Harvard Bioscience (HBIO) vs Precision Optics (POCI)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 9, 2026.
Summary
Harvard Bioscience (HBIO) has outperformed Precision Optics (POCI) over the past year, gaining 84.8% versus a gain of 7.2%. Over five years, POCI leads with a -29.3% price change compared with -88.1% for HBIO. Precision Optics is the larger company by market cap ($51.2 million vs $37.0 million), about 1.4 times the size.
On valuation, Harvard Bioscience trades at a lower forward P/E (12.6x vs 155.5x for Precision Optics).
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | HBIO | POCI |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $8.13 | $4.67 |
| Market cap | $37.01M | $51.19M |
| 1-day change | -4.35% | +3.21% |
| YTD return | +21.34% | +11.34% |
| 1-year return | +84.77% | +7.24% |
| 5-year return | -88.11% | -29.32% |
| Forward P/E | 12.60 | 155.50 |
| EPS (TTM) | $-2.31 | $-0.43 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 52-week high | $9.40 | $6.15 |
| 52-week low | $3.80 | $3.55 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -13.51% | -24.15% |
| Analyst consensus | none | strong_buy |
| Avg. price target upside | -7.75% | +71.49% |
| Average volume | 17.98K | 51.88K |
| Shares outstanding | 4.55M | 10.97M |
| Employees | 316 | 108 |
| Sector | Healthcare | Healthcare |
| Industry | Medical Instruments & Supplies | Medical Instruments & Supplies |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- HBIO has outperformed POCI by 77.5 percentage points over the past year.
About Harvard Bioscience
HBIO stock →Harvard Bioscience, Inc. develops, manufactures, and sells technologies, products, and services for life science applications in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and internationally.
Healthcare · Medical Instruments & Supplies · 316 employees
About Precision Optics
POCI stock →Precision Optics Corporation, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells specialized optical and illumination systems and related components primarily in the United States.
Healthcare · Medical Instruments & Supplies · 108 employees
HBIO vs POCI FAQ
Which is bigger, Harvard Bioscience or Precision Optics?
Precision Optics (POCI) is larger, with a market capitalization of $51.19M compared with $37.01M for Harvard Bioscience (HBIO).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, HBIO or POCI?
HBIO returned +84.77% over the past 12 months, compared with +7.24% for POCI (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Are Harvard Bioscience and Precision Optics in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Medical Instruments & Supplies industry within the Healthcare sector.