Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (CCRN) vs Cryo-Cell International, Inc. (CCEL) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | CCEL | 2.0% revenue growth vs CCRN's -33.5% |
| Value | CCEL | Lower P/E (67.4x vs 106.4x) |
| Quality / Margins | CCEL | 1.3% net margin vs CCRN's -1.4% |
| Stability / Safety | CCEL | Beta 0.16 vs CCRN's 0.43 |
| Dividends | CCEL | 7.3% yield; CCRN pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | CCRN | -49.3% vs CCEL's -55.4% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | CCEL | 0.6% ROA vs CCRN's -2.9% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Cross Country Healthcare is a healthcare staffing and workforce solutions company that provides temporary and permanent placement of clinical professionals. It generates revenue primarily from nurse and allied staffing services — which account for the majority of its business — along with physician staffing and workforce management solutions. The company's competitive advantage lies in its extensive national network and deep healthcare industry expertise, which enables it to efficiently match qualified professionals with healthcare facilities facing staffing shortages.
Cryo-Cell International is a cellular processing and cryogenic storage company that preserves umbilical cord blood and tissue stem cells for family use. It generates revenue primarily from cord blood and cord tissue storage services—charging initial processing fees and annual storage fees—with additional income from selling its PrepaCyte CB processing technology to other storage facilities. The company's competitive advantage lies in its established reputation in the family cord blood banking market, proprietary processing technology, and direct-to-consumer marketing relationships with healthcare providers.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
CCEL leads in 2 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). CCRN leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Analyst Outlook). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
CCRN is the larger business by revenue, generating $1.1B annually — 35.5x CCEL's $32M. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 1.3% (CCEL) to -1.4% (CCRN). On growth, CCEL holds the edge at -3.0% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | CCRNCross Country Hea… | CCELCryo-Cell Interna… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $1.1B | $32M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $360,000 | $6M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$16M | $399,609 |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $46M | $6M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +20.2% | +77.1% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -1.4% | +13.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -1.4% | +1.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +4.1% | +19.1% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -20.6% | -3.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -2.9% | -30.8% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, CCEL's 10.0x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than CCRN's 319.8x.
| Metric | CCRNCross Country Hea… | CCELCryo-Cell Interna… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $281M | $27M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $203M | $40M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -19.77x | 67.40x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 106.36x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 319.77x | 9.97x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.21x | 0.85x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.69x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 2.52x | 7.53x |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), CCEL scores 7/9 vs CCRN's 4/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | CCRNCross Country Hea… | CCELCryo-Cell Interna… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -3.8% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -2.9% | +0.6% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -3.2% | — |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -3.4% | +8.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.01x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$78M | $12M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $82M | $560,960 |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $4M | $13M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -4.55x | 1.62x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in CCRN five years ago would be worth $7,336 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $5,120 for CCEL. Over the past 12 months, CCRN leads with a -49.3% total return vs CCEL's -55.4%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors CCEL at 1.7% vs CCRN's -31.0% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | CCRNCross Country Hea… | CCELCryo-Cell Interna… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +7.9% | -1.7% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -49.3% | -55.4% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -67.1% | +5.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -26.6% | -48.8% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -29.9% | +31.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -31.0% | +1.7% |
Risk & Volatility
CCEL is the less volatile stock with a 0.16 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than CCRN's 0.43 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. CCRN currently trades 50.3% from its 52-week high vs CCEL's 42.6% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | CCRNCross Country Hea… | CCELCryo-Cell Interna… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.43x | 0.16x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $17.30 | $7.91 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $7.43 | $3.10 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +50.3% | +42.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 53.2 | 49.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 490K | 13K |
Analyst Outlook
CCEL is the only dividend payer here at 7.30% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | CCRNCross Country Hea… | CCELCryo-Cell Interna… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | — |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $9.93 | — |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 13 | — |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +7.3% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $0.25 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +13.3% | +5.2% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Country Healt… (CCRN) | 100 | 97.16 | -2.8% |
| Cryo-Cell Internati… (CCEL) | 100 | 47.14 | -52.9% |
Cross Country Healt… (CCRN) returned -27% over 5 years vs Cryo-Cell Internati… (CCEL)'s -49%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Country Healt… (CCRN) | $767M | $1.3B | +75.1% |
| Cryo-Cell Internati… (CCEL) | $21M | $32M | +51.7% |
Cross Country Healthcare, Inc.'s revenue grew from $767M (2015) to $1.3B (2024) — a 6.4% CAGR. Cryo-Cell International, Inc.'s revenue grew from $21M (2015) to $32M (2024) — a 4.7% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Country Healt… (CCRN) | 0.6% | -1.1% | -288.1% |
| Cryo-Cell Internati… (CCEL) | 38.4% | 1.3% | -96.7% |
Cross Country Healthcare, Inc.'s net margin went from 1% (2015) to -1% (2024). Cryo-Cell International, Inc.'s net margin went from 38% (2015) to 1% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 7 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Country Healt… (CCRN) | 12.6 | 11 | -12.7% |
| Cryo-Cell Internati… (CCEL) | 32.2 | 148.2 | +360.2% |
Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. has traded in a 5x–13x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~-20x. Cryo-Cell International, Inc. has traded in a 13x–148x P/E range over 6 years; current trailing P/E is ~67x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Country Healt… (CCRN) | 0.14 | -0.44 | -414.3% |
| Cryo-Cell Internati… (CCEL) | 0.83 | 0.05 | -94.0% |
Cross Country Healthcare, Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.14 (2015) to $-0.44 (2024) — a NaN% CAGR. Cryo-Cell International, Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.83 (2015) to $0.05 (2024) — a -27% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. generated $111M FCF in 2024 (+220% vs 2021). Cryo-Cell International, Inc. generated $4M FCF in 2024 (+270% vs 2021).
CCRN vs CCEL: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is CCRN or CCEL a better buy right now?
Cryo-Cell International, Inc. (CCEL) offers the better valuation at 67.4x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (CCRN) a "Hold" — based on 13 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — CCRN or CCEL?
Over the past 5 years, Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (CCRN) delivered a total return of -26.6%, compared to -48.8% for Cryo-Cell International, Inc. (CCEL). A $10,000 investment in CCRN five years ago would be worth approximately $7K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: CCEL returned +31.2% versus CCRN's -29.9%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — CCRN or CCEL?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Cryo-Cell International, Inc. (CCEL) is the lower-risk stock at 0.16β versus Cross Country Healthcare, Inc.'s 0.43β — meaning CCRN is approximately 159% more volatile than CCEL relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — CCRN or CCEL?
Cryo-Cell International, Inc. (CCEL) is the more profitable company, earning 1.3% net margin versus -1.1% for Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. — meaning it keeps 1.3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: CCEL leads at 10.9% versus -1.3% for CCRN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CCEL leads at 75.2%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Which pays a better dividend — CCRN or CCEL?
In this comparison, CCEL (7.3% yield) pays a dividend. CCRN does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
06Is CCRN or CCEL better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Cryo-Cell International, Inc. (CCEL) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.16), 7.3% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (CCEL: +31.2%, CCRN: -29.9%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
07What are the main differences between CCRN and CCEL?
Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. In terms of investment character: CCRN is a small-cap quality compounder stock; CCEL is a small-cap income-oriented stock. CCEL pays a dividend while CCRN does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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