Novavax (NVAX) Competitors

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) and Novavax (NASDAQ:NVAX) are both medical companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, media sentiment, valuation, profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings and dividends.

Does the media refer more to MRNA or NVAX?

In the previous week, Moderna had 9 more articles in the media than Novavax. MarketBeat recorded 14 mentions for Moderna and 5 mentions for Novavax. Moderna's average media sentiment score of 0.29 beat Novavax's score of 0.14 indicating that Moderna is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Moderna	5 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Neutral
Novavax	1 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	1 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Neutral

Which has more volatility & risk, MRNA or NVAX?

Moderna has a beta of 1.84, suggesting that its share price is 84% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Novavax has a beta of 2.69, suggesting that its share price is 169% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Do analysts prefer MRNA or NVAX?

Moderna presently has a consensus price target of $46.11, suggesting a potential upside of 40.88%. Novavax has a consensus price target of $15.86, suggesting a potential upside of 119.63%. Given Novavax's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Novavax is more favorable than Moderna.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Moderna	4 Sell rating(s)	17 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.04
Novavax	2 Sell rating(s)	2 Hold rating(s)	4 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.25

Do insiders & institutionals have more ownership in MRNA or NVAX?

75.3% of Moderna shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 53.0% of Novavax shares are owned by institutional investors. 11.0% of Moderna shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.0% of Novavax shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Which has stronger earnings & valuation, MRNA or NVAX?

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

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Moderna	$3.14B	4.03	-$3.56B	-$8.73	-3.75
Novavax	$682.16M	1.71	-$187.50M	$2.65	2.72

Is MRNA or NVAX more profitable?

Novavax has a net margin of 38.14% compared to Moderna's net margin of -105.67%. Moderna's return on equity of -28.69% beat Novavax's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Moderna	-105.67%	-28.69%	-21.94%
Novavax	38.14%	-115.51%	29.99%

Summary

Novavax beats Moderna on 9 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.