Head-To-Head Comparison: Upstream Bio (NASDAQ:UPB) and MediWound (NASDAQ:MDWD)

MediWound (NASDAQ:MDWD) and Upstream Bio (NASDAQ:UPB) are both small-cap healthcare companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, dividends, institutional ownership and risk.

Risk and Volatility

MediWound has a beta of 0.07, meaning that its share price is 93% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Upstream Bio has a beta of 1.6, meaning that its share price is 60% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

46.8% of MediWound shares are owned by institutional investors. 9.2% of MediWound shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 16.5% of Upstream Bio shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares MediWound and Upstream Bio”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
MediWound	$16.96 million	10.82	-$23.88 million	($1.80)	-7.84
Upstream Bio	$2.85 million	64.96	-$143.44 million	($2.90)	-1.17

MediWound has higher revenue and earnings than Upstream Bio. MediWound is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Upstream Bio, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings for MediWound and Upstream Bio, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
MediWound	1	0	4	0	2.60
Upstream Bio	1	2	4	0	2.43

MediWound presently has a consensus price target of $33.00, indicating a potential upside of 133.88%. Upstream Bio has a consensus price target of $26.67, indicating a potential upside of 688.95%. Given Upstream Bio’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Upstream Bio is more favorable than MediWound.

Profitability

This table compares MediWound and Upstream Bio’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
MediWound	-170.10%	-47.24%	-24.27%
Upstream Bio	-4,955.67%	-48.40%	-46.57%

Summary

MediWound beats Upstream Bio on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About MediWound

MediWound Ltd. (NASDAQ: MDWD) is a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on developing and marketing innovative enzymatic therapies for complex wounds. The company’s products are designed to support the removal of damaged tissue and improve wound management, with an emphasis on severe burns and hard-to-heal chronic wounds. MediWound’s lead product, NexoBrid, is a bromelain-based topical biological product used for the enzymatic removal of eschar, or dead tissue, from deep partial-thickness and full-thickness thermal burns.

About Upstream Bio

Upstream Bio, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing therapies for inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases. The company’s research is centered on targeting pathways involved in type 2 inflammation, which contributes to conditions affecting the respiratory system and other tissues. Its lead product candidate is verekitug, an investigational, long-acting monoclonal antibody designed to block thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), an epithelial cytokine that plays a role in initiating and maintaining allergic and inflammatory responses.