Critical Survey: TransCode Therapeutics (NASDAQ:RNAZ) and Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ:COGT)

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ:COGT) and TransCode Therapeutics (NASDAQ:RNAZ) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, earnings, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability and dividends.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Cogent Biosciences and TransCode Therapeutics’ revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Cogent Biosciences	N/A	N/A	-$192.41 million	($2.48)	-3.19
TransCode Therapeutics	N/A	N/A	-$18.55 million	($774.80)	0.00

Cogent Biosciences is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than TransCode Therapeutics, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Cogent Biosciences and TransCode Therapeutics, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Cogent Biosciences	0	2	5	0	2.71
TransCode Therapeutics	0	0	1	0	3.00

Cogent Biosciences presently has a consensus target price of $13.67, indicating a potential upside of 72.56%. TransCode Therapeutics has a consensus target price of $480.00, indicating a potential upside of 35,990.23%. Given TransCode Therapeutics’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe TransCode Therapeutics is more favorable than Cogent Biosciences.

Volatility & Risk

Cogent Biosciences has a beta of 1.57, indicating that its share price is 57% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, TransCode Therapeutics has a beta of -0.36, indicating that its share price is 136% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Cogent Biosciences and TransCode Therapeutics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Cogent Biosciences	N/A	-86.67%	-58.11%
TransCode Therapeutics	N/A	-934.78%	-276.08%

Summary

Cogent Biosciences beats TransCode Therapeutics on 5 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Cogent Biosciences

Cogent Biosciences, Inc., a biotechnology company, focuses on developing precision therapies for genetically defined diseases. Its lead product candidate includes bezuclastinib (CGT9486), a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor designed to target mutations within the KIT receptor tyrosine kinase, including KIT D816V KIT D816V mutation that drives systemic mastocytosis, as well as other mutations in KIT exon 17, which are found in patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors. The company has a licensing agreement with Plexxikon Inc. for the research, development, and commercialization of bezuclastinib. The company was formerly known as Unum Therapeutics Inc. and changed its name to Cogent Biosciences, Inc. in October 2020. Cogent Biosciences, Inc. was incorporated in 2014 and is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.

About TransCode Therapeutics

TransCode Therapeutics, Inc., a ribonucleic acid (RNA) oncology company, focuses on the development and commercialization of drugs and diagnostics for treating and identifying various cancers. Its lead therapeutic candidate is TTX-MC138 that targets microRNA-10b, a master regulator of metastatic cell viability in a range of cancers, including breast, pancreatic, ovarian, colon cancer, glioblastomas, and others. The company is also developing TTX-siPDL1, an siRNA-based modulator of programmed death-ligand 1; and TTX-siLIN28B, an siRNA-based inhibitor of RNA-binding protein LIN28B. In addition, the company developing TTX-RIGA, an RNA- based agonist of the retinoic acid-inducible gene I targeting activation of innate immunity in the tumor microenvironment; TTX-CRISPR, a CRISPR/Cas9-based therapy platform for the repair or elimination of cancer-causing genes inside tumor cells; and TTX-mRNA, an mRNA-based platform for the development of cancer vaccines that activate cytotoxic immune responses against tumor cells. TransCode Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 2016 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts.