Contrasting Assure (NASDAQ:IONM) and Pro-Dex (NASDAQ:PDEX)

Assure (NASDAQ:IONM) and Pro-Dex (NASDAQ:PDEX) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, dividends and institutional ownership.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

3.3% of Assure shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 15.3% of Pro-Dex shares are held by institutional investors. 3.8% of Assure shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 47.5% of Pro-Dex shares are held 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.

Risk & Volatility

Assure has a beta of 1.76, meaning that its share price is 76% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Pro-Dex has a beta of 0.39, meaning that its share price is 61% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Assure and Pro-Dex’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Assure	-25,178.32%	N/A	-249.78%
Pro-Dex	3.95%	6.82%	4.17%

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Assure and Pro-Dex”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Assure	$149,000.00	0.34	-$26.08 million	N/A	N/A
Pro-Dex	$53.84 million	1.86	$2.13 million	$0.62	48.73

Pro-Dex has higher revenue and earnings than Assure.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Assure and Pro-Dex, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Assure	0	0	0	0	N/A
Pro-Dex	0	0	1	0	3.00

Pro-Dex has a consensus target price of $30.00, suggesting a potential downside of 0.70%. Given Pro-Dex’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Pro-Dex is more favorable than Assure.

Summary

Pro-Dex beats Assure on 10 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Assure

Assure Holdings Corp., through its subsidiaries, provides technical and professional intraoperative neuromonitoring surgical support services in the United States. It offers services in the areas of neurosurgery, spine, cardiovascular, orthopedic, ear, nose, throat, and other surgical procedures. The company delivers various clinical and operational services, including scheduling of the interoperative neurophysiologist and supervising practitioner, real time monitoring, patient advocacy, and billing services to support surgeons and medical facilities during invasive procedures. Assure Holdings Corp. is based in Englewood, Colorado.

About Pro-Dex

Pro-Dex, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells powered surgical instruments for medical device original equipment manufacturers worldwide. The company offers autoclavable, battery-powered and electric, and multi-function surgical drivers and shavers that are primarily used in the orthopedic, thoracic, and craniomaxillofacial markets. It also provides engineering, quality, and regulatory consulting services; and manufactures and sells rotary air motors to various industries. The company's products are used in hospitals, medical engineering labs, scientific research facilities, and high-tech manufacturing operations. Pro-Dex, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.