Critical Contrast: Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) and HilleVax (NASDAQ:HLVX)

HilleVax (NASDAQ:HLVX – Get Free Report) and Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD – Get Free Report) are both medical companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, institutional ownership, earnings, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares HilleVax and Gilead Sciences’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Volatility and Risk

HilleVax has a beta of 0.8, suggesting that its share price is 20% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Gilead Sciences has a beta of 0.18, suggesting that its share price is 82% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for HilleVax and Gilead Sciences, as provided by MarketBeat.

HilleVax presently has a consensus target price of $9.20, indicating a potential upside of 431.79%. Gilead Sciences has a consensus target price of $84.83, indicating a potential upside of 0.19%. Given HilleVax’s higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe HilleVax is more favorable than Gilead Sciences.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

86.4% of HilleVax shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 83.7% of Gilead Sciences shares are owned by institutional investors. 71.1% of HilleVax shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of Gilead Sciences shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares HilleVax and Gilead Sciences”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

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

Summary

Gilead Sciences beats HilleVax on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About HilleVax

(Get Free Report)

HilleVax, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing and commercializing novel vaccines in the United States. It develops HIL-214, a virus-like particle-based vaccine candidate for the prevention of moderate-to-severe acute gastroenteritis caused by norovirus infection. The company was formerly known as MokshaCo, Inc. and changed its name to HilleVax, Inc. in February 2021. HilleVax, Inc. was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

About Gilead Sciences

(Get Free Report)

Gilead Sciences, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, and commercializes medicines in the areas of unmet medical need in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company provides Biktarvy, Genvoya, Descovy, Odefsey, Truvada, Complera/ Eviplera, Stribild, Sunlencs, and Atripla products for the treatment of HIV/AIDS; Veklury, an injection for intravenous use, for the treatment of COVID-19; and Epclusa, Harvoni, Vemlidy, and Viread for the treatment of viral hepatitis. It also offers Yescarta, Tecartus, and Trodelvy products for the treatment of oncology; Letairis, an oral formulation for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension; and AmBisome, a liposomal formulation for the treatment of serious invasive fungal infections. The company has collaboration agreements with Arcus Biosciences, Inc.; Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.; Pionyr Immunotherapeutics Inc.; Tizona Therapeutics, Inc.; Galapagos NV; Janssen Sciences Ireland Unlimited Company; Japan Tobacco, Inc.; Dragonfly Therapeutics, Inc.; Arcellx, Inc.; Everest Medicines; Merck & Co, Inc.; Tentarix Biotherapeutics Inc.; and Assembly Biosciences, Inc. It also has research collaboration, option, and license agreement with Merus N.V. for the discovery of novel dual tumor-associated antigens (TAA) targeting trispecific antibodies. The company was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Foster City, California.