Acura Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ACUR) and Flamel Technologies (NASDAQ:AVDL) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, valuation, dividends and profitabiliy.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares Acura Pharmaceuticals and Flamel Technologies’ gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | EBITDA | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Acura Pharmaceuticals | $6.96 million | N/A | -$2.50 million | ($0.83) | -0.60 |
| Flamel Technologies | $166.54 million | 2.38 | $58.40 million | ($0.32) | -29.97 |
Flamel Technologies has higher revenue and earnings than Acura Pharmaceuticals. Flamel Technologies is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Acura Pharmaceuticals, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
31.2% of Acura Pharmaceuticals shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 71.0% of Flamel Technologies shares are owned by institutional investors. 7.4% of Acura Pharmaceuticals shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 5.1% of Flamel Technologies shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Acura Pharmaceuticals and Flamel Technologies, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Acura Pharmaceuticals | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3.00 |
| Flamel Technologies | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3.00 |
Acura Pharmaceuticals presently has a consensus target price of $8.00, indicating a potential upside of 1,500.00%. Flamel Technologies has a consensus target price of $16.00, indicating a potential upside of 66.84%. Given Acura Pharmaceuticals’ higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Acura Pharmaceuticals is more favorable than Flamel Technologies.
Volatility & Risk
Acura Pharmaceuticals has a beta of 2.12, meaning that its stock price is 112% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Flamel Technologies has a beta of 1.41, meaning that its stock price is 41% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Profitability
This table compares Acura Pharmaceuticals and Flamel Technologies’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Acura Pharmaceuticals | 14.91% | 112.19% | 19.04% |
| Flamel Technologies | -7.28% | 14.49% | 2.74% |
Summary
Acura Pharmaceuticals beats Flamel Technologies on 6 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Acura Pharmaceuticals
Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a pharmaceutical company. The Company is engaged in the research, development and commercialization of technologies and products intended to address medication abuse and misuse. The Company has discovered and developed three platform technologies, which can be used to develop multiple products. The Company’s Oxaydo Tablets (oxycodone HCl, CII), which utilizes the Aversion Technology, is an approved and immediate-release (IR) oxycodone product in the United States. The Company’s Impede technology products include Nexafed and Nexafed Sinus Pressure + Pain. Its third deterrent technology is Limitx, which is designed to retard the release of active drug ingredients when too many tablets are accidently or purposefully ingested. The Company’s Aversion and Limitx technologies are intended to address methods associated with opioid and its Impede technology is directed at the extraction and conversion of pseudoephedrine into methamphetamine.
About Flamel Technologies
Flamel Technologies S.A. is a specialty pharmaceutical company. The Company is engaged in the development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products, including controlled-release therapeutic products based on its polymer based technology. The Company has a balanced business model consisting of an Unapproved Marketed Drugs (UMDs) business with over two approved products in the United States, Bloxiverz (neostigmine methylsulfate injection) and Vazculep (phenylephrine hydrochloride injection) that are marketed; a branded pediatric business, and a branded business, focusing on the development of products utilizing Flamel’s drug delivery platforms. The Company owns and develops drug delivery platforms, including Micropump, LiquiTime, Trigger Lock and Medusa. The Company has two direct operating subsidiaries: Flamel US Holdings, Inc. and Flamel Irish Holdings, Ltd.
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