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 6.0% of Ekso Bionics shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Tactile Systems Technology and Ekso Bionics, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Tactile Systems Technology	0	5	1	1	2.43
Ekso Bionics	1	0	2	0	2.33

Tactile Systems Technology presently has a consensus price target of $16.83, indicating a potential upside of 11.48%. Ekso Bionics has a consensus price target of $562.50, indicating a potential upside of 10,951.08%. Given Ekso Bionics’ higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Ekso Bionics is more favorable than Tactile Systems Technology.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Tactile Systems Technology and Ekso Bionics”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Tactile Systems Technology	$292.98 million	1.15	$16.96 million	$0.62	24.35
Ekso Bionics	$17.92 million	0.74	-$11.33 million	($6.64)	-0.77

Tactile Systems Technology has higher revenue and earnings than Ekso Bionics. Ekso Bionics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Tactile Systems Technology, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Risk & Volatility

Tactile Systems Technology has a beta of 1.04, indicating that its stock price is 4% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Ekso Bionics has a beta of 1.11, indicating that its stock price is 11% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Tactile Systems Technology beats Ekso Bionics on 11 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Tactile Systems Technology

Tactile Systems Technology, Inc., a medical technology company, develops and provides medical devices to treat underserved chronic diseases in the United States. It offers Flexitouch Plus system, a pneumatic compression device for the treatment of lymphedema in the home setting; and Entre Plus System, a portable pneumatic compression device for the at-home treatment of venous disorders, such as lymphedema and chronic venous insufficiency, including venous leg ulcers. The company also provides Kylee, a mobile application to help patients learn about lymphedema, track their symptoms, and treatment, as well as to share their progress with their doctor; and AffloVest, a portable high frequency chest wall oscillation vest to treat patients with retained pulmonary secretions resulting from bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, and various neuromuscular disorders. Tactile Systems Technology, Inc. was incorporated in 1995 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

About Ekso Bionics

Ekso Bionics Holdings, Inc. designs, develops, sells, and rents exoskeleton products in the Americas, Germany, Poland, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. It operates in two segments, EksoHealth and EksoWorks. The EksoHealth segment designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets exoskeletons for applications in the medical markets. The EksoWorks segment designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets exoskeleton devices to allow able-bodied users to perform difficult repetitive work for extended periods. The company provides EksoNR, a wearable bionic suit and rehabilitation device that assists physical therapists and physicians to treat patients with acquired brain injury, stroke, and spinal cord injury; Ekso Indego Therapy, an adjustable and lower-limb powered exoskeleton; Ekso Indego Personal, a powered lower limb orthosis; Ekso Nomad, a power knee ankle foot orthosis; and Ekso EV, a wearable upper body exoskeleton that elevates and supports a worker's arms to assist with tasks from chest height to overhead. Ekso Bionics Holdings, Inc. was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in San Rafael, California.