Reviewing Lightwave Logic (LWLG) and The Competition

Lightwave Logic (NASDAQ:LWLG) is one of 377 public companies in the “Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components” industry, but how does it compare to its peers? We will compare Lightwave Logic to related businesses based on the strength of its earnings, risk, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability, analyst recommendations and valuation.

Profitability

This table compares Lightwave Logic and its peers’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Lightwave Logic	-9,143.60%	-30.34%	-28.76%
Lightwave Logic Competitors	-158.15%	-25.72%	-6.85%

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Lightwave Logic and its peers revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Net Income	Price/Earnings Ratio
Lightwave Logic	$240,000.00	-$20.31 million	-30.33
Lightwave Logic Competitors	$4.13 billion	$172.92 million	5.72

Lightwave Logic’s peers have higher revenue and earnings than Lightwave Logic. Lightwave Logic is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Risk and Volatility

Lightwave Logic has a beta of 2.42, suggesting that its share price is 142% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Lightwave Logic’s peers have a beta of -0.31, suggesting that their average share price is 131% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Lightwave Logic and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Lightwave Logic	1	1	1	0	2.00
Lightwave Logic Competitors	2047	7591	10400	655	2.47

Lightwave Logic presently has a consensus target price of $10.00, suggesting a potential upside of 106.06%. As a group, “Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components” companies have a potential upside of 35.84%. Given Lightwave Logic’s higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Lightwave Logic is more favorable than its peers.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

27.0% of Lightwave Logic shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 43.5% of shares of all “Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components” companies are owned by institutional investors. 2.2% of Lightwave Logic shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 16.2% of shares of all “Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components” companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Lightwave Logic peers beat Lightwave Logic on 11 of the 13 factors compared.

Lightwave Logic Company Profile

Lightwave Logic, Inc. focuses on the development of photonic devices and electro-optical polymer materials systems for fiber-optic data communications, telecommunications, and optical computing markets in the United States. The company is involved in the designing and synthesizing of organic chromophores for use in its electro-optic polymer systems and photonic device designs. It also offers electro-optic modulators, which converts data from electric signals to optical signals for transmission over fiber-optic cables; and polymer photonic integrated circuits, a photonic device, which integrates various photonic functions on a single chip. In addition, the company provides the ridge waveguide modulator, a modulator that fabricates the waveguide within a layer of its electro-optic polymer system. It focuses on selling its products to electro-optic device manufacturers, contract manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, foundries, packaging and assembly manufacturers, etc.; and semiconductor companies, optical network companies, Web 2.0/3.0 media companies, computing companies, telecommunications companies, aerospace companies, automotive companies, and government agencies and defense entities. The company was formerly known as Third-order Nanotechnologies, Inc. and changed its name to Lightwave Logic, Inc. in March 2008. Lightwave Logic, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.