Financial Contrast: Crinetics Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:CRNX) and Dynavax Technologies (NASDAQ:DVAX)

Crinetics Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:CRNX) and Dynavax Technologies (NASDAQ:DVAX) are both medical companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings and risk.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Crinetics Pharmaceuticals and Dynavax Technologies’ gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Crinetics Pharmaceuticals	$1.97 million	2,144.08	-$214.53 million	($3.78)	-14.20
Dynavax Technologies	$232.28 million	6.06	-$6.39 million	$0.06	179.17

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

Insider and Institutional Ownership

98.5% of Crinetics Pharmaceuticals shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 97.0% of Dynavax Technologies shares are held by institutional investors. 6.0% of Crinetics Pharmaceuticals shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 3.0% of Dynavax Technologies shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Volatility and Risk

Crinetics Pharmaceuticals has a beta of 0.68, suggesting that its stock price is 32% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Dynavax Technologies has a beta of 1.28, suggesting that its stock price is 28% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Crinetics Pharmaceuticals and Dynavax Technologies’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Crinetics Pharmaceuticals	N/A	-42.50%	-36.96%
Dynavax Technologies	3.91%	1.52%	0.95%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Crinetics Pharmaceuticals and Dynavax Technologies, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Crinetics Pharmaceuticals	0	1	11	0	2.92
Dynavax Technologies	0	1	3	0	2.75

Crinetics Pharmaceuticals presently has a consensus price target of $64.08, suggesting a potential upside of 19.40%. Dynavax Technologies has a consensus price target of $25.33, suggesting a potential upside of 135.66%. Given Dynavax Technologies’ higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Dynavax Technologies is more favorable than Crinetics Pharmaceuticals.

Summary

Dynavax Technologies beats Crinetics Pharmaceuticals on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Crinetics Pharmaceuticals

Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel therapeutics for rare endocrine diseases and endocrine-related tumors. The company's lead product candidate is paltusotine, an oral selective nonpeptide somatostatin receptor type 2 agonist, which is in Phase 3 trial for the treatment of acromegaly; and Phase 2 trial for treating carcinoid syndrome associated with neuroendocrine tumors. It is also developing CRN04894, an investigational oral nonpeptide product candidate to antagonize the adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) receptor that has completed a Phase 1 study for the treatment of diseases caused by excess ACTH, including congenital adrenal hyperplasia and Cushing's disease. In addition, the company is developing antagonists of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) receptor for the treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism and humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy, and other diseases of excess PTH; identified investigational orally available somatostatin receptor type 3 targeted nonpeptide agonists for the treatment of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease; and developing thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antagonists for the treatment of graves' disease and thyroid eye disease, as well as Oral GLP-1 and GIP nonpeptides for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

About Dynavax Technologies

Dynavax Technologies Corporation, a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing and commercializing vaccines in the United States. It markets HEPLISAV-B, a hepatitis B vaccine for prevention of infection caused by all known subtypes of hepatitis B virus in age 18 years and older in the United States and Europe. The company also manufactures and sells CpG 1018, the adjuvant used in HEPLISAV-B. Dynavax Technologies Corporation has a collaboration agreement with Valneva Scotland Limited; Zhejiang Clover Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.; Clover Biopharmaceuticals (Hong Kong) Co., Limited; Biological E. Limited; PT Bio Farma; Medigen Vaccine Biologics; and Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. The company was formerly known as Double Helix Corporation and changed its name to Dynavax Technologies Corporation in September 1996. The company was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Emeryville, California.