Head-To-Head Comparison: Passage Bio (NASDAQ:PASG) and Qiagen (NYSE:QGEN)

Qiagen (NYSE:QGEN) and Passage Bio (NASDAQ:PASG) are both medical companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, institutional ownership and earnings.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Qiagen and Passage Bio”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Qiagen	$1.97 billion	5.25	$341.30 million	$0.39	115.97
Passage Bio	N/A	N/A	-$102.06 million	($1.17)	-0.56

Qiagen has higher revenue and earnings than Passage Bio. Passage Bio is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Qiagen, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

70.0% of Qiagen shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 53.5% of Passage Bio shares are owned by institutional investors. 9.0% of Qiagen shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 4.3% of Passage Bio shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Volatility and Risk

Qiagen has a beta of 0.37, suggesting that its share price is 63% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Passage Bio has a beta of 1.54, suggesting that its share price is 54% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Qiagen and Passage Bio’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Qiagen	4.73%	13.43%	8.10%
Passage Bio	N/A	-72.53%	-52.10%

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for Qiagen and Passage Bio, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Qiagen	0	4	5	0	2.56
Passage Bio	0	0	4	0	3.00

Qiagen currently has a consensus target price of $51.50, suggesting a potential upside of 13.86%. Passage Bio has a consensus target price of $7.75, suggesting a potential upside of 1,076.02%. Given Passage Bio’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Passage Bio is more favorable than Qiagen.

Summary

Qiagen beats Passage Bio on 10 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Qiagen

QIAGEN N.V. offers sample to insight solutions that transform biological materials into molecular insights worldwide. The company provides primary sample technology consumables, such as nucleic stabilization and purification kits for primary sample materials, manual and automated processing for genotyping, gene expression, and viral and bacterial analysis, as well as silica membranes and magnetic bead technologies; secondary sample technology consumables, including kits and components for purification of nucleic acids from secondary sample materials; and instruments for nucleic acid purification and accessories. It also provides interferon-gamma release assay for TB testing, and assays for post-transplant testing and viral load monitoring; assays for prenatal testing and detection of sexually transmitted diseases and HPV, as well as assays for analysis of genomic variants, such as mutations, insertions, deletions, and fusions; and sample to insight instruments, including one-step molecular analysis of hard-to-diagnose syndromes, and integrated PCR testing. In addition, it offers PCR consumables, such as quantitative PCR, reverse transcription, and combinations kits for analysis of gene expression, genotyping and gene regulation, and running on QIAGEN instruments and technologies; human ID and forensics assay consumables, including STR assays for human ID, and assays for food contamination; PCR instruments consist of digital PCR and qPCR solutions; and developed and configured enzymes and PCR solutions. Further, the company provides predefined and custom NGS gene panels, library prep kits and components, and whole genome amplification; QIAGEN consumables and instruments, as well as bioinformatics solutions; and custom laboratory and genomic services. It serves molecular diagnostics, academia, pharmaceutical, and applied testing customers. The company was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Venlo, the Netherlands.

About Passage Bio

Passage Bio, Inc., a genetic medicines company, develops gene therapies for central nervous system diseases. It develops PBGM01, a functional GLB1 gene encoding ß-galactosidase for infantile GM1; PBFT02, a functional granulin (GRN) and gene encoding progranulin (PGRN) for the treatment of FTD caused by progranulin deficiency; and PBKR03, a functional GALC gene encoding the hydrolytic enzyme galactosylceramidase for infantile Krabbe disease. The company develops PBML04 for the treatment of metachromatic leukodystrophy; PBAL05 for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; and other program for huntington's disease. It has a strategic research collaboration with the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania's Gene Therapy Program; and collaboration agreement, and a development services and clinical supply agreement with Catalent Maryland, Inc. Passage Bio, Inc. was incorporated in 2017 and is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.