Upstream Bio (NASDAQ:UPB – Get Free Report) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS – Get Free Report) are both healthcare companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, dividends, earnings and risk.
Risk and Volatility
Upstream Bio has a beta of 1.38, suggesting that its share price is 38% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Ionis Pharmaceuticals has a beta of 0.38, suggesting that its share price is 62% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Upstream Bio and Ionis Pharmaceuticals, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Upstream Bio | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2.43 |
| Ionis Pharmaceuticals | 1 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 2.73 |
Profitability
This table compares Upstream Bio and Ionis Pharmaceuticals’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Upstream Bio | -4,955.67% | -48.40% | -46.57% |
| Ionis Pharmaceuticals | -64.76% | -111.08% | -17.41% |
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Upstream Bio and Ionis Pharmaceuticals”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Upstream Bio | $2.85 million | 80.14 | -$143.44 million | ($2.90) | -1.44 |
| Ionis Pharmaceuticals | $944.00 million | 7.69 | -$381.39 million | ($3.46) | -12.62 |
Upstream Bio has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Ionis Pharmaceuticals. Ionis Pharmaceuticals is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Upstream Bio, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
93.9% of Ionis Pharmaceuticals shares are held by institutional investors. 16.5% of Upstream Bio shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.8% of Ionis Pharmaceuticals shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Summary
Upstream Bio beats Ionis Pharmaceuticals on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Upstream Bio
Upstream Bio, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, develops treatments for inflammatory diseases that focuses on severe respiratory disorders. It develops verekitug, a monoclonal antibody that targets and inhibits the thymic stromal lymphopoietin receptor. The company also develops therapies to treat severe asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Upstream Bio, Inc. was incorporated in 2021 and is based in Waltham, Massachusetts.
About Ionis Pharmaceuticals
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. discovers and develops RNA-targeted therapeutics in the United States. The company offers SPINRAZA for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in pediatric and adult patients; TEGSEDI, an antisense injection for the treatment of polyneuropathy caused by hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis in adults; and WAYLIVRA, an antisense medicine for treatment for familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS) and familial partial lipodystrophy. It also develops medicines for various indications that are in phase 3 study, including Eplontersen as a monthly self-administered subcutaneous injection to treat all types of ATTR; Olezarsen for patients with FCS and severe hypertriglyceridemia (SHTG); Donidalorsen for patients with hereditary angioedema; ION363 for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Tofersen to inhibit the production of superoxide dismutase 1; Pelacarsen for patients with established cardiovascular disease and elevated lipoprotein(a); and Bepirovirsen to inhibit the production of viral proteins associated with hepatitis B virus. In addition, the company develops IONIS-FB-LRx to inhibit the production of complement factor B and the alternative complement pathway; and ION224 to reduce the production of diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2. It has a strategic collaboration with Biogen for the treatment of neurological disorders; and collaboration and license agreement with Metagenomi, Inc, AstraZeneca, Bayer AG, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Novartis, Roche, Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB, and PTC Therapeutics. The company was incorporated in 1989 and is based in Carlsbad, California.
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