Contrasting Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) & Astria Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ATXS)

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and Astria Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ATXS) are both medical companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation, profitability, dividends and institutional ownership.

Volatility and Risk

Pfizer has a beta of 0.63, indicating that its share price is 37% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Astria Therapeutics has a beta of 0.81, indicating that its share price is 19% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

68.4% of Pfizer shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 99.0% of Astria Therapeutics shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.1% of Pfizer shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 2.9% of Astria Therapeutics shares are owned by 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 Pfizer and Astria Therapeutics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Pfizer	-0.56%	8.64%	3.70%
Astria Therapeutics	N/A	-53.14%	-31.57%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Pfizer and Astria Therapeutics, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Pfizer	0	9	6	0	2.40
Astria Therapeutics	0	0	4	0	3.00

Pfizer currently has a consensus price target of $35.86, suggesting a potential upside of 24.16%. Astria Therapeutics has a consensus price target of $22.50, suggesting a potential upside of 149.45%. Given Astria Therapeutics’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Astria Therapeutics is more favorable than Pfizer.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Pfizer and Astria Therapeutics’ gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Pfizer	$54.89 billion	2.98	$2.12 billion	($0.06)	-481.33
Astria Therapeutics	N/A	N/A	-$72.89 million	($2.32)	-3.89

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

Summary

Astria Therapeutics beats Pfizer on 7 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Pfizer

Pfizer Inc. discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company offers medicines and vaccines in various therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular metabolic, migraine, and women's health under the Eliquis, Nurtec ODT/Vydura, Zavzpret, and the Premarin family brands; infectious diseases with unmet medical needs under the Prevnar family, Abrysvo, Nimenrix, FSME/IMMUN-TicoVac, and Trumenba brands; and COVID-19 prevention and treatment, and potential future mRNA and antiviral products under the Comirnaty and Paxlovid brands. It also provides medicines and vaccines in various therapeutic areas, such as biosimilars for chronic immune and inflammatory diseases under the Xeljanz, Enbrel, Inflectra, Litfulo, Velsipity, and Cibinqo brands; amyloidosis, hemophilia, endocrine diseases, and sickle cell disease under the Vyndaqel family, Oxbryta, BeneFIX, Somavert, Ngenla, and Genotropin brands; sterile injectable and anti-infective medicines under the Sulperazon, Medrol, Zavicefta, Zithromax, and Panzyga brands; and biologics, small molecules, immunotherapies, and biosimilars under the Ibrance, Xtandi, Inlyta, Bosulif, Mektovi, Padcev, Adcetris, Talzenna, Tukysa, Elrexfio, Tivdak, Lorbrena, and Braftovi brands. In addition, the company involved in the contract manufacturing business. It serves wholesalers, retailers, hospitals, clinics, government agencies, pharmacies, individual provider offices, retail pharmacies, and integrated delivery systems. The company has collaboration agreements with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; Astellas Pharma US, Inc.; Merck KGaA; and BioNTech SE. Pfizer Inc. was founded in 1849 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

About Astria Therapeutics

Astria Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of therapeutics for allergic and immunological diseases in the United States. Its lead product candidate is STAR-0215, a monoclonal antibody inhibitor of plasma kallikrein, which is in Phase 1b/2 clinical trials for the treatment of hereditary angioedema. The company is also developing STAR-0310, a monoclonal antibody OX40 antagonist that is in preclinical development for the treatment of atopic dermatitis, an immune disorder associated with loss of skin barrier function and itching. The company was formerly known as Catabasis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and changed its name to Astria Therapeutics, Inc. in September 2021. Astria Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.