Critical Contrast: GeoVax Labs (NASDAQ:GOVX) & Altimmune (NASDAQ:ALT)
by Kim Johansen · The Markets DailyGeoVax Labs (NASDAQ:GOVX – Get Free Report) and Altimmune (NASDAQ:ALT – Get Free Report) are both small-cap healthcare companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, risk, valuation, profitability, dividends, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for GeoVax Labs and Altimmune, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| GeoVax Labs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
| Altimmune | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 2.70 |
GeoVax Labs presently has a consensus price target of $150.00, suggesting a potential upside of 72,715.53%. Altimmune has a consensus price target of $14.33, suggesting a potential upside of 576.10%. Given GeoVax Labs’ higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe GeoVax Labs is more favorable than Altimmune.
Profitability
This table compares GeoVax Labs and Altimmune’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| GeoVax Labs | N/A | -743.64% | -394.74% |
| Altimmune | N/A | -31.41% | -26.96% |
Insider & Institutional Ownership
6.1% of GeoVax Labs shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 78.0% of Altimmune shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.2% of GeoVax Labs shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.6% of Altimmune shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares GeoVax Labs and Altimmune”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| GeoVax Labs | $2.49 million | 0.61 | -$21.47 million | ($11.34) | -0.02 |
| Altimmune | $40,000.00 | 10,309.56 | -$88.09 million | ($0.78) | -2.72 |
GeoVax Labs has higher revenue and earnings than Altimmune. Altimmune is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than GeoVax Labs, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Risk & Volatility
GeoVax Labs has a beta of 3.69, suggesting that its stock price is 269% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Altimmune has a beta of 0.06, suggesting that its stock price is 94% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Altimmune beats GeoVax Labs on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.
About GeoVax Labs
GeoVax Labs, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, develops human vaccines and immunotherapies against infectious diseases and solid tumor cancers using modified vaccinia ankara virus-like particle vaccine platform. It is developing various preventive vaccines against (COVID-19), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); Zika virus; malaria; and hemorrhagic fever viruses, such as Ebola, Sudan, Marburg, and Lassa, as well as therapeutic vaccines for HIV, chronic Hepatitis B infections, and solid tumor cancers. The company is developing GEO-CM04S1, a vaccine candidate that is in Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of preventive COVID-19; Gedeptin, a novel patented product/technology for the treatment of solid tumors, and Phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment of advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; and GEO-CM02, a pan-coronavirus vaccine. In addition, it is developing GEO-ZM02, a vaccine candidate, which is in preclinical trial for the treatment of GEO-ZM02, a vaccine candidate, which is in preclinical trial for the treatment of Zika; GEO-MM02 treatment for malaria; other infectious disease vaccines for the treatment of fever viruses, such as Ebola, Sudan, and Marburg; GEO-LM01 for the treatment of Lassa fever. It has collaboration and partnership agreements with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Defense; Emory University; and the Burnet Institute. GeoVax Labs, Inc. was incorporated in 1988 and is headquartered in Smyrna, Georgia.
About Altimmune
Altimmune, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing treatments for obesity and liver diseases. The company's lead product candidate, pemvidutide, a GLP-1/glucagon dual receptor agonist that is in Phase 2 trial for the treatment of obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. It is also developing HepTcell, an immunotherapeutic product candidate, which is in Phase 2 clinical trial for patients chronically infected with the hepatitis B virus. The company was formerly known as Vaxin Inc. and changed its name to Altimmune, Inc. in September 2015. Altimmune, Inc. was founded in 1997 is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland.