Critical Review: Auna (NYSE:AUNA) and AirSculpt Technologies (NASDAQ:AIRS)

AirSculpt Technologies (NASDAQ:AIRS) and Auna (NYSE:AUNA) are both small-cap business services companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, valuation, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability and analyst recommendations.

Profitability

This table compares AirSculpt Technologies and Auna’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
AirSculpt Technologies	-2.29%	1.74%	0.68%
Auna	N/A	N/A	N/A

Insider & Institutional Ownership

91.5% of AirSculpt Technologies shares are held by institutional investors. 78.3% of AirSculpt Technologies shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares AirSculpt Technologies and Auna’s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
AirSculpt Technologies	$195.92 million	1.54	-$4.48 million	($0.08)	-65.63
Auna	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Auna has lower revenue, but higher earnings than AirSculpt Technologies.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings for AirSculpt Technologies and Auna, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
AirSculpt Technologies	0	1	1	0	2.50
Auna	0	0	3	0	3.00

AirSculpt Technologies currently has a consensus price target of $8.00, suggesting a potential upside of 52.38%. Auna has a consensus price target of $14.67, suggesting a potential upside of 92.98%. Given Auna’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Auna is more favorable than AirSculpt Technologies.

Summary

AirSculpt Technologies beats Auna on 5 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About AirSculpt Technologies

AirSculpt Technologies, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, focuses on operating as a holding company for EBS Intermediate Parent LLC that provides body contouring procedure services in the United States. The company offers AirSculpt, a next-generation body contouring procedure that removes unwanted fat and tightens skin in a minimally invasive procedure. It also provides AirSculpt+, a procedure that permanently removes fat and tightens the skin with unparalleled precision and finesse; and AirSculpt Smooth, an advanced cellulite removal tool. In addition, it provides fat removal procedures across treatment areas, such as the stomach, back, and buttocks; and fat transfer procedures that use the patient's own fat cells to enhance the breasts, buttocks, hips, or other areas. The company's body contouring procedures also include the Power BBL, a Brazilian butt lift procedure; the Up a Cup, a breast enhancement procedure; and the Hip Flip, an hourglass contouring procedure. It operates various centers. The company was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Miami Beach, Florida.

About Auna

Auna S.A., a healthcare service provider, operates hospitals and clinics in Mexico, Peru, and Colombia. The company provides prepaid healthcare plans in Peru; and dental and vision plans in Mexico. The company was founded in 1989 and is based in Luxembourg, Luxembourg.