Head-To-Head Review: Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) versus Guided Therapeutics (OTCMKTS:GTHP)

Guided Therapeutics (OTCMKTS:GTHP) and Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) are both medical companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations and dividends.

Risk & Volatility

Guided Therapeutics has a beta of 0.38, meaning that its share price is 62% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Agilent Technologies has a beta of 1.29, meaning that its share price is 29% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Guided Therapeutics and Agilent Technologies, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Guided Therapeutics	0	0	0	0	0.00
Agilent Technologies	0	5	8	1	2.71

Agilent Technologies has a consensus price target of $161.08, indicating a potential upside of 4.96%. Given Agilent Technologies’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Agilent Technologies is more favorable than Guided Therapeutics.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Guided Therapeutics and Agilent Technologies”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Guided Therapeutics	$10,000.00	2,089.98	-$2.42 million	($0.05)	-5.00
Agilent Technologies	$6.95 billion	6.26	$1.29 billion	$4.57	33.58

Agilent Technologies has higher revenue and earnings than Guided Therapeutics. Guided Therapeutics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Agilent Technologies, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

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

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Guided Therapeutics	N/A	N/A	-219.85%
Agilent Technologies	17.97%	25.51%	12.94%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

9.7% of Guided Therapeutics shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 87.4% of Agilent Technologies shares are held by institutional investors. 66.8% of Guided Therapeutics shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of Agilent Technologies shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Agilent Technologies beats Guided Therapeutics on 13 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

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.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies, Inc. provides application focused solutions to the life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Life Sciences and Applied Markets, Diagnostics and Genomics, and Agilent CrossLab. The Life Sciences and Applied Markets segment offers liquid chromatography systems and components; liquid chromatography mass spectrometry systems; gas chromatography systems and components; gas chromatography mass spectrometry systems; inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry instruments; atomic absorption instruments; microwave plasma-atomic emission spectrometry instruments; inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry instruments; raman spectroscopy; cell analysis plate based assays; flow cytometer; real-time cell analyzer; cell imaging systems; microplate reader; laboratory software; information management and analytics; laboratory automation and robotic systems; dissolution testing; and vacuum pumps, and measurement technologies. The Diagnostics and Genomics segment focuses on genomics, nucleic acid contract manufacturing and research and development, pathology, companion diagnostics, reagent partnership, and biomolecular analysis businesses. The Agilent CrossLab segment provides GC and LC columns, sample preparation products, custom chemistries, and laboratory instrument supplies; and offers services portfolio, including repairs, parts, maintenance, installations, training, compliance support, software as a service, asset management, and consulting services. The company markets its products through direct sales, distributors, resellers, manufacturer’s representatives, and electronic commerce. Agilent Technologies, Inc. was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.