MaxCyte (NASDAQ:MXCT – Get Free Report) and Illumina (NASDAQ:ILMN – Get Free Report) are both healthcare companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, earnings, dividends and risk.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
68.8% of MaxCyte shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 89.4% of Illumina shares are held by institutional investors. 4.1% of MaxCyte shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 2.9% of Illumina shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of current ratings for MaxCyte and Illumina, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| MaxCyte | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
| Illumina | 3 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 2.37 |
MaxCyte currently has a consensus price target of $4.50, suggesting a potential upside of 296.48%. Illumina has a consensus price target of $244.24, suggesting a potential upside of 19.50%. Given MaxCyte’s higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe MaxCyte is more favorable than Illumina.
Volatility and Risk
MaxCyte has a beta of 1.49, meaning that its stock price is 49% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Illumina has a beta of 1.46, meaning that its stock price is 46% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares MaxCyte and Illumina”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| MaxCyte | $33.03 million | 3.55 | -$44.63 million | ($0.26) | -4.37 |
| Illumina | $4.34 billion | 7.12 | $850.00 million | $5.81 | 35.18 |
Illumina has higher revenue and earnings than MaxCyte. MaxCyte is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Illumina, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Profitability
This table compares MaxCyte and Illumina’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| MaxCyte | -81.40% | -15.05% | -12.79% |
| Illumina | 19.72% | 28.38% | 12.11% |
Summary
Illumina beats MaxCyte on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About MaxCyte
MaxCyte, Inc. develops and commercializes cell-engineering technology used by biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, academic research institutions, and cell therapy developers. Its platform is designed to introduce molecules such as DNA, RNA, and proteins into cells while maintaining cell viability, supporting applications in cell therapy, gene editing, and drug discovery. The company’s offerings include its Flow Electroporation systems, related consumables, and services. MaxCyte also works with cell therapy developers through licensing agreements that allow them to use its technology in developing and manufacturing therapeutic products.
About Illumina
Illumina, Inc. develops and supplies technologies used to analyze genetic variation and biological function. Its products include next-generation sequencing systems, microarrays, reagents and consumables, as well as software and related services that help customers generate and interpret genomic data. The company’s technology is used in applications such as medical and population research, genetic testing, drug development, and agricultural and environmental studies. Its customers include academic and government research institutions, hospitals and clinical laboratories, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and other organizations around the world.
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