Analyzing Standard BioTools (NASDAQ:LAB) and Qiagen (NYSE:QGEN)

Qiagen (NYSE:QGEN) and Standard BioTools (NASDAQ:LAB) are both healthcare companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation and risk.

Profitability

This table compares Qiagen and Standard BioTools’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Qiagen	19.49%	14.47%	8.34%
Standard BioTools	100.36%	-7.57%	-6.14%

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for Qiagen and Standard BioTools, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Qiagen	0	9	4	1	2.43
Standard BioTools	1	2	0	0	1.67

Qiagen presently has a consensus price target of $43.51, suggesting a potential downside of 3.95%. Standard BioTools has a consensus price target of $1.35, suggesting a potential upside of 105.23%. Given Standard BioTools’ higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Standard BioTools is more favorable than Qiagen.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

70.0% of Qiagen shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 53.7% of Standard BioTools shares are owned by institutional investors. 9.0% of Qiagen shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 26.8% of Standard BioTools shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Qiagen and Standard BioTools”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Qiagen	$2.09 billion	4.47	$424.88 million	$1.95	23.23
Standard BioTools	$84.60 million	3.05	-$74.90 million	$0.22	2.99

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

Risk and Volatility

Qiagen has a beta of 0.61, suggesting that its stock price is 39% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Standard BioTools has a beta of 1.36, suggesting that its stock price is 36% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Qiagen beats Standard BioTools on 11 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Qiagen

QIAGEN NV is a holding company, which engages in the provision of Sample to Insight solutions that enable customers to gain valuable molecular insights from samples containing the building blocks of life. The company sample technologies isolate and process DNA, RNA, and proteins from blood, tissue, and other materials. The firm assay technologies make these biomolecules visible and ready for analysis. Its bioinformatics software and knowledge bases interpret data to report relevant, actionable insights. The company was founded by Detlev H. Riesner and Metin Colpan on April 29, 1996, and is headquartered in Venlo, the Netherlands.

About Standard BioTools

Standard BioTools Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides instruments, consumables, reagents, and software services for researchers and clinical laboratories in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia pacific. It operates through two segments: Proteomics and Genomics. The company offers analytical systems, such as CyTOF XT System, a CyTOF XT mass cytometry system performs automated high-parameter single-cell analysis using antibodies conjugated to metal isotopes; and Hyperion XTi imaging system, a spatial biology instrument. It also provides genomics, such as X9 Real-Time PCR System, a real-time PCR analytical instrument including pre-processing steps for microfluidics-based workflows using (integrated fluidic circuit) IFCs; and IFC Controllers, a controller which is designed to work with IFC formats. In addition, the company offers analytical instruments comprising Biomark HD system, a real-time PCR analytical instrument for microfluidics-based workflows using prepared IFCs. It sells its products to academic research institutions; translational research and medicine centers; cancer centers; clinical research laboratories; biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, and plant and animal research companies; and contract research organizations. It has license agreements with California Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and Caliper Life Sciences, Inc. The company was formerly known as Fluidigm Corporation and changed its name to Standard BioTools Inc. in April 2022. Fluidigm Corporation was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, California.