Financial Survey: IMPINJ (PI) & MicroVision (MVIS)

IMPINJ (NASDAQ: PI) and MicroVision (NASDAQ:MVIS) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, risk, valuation, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations and earnings.

Analyst Ratings

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This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for IMPINJ and MicroVision, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
IMPINJ	0	5	2	0	2.29
MicroVision	0	0	2	0	3.00

IMPINJ currently has a consensus target price of $23.67, indicating a potential upside of 41.38%. MicroVision has a consensus target price of $3.07, indicating a potential upside of 86.26%. Given MicroVision’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe MicroVision is more favorable than IMPINJ.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares IMPINJ and MicroVision’s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
IMPINJ	$125.30 million	2.85	-$17.32 million	($0.29)	-57.72
MicroVision	$10.89 million	11.91	-$24.24 million	($0.33)	-5.00

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

Profitability

This table compares IMPINJ and MicroVision’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
IMPINJ	-24.95%	-11.89%	-9.03%
MicroVision	-209.39%	-421.25%	-86.18%

Risk and Volatility

IMPINJ has a beta of 1.58, meaning that its stock price is 58% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, MicroVision has a beta of -0.21, meaning that its stock price is 121% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

72.9% of IMPINJ shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 29.6% of MicroVision shares are held by institutional investors. 15.2% of IMPINJ shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 3.1% of MicroVision shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

IMPINJ beats MicroVision on 9 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About IMPINJ

Impinj, Inc. operates a platform that enables wireless connectivity to everyday items by delivering each item's unique identity, location, and authenticity to business and consumer applications. The company's platform includes endpoint integrated circuits (ICs) product, a miniature radios-on-a-chip, which attach-to and identify their host items; and connectivity layer that comprises readers, gateways, and reader ICs to wirelessly identify, locate, authenticate, and engage endpoints via RAIN, as well as provide power to and communicate bidirectionally with endpoint ICs. Its platform also consists of software layer that comprises ItemSense, an operating system for platform. In addition, the company's platform connects everyday items, such as apparel, medical supplies, automobile parts, drivers' licenses, food, and luggage to consumer and business applications, including inventory management, patient safety, asset tracking, and item authentication, as well as delivers real-time information to businesses about items they create, manage, transport, and sell. It primarily serves retail, healthcare, supply chain and logistics, airline, automotive, industrial and manufacturing, consumer experience, food, datacenter, travel, banking, and linen and uniform tracking sectors through distributors, system integrators, value-added resellers, and software solution partners in the Americas, the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Impinj, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

About MicroVision

MicroVision, Inc. develops PicoP scanning technology that provides high-resolution miniature projection, and three-dimensional sensing and image capture solutions in the United States. Its PicoP scanning technology comprises micro-electrical mechanical systems, laser diodes, opto-mechanics, and electronics. The company also develops a light detection and ranging engine for consumer electronic applications and automotive collision avoidance systems. The company licenses its products primarily to original design manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers. MicroVision, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Redmond, Washington.