Reviewing LifeStance Health Group (NASDAQ:LFST) and Chemed (NYSE:CHE)

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) and LifeStance Health Group (NASDAQ:LFST) are both mid-cap medical companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability and valuation.

Risk and Volatility

Chemed has a beta of 0.46, meaning that its stock price is 54% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, LifeStance Health Group has a beta of 1.11, meaning that its stock price is 11% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

95.8% of Chemed shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 85.5% of LifeStance Health Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.3% of Chemed shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 6.6% of LifeStance Health Group shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Chemed and LifeStance Health Group”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Chemed	$2.53 billion	2.05	$265.24 million	$18.37	20.52
LifeStance Health Group	$1.42 billion	1.74	$9.66 million	$0.02	318.25

Chemed has higher revenue and earnings than LifeStance Health Group. Chemed is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than LifeStance Health Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings for Chemed and LifeStance Health Group, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Chemed	1	3	2	0	2.17
LifeStance Health Group	0	2	6	1	2.89

Chemed currently has a consensus price target of $498.00, indicating a potential upside of 32.14%. LifeStance Health Group has a consensus price target of $9.83, indicating a potential upside of 54.49%. Given LifeStance Health Group’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe LifeStance Health Group is more favorable than Chemed.

Profitability

This table compares Chemed and LifeStance Health Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Chemed	10.48%	25.66%	17.24%
LifeStance Health Group	0.68%	0.65%	0.45%

Summary

Chemed beats LifeStance Health Group on 8 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Chemed

Chemed Corporation provides hospice and palliative care services to patients through a network of physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy, and volunteers primarily in the United States. The company operates in VITAS and Roto-Rooter segments. It offers plumbing, drain cleaning, excavation, water restoration, and other related services to residential and commercial customers through company-owned branches, independent contractors, and franchisees. The company was incorporated in 1970 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.

About LifeStance Health Group

LifeStance Health Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides outpatient mental health services to children, adolescents, adults, and geriatrics in the United States. The company offers patients a suite of mental health services, including psychiatric evaluations and treatment, psychological, and neuropsychological testing, as well as individual, family, and group therapy. It treats a range of mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, psychotic disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, the company operates an outpatient mental health platform, as well as offers patient care virtually through its online delivery platform or in-person at its centers. LifeStance Health Group, Inc. was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona.