Analyzing Positron (OTCMKTS:POSC) and Pulse Biosciences (NASDAQ:PLSE)
by Scott Moore · The Cerbat GemPulse Biosciences (NASDAQ:PLSE – Get Free Report) and Positron (OTCMKTS:POSC – Get Free Report) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, valuation, earnings, profitability, dividends, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Pulse Biosciences and Positron, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Pulse Biosciences | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
| Positron | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Pulse Biosciences currently has a consensus price target of $22.00, indicating a potential upside of 47.65%. Given Pulse Biosciences’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe Pulse Biosciences is more favorable than Positron.
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Pulse Biosciences and Positron”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Pulse Biosciences | $700,000.00 | 1,442.53 | -$53.58 million | ($1.13) | -13.19 |
| Positron | $590,000.00 | 79.86 | -$2.39 million | ($0.12) | -12.50 |
Positron has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Pulse Biosciences. Pulse Biosciences is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Positron, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Profitability
This table compares Pulse Biosciences and Positron’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Pulse Biosciences | N/A | -67.70% | -58.89% |
| Positron | -592.35% | -278.32% | -88.36% |
Volatility & Risk
Pulse Biosciences has a beta of 1.8, indicating that its stock price is 80% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Positron has a beta of 0.73, indicating that its stock price is 27% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
77.0% of Pulse Biosciences shares are held by institutional investors. 74.6% of Pulse Biosciences shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 17.2% of Positron shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Summary
Pulse Biosciences beats Positron on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Pulse Biosciences
Pulse Biosciences, Inc. operates as a novel bioelectric medicine company. The company offers CellFX System, a tunable, software-enabled, and console-based platform that delivers nano second duration pulses of electrical energy to non-thermally clear targeted cells while sparing adjacent non-cellular tissue to treat a various medical condition by using its Nano-Pulse Stimulation technology. The company was formerly known as Electroblate, Inc. and changed its name to Pulse Biosciences, Inc. in December 2015. Pulse Biosciences, Inc. was incorporated in 2014 and is headquartered in Hayward, California.
About Positron
Positron Corporation, a nuclear medicine healthcare company, specializes in the business of cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in the United States. It offers attrius PET scanner, clinical and technical services, and financing solutions enables healthcare providers to accurately diagnose cardiac disease, improve patient outcomes, and practice cost effective medicines. Positron Corporation was incorporated in 1983 and is based in Niagara Falls, New York.