Comparing Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ:RARE) & Silence Therapeutics (NASDAQ:SLN)
by Sarita Garza · The Markets DailySilence Therapeutics (NASDAQ:SLN – Get Free Report) and Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ:RARE – Get Free Report) are both small-cap healthcare companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation, risk and earnings.
Volatility & Risk
Silence Therapeutics has a beta of 1.45, indicating that its share price is 45% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical has a beta of 0.31, indicating that its share price is 69% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Profitability
This table compares Silence Therapeutics and Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Silence Therapeutics | -8,943.86% | -106.94% | -47.99% |
| Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical | -81.79% | -1,024.42% | -44.40% |
Insider & Institutional Ownership
98.7% of Silence Therapeutics shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 97.7% of Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical shares are held by institutional investors. 3.0% of Silence Therapeutics shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 5.2% of Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares Silence Therapeutics and Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Silence Therapeutics | $560,000.00 | 1,311.72 | -$88.61 million | ($1.28) | -9.53 |
| Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical | $673.00 million | 2.13 | -$575.00 million | ($5.84) | -2.48 |
Silence Therapeutics has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical. Silence Therapeutics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for Silence Therapeutics and Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Silence Therapeutics | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2.83 |
| Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical | 1 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 2.48 |
Silence Therapeutics currently has a consensus target price of $53.50, suggesting a potential upside of 338.52%. Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical has a consensus target price of $34.42, suggesting a potential upside of 137.22%. Given Silence Therapeutics’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Silence Therapeutics is more favorable than Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical.
Summary
Silence Therapeutics beats Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Silence Therapeutics
Silence Therapeutics plc, a biotechnology company, focuses on the discovery and development novel molecules incorporating short interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) to inhibit the expression of specific target genes in hematology, cardiovascular, and rare diseases. The company's mRNAi GalNAc Oligonucleotide Discovery platform consists of precision engineered product candidates designed to target specific disease-associated genes in the liver. The company develops Zerlasiran (SLN360), which is in phase 2 clinical trial for cardiovascular disease associated with elevated lipoprotein(a); and Divesiran (SLN124), an siRNA molecule that is in Phase I clinical trials for the treatment of genetic hematological conditions, including polycythemia vera. It is also developing SLN-COMP-1 and SLN-COMP-2 for complement-mediated diseases; and SLN-HAN-1 and SLN-HAN-2. It has collaboration agreements with AstraZeneca PLC to discover, develop, and commercialize siRNA therapeutics for the treatment of cardiovascular, renal, metabolic, and respiratory diseases; Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Company Limited to develop siRNAs; and Mallinckrodt Pharma IP Trading DAC to develop and commercialize RNAi drug targets designed to silence the complement cascade in complement-mediated disorders. The company was formerly known as SR Pharma plc and changed its name to Silence Therapeutics plc in May 2007. Silence Therapeutics plc was incorporated in 1994 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
About Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the identification, acquisition, development, and commercialization of novel products for the treatment of rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases in North America, Latin America, Japan, Europe, and internationally. Its biologic products include Crysvita (burosumab), an antibody targeting fibroblast growth factor 23 for the treatment of X-linked hypophosphatemia, as well as tumor-induced osteomalacia; Mepsevii, an enzyme replacement therapy for the treatment of children and adults with Mucopolysaccharidosis VII; Dojolvi for treating long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders; and Evkeeza (evinacumab) for the treatment of homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. The company's products candidatures include DTX401, an adeno-associated virus 8 (AAV8) gene therapy clinical candidate for the treatment of patients with glycogen storage disease type Ia; DTX301, an AAV8 gene therapy for the treatment of patients with ornithine transcarbamylase; UX143, a human monoclonal antibody for the treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta; GTX-102, an antisense oligonucleotide for the treatment of Angelman syndrome; UX111, an AAV9 gene therapy product candidate for the treatment of patients with Sanfilippo syndrome type A, or MPS IIIA, a rare lysosomal storage disease; UX701, for the treatment of Wilson disease; and UX053 for the treatment of glycogen storage disease type III. Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. has collaboration and license agreement with Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.; Saint Louis University; Baylor Research Institute; REGENXBIO Inc.; Bayer Healthcare LLC; GeneTx; Mereo; University of Pennsylvania; Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc.; Solid Biosciences Inc.; Regeneron; Abeona; and Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. The company was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in Novato, California.