Vivani Medical (NASDAQ:VANI) vs. Star Equity (NASDAQ:STRR) Head to Head Review

Vivani Medical (NASDAQ:VANI) and Star Equity (NASDAQ:STRR) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, profitability, earnings, valuation, analyst recommendations and dividends.

Volatility & Risk

Vivani Medical has a beta of 3.26, suggesting that its share price is 226% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Star Equity has a beta of 0.22, suggesting that its share price is 78% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Vivani Medical and Star Equity’s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Vivani Medical	N/A	N/A	-$25.65 million	($0.50)	-3.40
Star Equity	$45.78 million	0.30	$25.13 million	$1.47	0.59

Star Equity has higher revenue and earnings than Vivani Medical. Vivani Medical is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Star Equity, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

6.8% of Vivani Medical shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 3.8% of Star Equity shares are owned by institutional investors. 55.6% of Vivani Medical shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 28.8% of Star Equity shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Vivani Medical and Star Equity’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Vivani Medical	N/A	-87.15%	-50.47%
Star Equity	42.49%	-0.33%	-0.18%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Vivani Medical and Star Equity, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Vivani Medical	0	0	0	0	N/A
Star Equity	0	0	0	0	N/A

Summary

Star Equity beats Vivani Medical on 7 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Vivani Medical

Vivani Medical, Inc., a clinical stage company, develops various implants that treat chronic diseases with high unmet medical need. It engages in developing a portfolio of miniature drug implants to deliver minimally fluctuating drug profiles; and implantable visual prostheses devices to deliver useful artificial vision to blind individuals. The company is headquartered in Emeryville, California.

About Star Equity

Star Equity Holdings, Inc. engages in the construction business in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments: Construction, and Investments. It manufactures modular housing units, structural wall panels, permanent wood foundation systems, and other engineered wood products; supplies general contractors with building materials; holds real estate assets; and manages investments. The company was formerly known as Digirad Corporation and changed its name to Star Equity Holdings, Inc. in December 2020. Star Equity Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Old Greenwich, Connecticut.