Head to Head Comparison: CVRx (NASDAQ:CVRX) & Baxter International (NYSE:BAX)

CVRx (NASDAQ:CVRX) and Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) are both medical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership, valuation and risk.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

75.3% of CVRx shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 90.2% of Baxter International shares are owned by institutional investors. 18.9% of CVRx shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of Baxter International shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares CVRx and Baxter International’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
CVRx	-122.52%	-77.62%	-51.34%
Baxter International	16.51%	18.06%	5.21%

Volatility & Risk

CVRx has a beta of 1.27, suggesting that its stock price is 27% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Baxter International has a beta of 0.59, suggesting that its stock price is 41% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares CVRx and Baxter International”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
CVRx	$44.39 million	4.29	-$41.20 million	($2.47)	-3.57
Baxter International	$15.00 billion	1.29	$2.66 billion	$5.20	7.30

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

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for CVRx and Baxter International, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
CVRx	0	2	5	0	2.71
Baxter International	1	8	2	0	2.09

CVRx presently has a consensus price target of $13.67, suggesting a potential upside of 55.13%. Baxter International has a consensus price target of $41.73, suggesting a potential upside of 9.90%. Given CVRx’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe CVRx is more favorable than Baxter International.

Summary

Baxter International beats CVRx on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About CVRx

CVRx, Inc., a commercial-stage medical device company, focuses on developing, manufacturing, and commercializing neuromodulation solutions for patients with cardiovascular diseases. The company offers Barostim, a neuromodulation device indicated to improve symptoms for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction or systolic heart failure. It sells its products through direct sales force, as well as sales agents and independent distributors in the United States, Germany, and internationally. The company was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

About Baxter International

Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops and provides a portfolio of healthcare products worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Medical Products and Therapies, Healthcare Systems and Technologies, Pharmaceuticals, and Kidney Care. The company offers sterile intravenous (IV) solutions; infusion systems and devices; parenteral nutrition therapies; generic injectable pharmaceuticals; surgical hemostat and sealant products, advanced surgical equipment; smart bed systems; patient monitoring and diagnostic technologies; and respiratory health devices, as well as advanced equipment for the surgical space, including surgical video technologies, precision positioning devices, and other accessories. It also provides administrative sets; adhesion prevention products; inhaled anesthesia; drug compounding; chronic and acute dialysis therapies and services, including peritoneal dialysis (PD), hemodialysis (HD), continuous renal replacement therapies (CRRT), and other organ support therapies. The company’s products are used in hospitals, kidney dialysis centers, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, ambulatory surgery centers, doctors’ offices, and patients at home under physician supervision. The company sells its products through direct sales force, as well as through independent distributors, drug wholesalers, and specialty pharmacy or other alternate site providers in approximately 100 countries. It has an agreement with Celerity Pharmaceutical, LLC to develop acute care generic injectable premix and oncolytic products; and a collaborative research agreement with Miromatrix Medical Inc. aiming to advance care for patients with acute liver failure. Baxter International Inc. was incorporated in 1931 and is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois.