Contrasting Assertio (NASDAQ:ASRT) and Mannatech (NASDAQ:MTEX)

Assertio (NASDAQ:ASRT) and Mannatech (NASDAQ:MTEX) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares Assertio and Mannatech’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Assertio	-34.94%	-38.72%	-13.32%
Mannatech	-14.08%	-398.35%	-45.63%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

49.0% of Assertio shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 13.0% of Mannatech shares are held by institutional investors. 5.7% of Assertio shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 41.5% of Mannatech shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Assertio and Mannatech”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Assertio	$102.16 million	1.47	-$30.38 million	($5.69)	-4.10
Mannatech	$108.04 million	0.08	-$15.21 million	($8.00)	-0.59

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

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Assertio and Mannatech, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Assertio	1	4	0	0	1.80
Mannatech	1	0	0	0	1.00

Assertio currently has a consensus price target of $22.65, indicating a potential downside of 2.85%. Given Assertio’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Assertio is more favorable than Mannatech.

Risk & Volatility

Assertio has a beta of 0.44, meaning that its share price is 56% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Mannatech has a beta of 0.61, meaning that its share price is 39% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Assertio beats Mannatech on 7 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Assertio

Assertio Holdings, Inc., a commercial pharmaceutical company, provides various products to patients in the United States. Its pharmaceutical products include INDOCIN, an oral and suppository solution for the treatment of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, including acute flares of chronic disease; ankylosing spondylitis and osteoarthritis; and acute painful shoulder and gouty arthritis. It also provides Sympazan, a benzodiazepine for the adjunctive treatment of seizures related with lennox-gastaut syndrome in patients aged two years of age or older; CAMBIA, a non steroidal anti inflammatory drug (NSAID) for the treatment of migraine pain, nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia; Zipsor, a NSAID for relief of mild to moderate pain in adults; SPRIX, a NSAID for the short term management of moderate to moderately severe pain that requires analgesia at the opioid level; Otrexup, a single-dose auto-injector containing a prescription medicine and methotrexate that is used to treat patients with severe, active rheumatoid arthritis, and active polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, as well as treat adult with severe, recalcitrant, and disabling psoriasis; and ROLVEDON, a long-acting granulocyte colony-stimulating factor that is indicated to decrease the incidence of infection caused by febrile neutropenia. The company was formerly known as Assertio Therapeutics, Inc. and changed its name to Assertio Holdings, Inc. in May 2020. Assertio Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 2020 and is headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois.

About Mannatech

Mannatech, Incorporated operates as a health and wellness company in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific. The company develops, markets, and sells nutritional supplements; topical and skin care, and anti-aging products; and weight-management and fitness products. It primarily sells its products directly, as well as through e-commerce and network marketing channels. Mannatech, Incorporated was incorporated in 1993 and is headquartered in Flower Mound, Texas.