Reviewing InspireMD (NYSE:NSPR) and Minerva Surgical (NASDAQ:UTRS)

InspireMD (NYSE:NSPR) and Minerva Surgical (NASDAQ:UTRS) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, profitability, risk, earnings, analyst recommendations and valuation.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

44.8% of InspireMD shares are held by institutional investors. 29.7% of InspireMD shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 8.5% of Minerva Surgical shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for InspireMD and Minerva Surgical, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
InspireMD	0	0	1	0	3.00
Minerva Surgical	0	0	0	0	0.00

InspireMD presently has a consensus price target of $4.00, suggesting a potential upside of 86.05%. Given InspireMD’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe InspireMD is more favorable than Minerva Surgical.

Profitability

This table compares InspireMD and Minerva Surgical’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
InspireMD	-413.96%	-69.42%	-57.68%
Minerva Surgical	N/A	N/A	N/A

Volatility and Risk

InspireMD has a beta of 0.7, suggesting that its share price is 30% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Minerva Surgical has a beta of 2.74, suggesting that its share price is 174% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares InspireMD and Minerva Surgical”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
InspireMD	$7.78 million	11.71	-$19.92 million	($0.84)	-2.56
Minerva Surgical	$51.69 million	0.00	-$34.11 million	($8.21)	0.00

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

Summary

InspireMD beats Minerva Surgical on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About InspireMD

InspireMD, Inc., a medical device company, focuses on the development and commercialization of MicroNet stent platform technology for the treatment of vascular and coronary diseases in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. The company offers CGuard carotid embolic prevention system (EPS) for use in carotid artery applications; CGuard Prime Stent System, a mesh-covered self-expanding carotid stent; and SwitchGuard NPS, a non-invasive transcarotid artery revascularization device; as well as treating acute stroke with tandem lesions. InspireMD, Inc. has a strategic agreement with Jacobs Institute to execute an early feasibility study of CGuard Prime for the treatment of acute stroke patients with tandem lesions. The company sells its products through local distribution partners. InspireMD, Inc. was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel.

About Minerva Surgical

Minerva Surgical, Inc., a commercial-stage medical technology company, develops, manufactures, and commercializes minimally invasive solutions to meet the uterine healthcare needs of women in the United States. The company provides Minerva ES Endometrial Ablation System and Genesys HTA Endometrial Ablation System, which are endometrial ablation devices; Symphion Tissue Removal System, a minimally invasive uterine tissue removal system to combine bladeless tissue resection and coagulation, continuous visualization, and intrauterine pressure monitoring; and Resectr Tissue Resection Device, a handheld surgical instrument to enable the hysteroscopic removal and diagnosis of endometrial polyps. Its devices are utilized by obstetrician-gynecologists in various medical treatment settings, including hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and physician offices. The company was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.