Comparing Guided Therapeutics (OTCMKTS:GTHP) and CONMED (NYSE:CNMD)

CONMED (NYSE:CNMD) and Guided Therapeutics (OTCMKTS:GTHP) are both medical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, dividends, profitability, earnings, valuation and risk.

Volatility and Risk

CONMED has a beta of 1.33, indicating that its stock price is 33% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Guided Therapeutics has a beta of 0.34, indicating that its stock price is 66% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares CONMED and Guided Therapeutics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
CONMED	5.18%	13.69%	4.67%
Guided Therapeutics	N/A	N/A	-158.84%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent recommendations for CONMED and Guided Therapeutics, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
CONMED	0	1	6	0	2.86
Guided Therapeutics	0	0	0	0	N/A

CONMED currently has a consensus price target of $120.43, suggesting a potential upside of 60.12%. Given CONMED’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe CONMED is more favorable than Guided Therapeutics.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares CONMED and Guided Therapeutics’ gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
CONMED	$1.24 billion	1.86	$64.46 million	$2.04	36.87
Guided Therapeutics	$100,000.00	53.39	-$3.49 million	N/A	N/A

CONMED has higher revenue and earnings than Guided Therapeutics.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

9.7% of Guided Therapeutics shares are held by institutional investors. 7.6% of CONMED shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 66.8% of Guided Therapeutics shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

CONMED beats Guided Therapeutics on 8 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About CONMED

CONMED Corporation, a medical technology company, develops, manufactures, and sells surgical devices and related equipment for surgical procedures worldwide. The company offers orthopedic surgery products, including BioBrace, TruShot with Y-Knot All-In-One Soft Tissue Fixation System, Y-knot All-Suture Anchors, and Agro Knotless Suture Anchors, which provide clinical solutions to orthopedic surgeons for the augmentation and repair of soft tissue injuries, as well as provides supporting products that enable surgeons to perform minimally invasive sports medicine surgeries. It markets orthopedic surgery products under the Hall, CONMED Linvatec, Concept, and Shutt brands. The company also provides battery-powered and autoclavable bone power tool systems for use in orthopedic, arthroscopic, oral/maxillofacial, podiatric, spinal, and cardiothoracic surgeries under Hall surgical brand name. In addition, it offers general surgery products, including clinical insufflation systems under AirSeal brand; smoke removal devices under Buffalo Filter brand; endomechanical products, such as tissue retrieval bags, trocars, suction irrigation devices, graspers, scissors, and dissectors used in minimally invasive surgeries; and electrosurgical solution comprising monopolar and bipolar generators, argon beam coagulation generators, handpieces, smoke management systems and other accessories. Further, the company provides endoscopic technologies, including therapeutic and diagnostic products for use in gastroenterology procedures, and products for the treatment of diseases of the dilatation, hemostasis, biliary, structure management, and infection prevention and patient monitoring, including ECG and EEG electrodes, and cardiac defibrillation pads. It markets its products directly to hospitals, surgery centers, and other healthcare institutions, as well as through medical specialty distributors. CONMED Corporation was incorporated in 1970 and is headquartered in Largo, Florida.

About Guided Therapeutics

Guided Therapeutics, Inc., a medical technology company, focuses on developing medical devices. It focuses on the commercialization of LuViva, a non-invasive cervical cancer detection device that identifies cervical cancers and precancers painlessly, non-invasively, and at the point-of-care by scanning the cervix with light, then analyzing the light reflected and fluorescent light. The company was formerly known as SpectRx, Inc. and changed its name to Guided Therapeutics, Inc. in February 2008. Guided Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 1992 and is based in Norcross, Georgia.