Contrasting Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PLRX) & Statera Biopharma (NASDAQ:STAB)

Statera Biopharma (NASDAQ:STAB) and Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PLRX) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, risk, dividends, valuation and analyst recommendations.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent recommendations for Statera Biopharma and Pliant Therapeutics, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Statera Biopharma	0	0	0	0	N/A
Pliant Therapeutics	0	0	8	1	3.11

Pliant Therapeutics has a consensus price target of $40.57, indicating a potential upside of 221.49%.

Profitability

This table compares Statera Biopharma and Pliant Therapeutics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Statera Biopharma	N/A	N/A	N/A
Pliant Therapeutics	N/A	-41.05%	-36.04%

Volatility and Risk

Statera Biopharma has a beta of 0.42, indicating that its share price is 58% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Pliant Therapeutics has a beta of 1.14, indicating that its share price is 14% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

97.3% of Pliant Therapeutics shares are held by institutional investors. 5.5% of Statera Biopharma shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 6.4% of Pliant Therapeutics shares are held by 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.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Statera Biopharma and Pliant Therapeutics”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Statera Biopharma	$1.49 million	0.00	-$101.85 million	N/A	N/A
Pliant Therapeutics	$1.58 million	485.63	-$161.34 million	N/A	N/A

Statera Biopharma has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Pliant Therapeutics.

Summary

Pliant Therapeutics beats Statera Biopharma on 6 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Statera Biopharma

Statera BioPharma, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, develops novel immunotherapies targeting autoimmune, neutropenia/anemia, emerging viruses, and cancers based on a proprietary platform designed to rebalance the body's immune system and restore homeostasis. The company is developing therapies designed to directly elicit within patients a response of antigen-specific killer T-cells and antibodies, thereby activating essential immune defenses against autoimmune, inflammatory, infectious diseases, and cancers. It has clinical programs for Crohn's disease (STAT-201), hematology (Entolimod), pancreatic cancer (STAT-401), and COVID-19 (STAT-205), as well as fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis. The company was formerly known as Cytocom, Inc. and changed its name to Statera Biopharma, Inc. in September 2021. Statera Biopharma, Inc. is based in Fort Collins, Colorado.

About Pliant Therapeutics

Pliant Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, and commercializes novel therapies for the treatment of fibrosis and related diseases in the United States. The company's lead candidate is bexotegrast, an oral, small-molecule, dual selective inhibitor of avß6 and avß1 integrins, which is in phase 2b trials for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and in phase 2a trial for primary sclerosing cholangitis. It also develops PLN-1474, an oral, small-molecule selective inhibitor of avß1 for the treatment of liver fibrosis associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; PLN-101095, a dual inhibitor of integrins avß8 and avß1 for the treatment of solid tumors; and PLN-101325 for treatment of muscular dystrophies. Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 2015 and is based in South San Francisco, California.