Head-To-Head Survey: 4D Molecular Therapeutics (NASDAQ:FDMT) and Lipocine (NASDAQ:LPCN)

4D Molecular Therapeutics (NASDAQ:FDMT) and Lipocine (NASDAQ:LPCN) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, dividends, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability and earnings.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for 4D Molecular Therapeutics and Lipocine, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
4D Molecular Therapeutics	1	1	7	0	2.67
Lipocine	1	1	0	1	2.33

4D Molecular Therapeutics currently has a consensus price target of $29.88, indicating a potential upside of 237.95%. Lipocine has a consensus price target of $15.00, indicating a potential upside of 588.07%. Given Lipocine’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Lipocine is more favorable than 4D Molecular Therapeutics.

Profitability

This table compares 4D Molecular Therapeutics and Lipocine’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
4D Molecular Therapeutics	-182.34%	-36.83%	-32.55%
Lipocine	-571.18%	-66.70%	-59.39%

Risk & Volatility

4D Molecular Therapeutics has a beta of 2.75, indicating that its share price is 175% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Lipocine has a beta of 0.48, indicating that its share price is 52% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

99.3% of 4D Molecular Therapeutics shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 9.1% of Lipocine shares are owned by institutional investors. 7.9% of 4D Molecular Therapeutics shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 6.4% of Lipocine shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares 4D Molecular Therapeutics and Lipocine”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
4D Molecular Therapeutics	$85.21 million	5.42	-$140.11 million	($2.57)	-3.44
Lipocine	$1.98 million	9.07	-$9.63 million	($1.88)	-1.16

Lipocine has lower revenue, but higher earnings than 4D Molecular Therapeutics. 4D Molecular Therapeutics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Lipocine, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

4D Molecular Therapeutics beats Lipocine on 9 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About 4D Molecular Therapeutics

4D Molecular Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company, develops genetic medicines using its therapeutic vector evolution platform in the Netherland and the United States. The company develops a portfolio of genetic medicine product candidates focuses in three therapeutic areas for ophthalmology, cardiology, and pulmonology. Its product pipeline includes 4D-150, which is in phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration; and is in phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment of diabetic macular edema. The company develops 4D-125, which is in phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment of x-linked retinitis pigmentosa; 4D-110, which is in phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment of choroideremia; 4D-710, which is in phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment cystic fibrosis lung disease; and 4D-310 to treat fabry disease cardiomyopathy and is in phase 1/2 clinical trial. In addition, its product candidates comprises 4D-175, which is in pre-clinical development for the treatment for geographic trophy; and 4D-725 to treat alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency lung disease and is in pre-clinical development. The company has collaboration and licensing agreements with Arbor Biotechnologies, Inc.; Astellas Gene Therapies, Inc; uniQure biopharma B.V.; and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. 4D Molecular Therapeutics, Inc. was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Emeryville, California.

About Lipocine

Lipocine Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, engages in the research and development for the delivery of drugs for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Its lead product candidate is TLANDO, an oral testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) comprising testosterone undecanoate. The company's pipeline candidates also include TLANDO XR a candidate for oral TRT for once daily dosing, which has completed Phase 2b clinical study; LPCN 1148, an oral prodrug of bioidentical testosterone, being developed for the treatment of cirrhosis, currently under Phase 2 clinical studies; LPCN 1154, An oral neurosteroid, being developed for the treatment of postpartum depression, currently under Phase 2 studies; LPCN 2101, a NAS candidate, for women with epilepsy; and LPCN 2203 for essential tremor. It is also involved in the development of LPCN 1144, an oral prodrug of bioidentical testosterone for the treatment of pre-cirrhotic non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, which has completed Phase 2 testing; and LPCN 1107, an oral product candidate of 17-alpha-hydroxy progesterone caproate product, currently under Phase 3 studies for the prevention of recurrent preterm birth. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.