Marker Therapeutics (NASDAQ:MRKR – Get Rating) and Decibel Therapeutics (NASDAQ:DBTX – Get Rating) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, risk, dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations and profitability.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
31.8% of Marker Therapeutics shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 64.0% of Decibel Therapeutics shares are owned by institutional investors. 27.2% of Marker Therapeutics 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.
Get Marker Therapeutics alerts:Earnings & Valuation
This table compares Marker Therapeutics and Decibel Therapeutics' top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Marker Therapeutics | $1.24 million | 36.41 | -$41.88 million | ($0.52) | -1.04 |
| Decibel Therapeutics | N/A | N/A | -$51.82 million | ($2.18) | -2.04 |
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Marker Therapeutics and Decibel Therapeutics, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Marker Therapeutics | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 |
| Decibel Therapeutics | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3.00 |
Marker Therapeutics currently has a consensus price target of $1.25, suggesting a potential upside of 131.48%. Decibel Therapeutics has a consensus price target of $18.43, suggesting a potential upside of 314.13%. Given Decibel Therapeutics' stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Decibel Therapeutics is more favorable than Marker Therapeutics.
Volatility & Risk
Marker Therapeutics has a beta of 1.28, indicating that its stock price is 28% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Decibel Therapeutics has a beta of -1.48, indicating that its stock price is 248% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Profitability
This table compares Marker Therapeutics and Decibel Therapeutics' net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Marker Therapeutics | N/A | -83.20% | -58.95% |
| Decibel Therapeutics | N/A | -37.06% | -29.69% |
About Marker Therapeutics
(Get Rating)
Marker Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, engages in the development and commercialization of various T cell-based immunotherapies and peptide-based vaccines for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumor indications in the United States. Its MultiTAA-specific T cell technology is based on the manufacture of non-engineered tumor-specific T cells that recognize multiple tumor-associated antigens and kill tumor cells expressing tumor-associated antigens. The company's MultiTAA-specific T cell therapies include autologous T cells for the treatment of lymphoma, and various solid tumors; allogeneic T cells for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia; and off-the-shelf products in various indications. It is also developing TPIV100/110, a peptide-based immunotherapeutic vaccines for the treatment of breast and ovarian cancer cells; and TPIV200, which is in Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of breast and ovarian cancers. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
About Decibel Therapeutics
(Get Rating)
Decibel Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, engages in discovering and developing transformative treatments for hearing and balance disorders. Its product candidates and programs focuses on three areas, such as Gene Therapies for Congenital, Monogenic Hearing Loss designed to restore functional cells within the cochlea to address hearing disorders caused by single gene mutations; Gene Therapies for Hair Cell Regeneration designed to replace lost hair cells within the inner ear to address acquired hearing loss and balance disorders; and Otoprotection Therapeutic in clinical development to prevent hearing loss in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy with cisplatin. The company's lead gene therapy product candidate is DB-OTO to provide hearing to individuals born with profound hearing loss due to mutation of the otoferlin gene. It is also developing DB-ATO and AAV.201, a gene therapy program designed to restore balance in patients with bilateral vestibulopathy by regenerating lost hair cells within the vestibule; DB-020 for the prevention of cisplatin-induced hearing loss, which is in Phase 1b clinical trial; AAV.103 to restore hearing in individuals with a gap junction beta-2 (GJB2) deficiency; AAV.104 to restore hearing in individuals with stereocilin (STRC) deficiency; and cochlear hair cell regeneration program, an AAV-based gene therapy that utilizes cell-selective expression of reprogramming factors to convert supporting cells into outer hair cells. Decibel Therapeutics, Inc. has a strategic collaboration with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to develop gene therapies for monogenic forms of congenital hearing loss. The company was formerly known as Hearing Inc. and changed its name to Decibel Therapeutics, Inc. in April 2014. Decibel Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 2013 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.
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