Head to Head Analysis: Biodesix (NASDAQ:BDSX) vs. Humana (NYSE:HUM)
by Mitch Edgeman · The Markets DailyHumana (NYSE:HUM – Get Free Report) and Biodesix (NASDAQ:BDSX – Get Free Report) are both healthcare companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability, earnings and valuation.
Risk & Volatility
Humana has a beta of 0.74, meaning that its stock price is 26% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Biodesix has a beta of 0.6, meaning that its stock price is 40% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
92.4% of Humana shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 21.0% of Biodesix shares are held by institutional investors. 0.2% of Humana shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 23.2% of Biodesix shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Profitability
This table compares Humana and Biodesix’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Humana | 0.88% | 11.20% | 3.94% |
| Biodesix | -26.97% | -788.19% | -30.33% |
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Humana and Biodesix, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Humana | 1 | 15 | 14 | 0 | 2.43 |
| Biodesix | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2.80 |
Humana currently has a consensus target price of $403.91, suggesting a potential downside of 2.61%. Biodesix has a consensus target price of $31.33, suggesting a potential upside of 16.14%. Given Biodesix’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Biodesix is more favorable than Humana.
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Humana and Biodesix”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Humana | $129.66 billion | 0.38 | $1.19 billion | $10.57 | 39.24 |
| Biodesix | $88.50 million | 3.22 | -$35.26 million | ($3.17) | -8.51 |
Humana has higher revenue and earnings than Biodesix. Biodesix is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Humana, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
Humana beats Biodesix on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Humana
Humana Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides medical and specialty insurance products in the United States. It operates through two segments, Insurance and CenterWell. The company offers medical and supplemental benefit plans to individuals. It has a contract with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to administer the Limited Income Newly Eligible Transition prescription drug plan program; and contracts with various states to provide Medicaid, dual eligible, and long-term support services benefits. In addition, the company provides commercial fully-insured medical and specialty health insurance benefits comprising dental, vision, life insurance, and other supplemental health benefits, as well as administrative services only products to individuals and employer groups; military services, such as TRICARE T2017 East Region contract; and engages in the operations of pharmacy benefit manager business. Further, it operates pharmacies and senior focused primary care centers; and offers home solutions services, such as home health, hospice, and other services to its health plan members, as well as to third parties. The company sells its products through employers and employees, independent brokers and agents, sales representatives, and digital insurance agencies. The company was formerly known as Extendicare Inc. and changed its name to Humana Inc. in April 1974. Humana Inc. was founded in 1961 and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.
About Biodesix
Biodesix, Inc. operates as a data-driven diagnostic solutions company in the United States. The company offers blood-based lung tests, including Nodify XL2 and Nodify CDT tests, together marketed as part of Nodify Lung Nodule Risk Assessment testing strategy, to assess the risk of lung cancer and help in identifying the appropriate treatment pathway and help physicians in reclassifying risk of malignancy in patients with suspicious lung nodules. It also provides GeneStrat ddPCR and NGS, and VeriStrat tests, which are used in the diagnosis of lung cancer to measure the presence of mutations in the tumor and the state of the patient's immune system to establish the patient's prognosis and help guide treatment decisions. In addition, the company, through its partnership with Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., provides Bio-Rad SARS-CoV-2 ddPCR, a COVID-19 Test under Biodesix WorkSafe testing program; and Platelia SARS-CoV-2 Total Ab test, an antibody test for detecting a B-cell immune response to SARS-CoV-2 that indicate recent or prior infection. Further, it offers diagnostic and clinical research, as well as clinical trial testing services to biopharmaceutical companies; and discovers, develops, and commercializes companion diagnostics. The company was formerly known as Elston Technologies, Inc. and as changed to Biodesix, Inc. in 2006. Biodesix, Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Louisville, Colorado.