Contrasting Atomera (NASDAQ:ATOM) and Sequans Communications (NYSE:SQNS)

Sequans Communications (NYSE:SQNS) and Atomera (NASDAQ:ATOM) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability and valuation.

Profitability

This table compares Sequans Communications and Atomera’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Sequans Communications	-617.78%	-58.42%	-29.64%
Atomera	N/A	-84.79%	-75.99%

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for Sequans Communications and Atomera, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Sequans Communications	2	0	2	1	2.40
Atomera	1	0	0	0	1.00

Sequans Communications presently has a consensus price target of $20.33, indicating a potential upside of 390.43%. Given Sequans Communications’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe Sequans Communications is more favorable than Atomera.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

63.3% of Sequans Communications shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 30.8% of Atomera shares are owned by institutional investors. 9.4% of Sequans Communications shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 8.1% of Atomera shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Volatility & Risk

Sequans Communications has a beta of 0.77, indicating that its share price is 23% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Atomera has a beta of 2, indicating that its share price is 100% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Sequans Communications and Atomera”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Sequans Communications	$27.19 million	2.28	-$109.28 million	($13.43)	-0.31
Atomera	$72,000.00	5,199.77	-$20.17 million	($0.65)	-14.88

Atomera has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Sequans Communications. Atomera is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Sequans Communications, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Sequans Communications beats Atomera on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Sequans Communications

Sequans Communications S.A. engages in the fabless designing, developing, and supplying of cellular semiconductor solutions for massive and broadband Internet of Things (IoT) markets in Taiwan, Korea, China, rest of Asia, Germany, the United States, and internationally. It offers baseband solutions for use in encoding and decoding data based on 4G and 5G protocols for wireless processing platform for a cellular device; RF transceivers used to transmit and receive wireless transmissions; highly integrated SoC solutions that combine various functions into a single die or package; and LTE modules. The company also provides software, including source code and tools to enable manufacturers to integrate their solutions into their devices; and design support services. The company serves OEMs and ODMs Customers, as well as 4G and 5G wireless carriers. Sequans Communications S.A. was incorporated in 2003 and is based in Paris, France.

About Atomera

Atomera Incorporated engages in the developing, commercializing, and licensing proprietary processes and technologies for the semiconductor industry in North America and the Asia Pacific. The company's lead technology is the Mears Silicon Technology, a thin film of reengineered silicon that can be applied as a transistor channel enhancement to CMOS-type transistors. Its customers include foundries, integrated device manufacturers, fabless semiconductor manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, and electronic design automation companies. The company was formerly known as Mears Technologies, Inc. and changed its name to Atomera Incorporated in January 2016. Atomera Incorporated was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California.