Ardent Health (NYSE:ARDT – Get Free Report) and GeneDx (NASDAQ:WGS – Get Free Report) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, dividends and earnings.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
61.7% of GeneDx shares are held by institutional investors. 1.9% of Ardent Health shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 29.6% of GeneDx shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares Ardent Health and GeneDx”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Ardent Health | $6.32 billion | 0.21 | $135.81 million | $0.95 | 9.91 |
| GeneDx | $427.54 million | 3.35 | -$21.02 million | ($2.68) | -17.99 |
Ardent Health has higher revenue and earnings than GeneDx. GeneDx is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Ardent Health, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Volatility and Risk
Ardent Health has a beta of 0.93, meaning that its stock price is 7% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, GeneDx has a beta of 2.06, meaning that its stock price is 106% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Ardent Health and GeneDx, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Ardent Health | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 2.36 |
| GeneDx | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2.63 |
Ardent Health presently has a consensus price target of $14.21, suggesting a potential upside of 50.99%. GeneDx has a consensus price target of $96.43, suggesting a potential upside of 100.02%. Given GeneDx’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe GeneDx is more favorable than Ardent Health.
Profitability
This table compares Ardent Health and GeneDx’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Ardent Health | 2.09% | 13.85% | 4.48% |
| GeneDx | -17.58% | 9.15% | 5.21% |
About Ardent Health
Ardent Health Partners, Inc. owns and operates a network of hospitals and clinics that provides a range of healthcare services in the United States. It operates acute care hospitals, including rehabilitation hospitals and surgical hospitals. The company was founded in 2001 and is based in Brentwood, Tennessee. Ardent Health Partners, Inc. is a subsidiary of EGI-AM Investments, L.L.C.
About GeneDx
GeneDx Holdings Corp., through its subsidiaries, provides genomics-related diagnostic and information services. The company offers Centrellis, an AI-driven health intelligence platform that integrates digital tools and artificial intelligence allowing scientists to ingest and synthesize clinical and genomic data to deliver comprehensive health insights. It provides genetic diagnostic tests, screening solutions, and information with a focus on pediatrics, rare diseases for children and adults, and hereditary cancer screening. GeneDx Holdings Corp. was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.
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