BioLife Solutions (NASDAQ:BLFS) versus Medpace (NASDAQ:MEDP) Critical Contrast

BioLife Solutions (NASDAQ:BLFS) and Medpace (NASDAQ:MEDP) are both healthcare companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, profitability, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and valuation.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for BioLife Solutions and Medpace, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
BioLife Solutions	1	8	1	1	2.18
Medpace	0	10	3	0	2.23

BioLife Solutions presently has a consensus target price of $31.38, suggesting a potential downside of 11.54%. Medpace has a consensus target price of $584.18, suggesting a potential upside of 0.17%. Given Medpace’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Medpace is more favorable than BioLife Solutions.

Risk and Volatility

BioLife Solutions has a beta of 1.91, suggesting that its share price is 91% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Medpace has a beta of 1.15, suggesting that its share price is 15% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares BioLife Solutions and Medpace’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
BioLife Solutions	53.29%	2.70%	2.49%
Medpace	17.67%	110.15%	24.84%

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares BioLife Solutions and Medpace”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
BioLife Solutions	$96.21 million	18.01	-$4.59 million	$1.16	30.58
Medpace	$2.78 billion	5.85	$451.12 million	$17.06	34.19

Medpace has higher revenue and earnings than BioLife Solutions. BioLife Solutions is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Medpace, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

93.2% of BioLife Solutions shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 78.0% of Medpace shares are held by institutional investors. 2.2% of BioLife Solutions shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 20.5% of Medpace shares are held 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.

Summary

Medpace beats BioLife Solutions on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About BioLife Solutions

BioLife Solutions, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets bioproduction tools and services for the cell and gene therapy (CGT) industry in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and internationally. The company’s products are used in the basic and applied research, and commercial manufacturing of biologic-based therapies. It offers proprietary biopreservation media products, including HypoThermosol FRS and CryoStor Freeze Media that are formulated to mitigate preservation-induced, delayed-onset cell damage and death; bioproduction tools, such as human platelet lysates for cell expansion and CellSeal closed system vials that are used in CGT; and the ThawSTAR line that comprises of a family of automated thawing devices for frozen cell and gene therapies packaged in cryovials and cryobags. The company also provides cryogenic freezer technology for controlled rate freezing and cryogenic storage of biologic materials; ultra-low temperature mechanical freezers; evo shipping containers that are cloud-connected passive storage and transport containers for temperature-sensitive biologics and pharmaceuticals; liquid nitrogen laboratory freezers, cryogenic equipment, and accessories; and biological and pharmaceutical storage and transport services. It markets and sells its products directly, as well as through third party distributors. The company was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Bothell, Washington.

About Medpace

Medpace Holdings, Inc. engages in the provision of outsourced clinical development services to the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Its services include medical department, clinical trial management, data-driven feasibility, study-start-up, clinical monitoring, regulatory affairs, patient recruitment and retention, medical writing, biometrics and data sciences, pharmacovigilance, core laboratory, laboratories, clinics, and quality assurance. The company was founded by August James Troendle in 1992 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH.