Head to Head Contrast: Aclaris Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ACRS) & Appili Therapeutics (OTCMKTS:APLIF)

Aclaris Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ACRS) and Appili Therapeutics (OTCMKTS:APLIF) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, dividends, earnings, profitability, valuation and risk.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Aclaris Therapeutics and Appili Therapeutics”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Aclaris Therapeutics	$27.08 million	6.62	-$88.48 million	($0.52)	-4.83
Appili Therapeutics	$630,000.00	4.93	-$2.80 million	($0.02)	-1.28

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

Insider & Institutional Ownership

98.3% of Aclaris Therapeutics shares are owned by institutional investors. 6.4% of Aclaris Therapeutics shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 11.8% of Appili Therapeutics shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Volatility & Risk

Aclaris Therapeutics has a beta of 0.54, meaning that its share price is 46% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Appili Therapeutics has a beta of -0.52, meaning that its share price is 152% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for Aclaris Therapeutics and Appili Therapeutics, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Aclaris Therapeutics	0	0	6	1	3.14
Appili Therapeutics	0	0	0	0	0.00

Aclaris Therapeutics currently has a consensus target price of $11.00, suggesting a potential upside of 338.25%. Given Aclaris Therapeutics’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Aclaris Therapeutics is more favorable than Appili Therapeutics.

Profitability

This table compares Aclaris Therapeutics and Appili Therapeutics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Aclaris Therapeutics	-136.65%	-40.26%	-31.71%
Appili Therapeutics	-450.64%	N/A	-187.38%

Summary

Aclaris Therapeutics beats Appili Therapeutics on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Aclaris Therapeutics

Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development of novel drug candidates for immune-inflammatory diseases in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Therapeutics and Contract Research. The Therapeutics segment is involved in identifying and developing therapies to address significant unmet needs for immuno-inflammatory diseases. The Contract Research segment provides laboratory services. It develops Zunsemetinib (ATI-450), an MK2 inhibitor which is under Phase 1b/2 trials for the treatment of metastatic breast and pancreatic cancer; ATI-1777, a soft JAK 1/3 inhibitor, completed Phase 2b trails for the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis and other dermatologic conditions; and ATI-2138, an oral covalent inhibitor of ITK and JAK3 inhibitor under Phase 1 trials as a treatment for T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. The company was incorporated in 2012 and is headquartered in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

About Appili Therapeutics

Appili Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the acquisition and development of novel medicines for unmet needs in infectious disease in Canada. Its anti-infective portfolio includes ATI-1501, a taste-masked liquid oral suspension formulation of the antibiotic metronidazole to treat anaerobic bacterial, protozoal, and parasitic infections; ATI-1801, a novel topical formulation of paromomycin in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis and disfiguring skin infections; and ATI-1701, which is a live-attenuated vaccine in preclinical trials for Francisella tularensis. The company was incorporated in 2015 and is headquartered in Halifax, Canada.