NDAQ vs SHPH: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
Last updated August 2026
Short answer
NDAQ is the larger of the two ($52.65B market cap): the incumbent the market prices for continued execution (20.24x forward earnings, beta 1.00). SHPH is the smaller challenger ($2.22M): more room to run, but more to prove. The real question is which set of drivers you believe, and whether owning one (or both) leaves you over-concentrated.
NDAQ vs SHPH: the tie-breaker metrics
Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.
| Metric | NDAQ | SHPH | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $52.65B | $2.22M | Size. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove. |
| Trailing P/E | 27.46 | 38.00 | Valuation on the last 12 months. A big drop from trailing to forward means the market expects earnings to jump, so more growth is already in the price. |
| Beta | 1.00 | 1.29 | Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through. |
| Price vs 52-week range | 70% of range | 2% of range | Where today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why. |
| Price / book | 4.42 | 0.63 | How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price. |
Before you buy: how NDAQ and SHPH affect your concentration
The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. NDAQ and SHPH share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.
This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined NDAQ and SHPH exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
What does Nasdaq (NDAQ) do?
Nasdaq, Inc. is a global markets-infrastructure and financial-technology company. Most people know it for the Nasdaq Stock Market, home to many large technology listings, but the exchange is now only one part of the company. Nasdaq reports across three divisions: Market Services (the trading and exchange business, tied to volumes), Capital Access Platforms (company listings, the fast-growing index and index-linked product business, and investor-relations and ESG analytics), and Financial Technology (software for anti-money-laundering and fraud detection, regulatory technology, and capital-markets trading and risk systems).
What does Shuttle Pharmaceuticals Holdings (SHPH) do?
Shuttle Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc. began as a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company spun out of research at Georgetown University, focused on radiation therapy and drugs that make tumors more sensitive to radiation. Its lead candidate, ropidoxuridine (IPdR), was an oral radiation sensitizer being studied in a Phase 2 trial for newly diagnosed glioblastoma, and it carried FDA Orphan Drug Designation. For most of its public life the company generated no product revenue and funded operations through equity raises, the typical profile of an early-stage biotech whose value depended on clinical trial outcomes.
NDAQ vs SHPH: how do they differ?
Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.
- NDAQ drivers: Financial Technology and recurring revenue; Index business and Capital Access Platforms.
- SHPH drivers: Pivot to an AI drug-discovery platform; Exposure to the AI-in-healthcare theme.
Which fits which kind of investor
A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Nasdaq's Market Services division still depends on trading volumes and volatility, so quieter markets can pressure that revenue line. For SHPH, the risks here are severe and should not be understated.
NDAQ or SHPH: which should you pick?
Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick NDAQ if you believe its drivers more; SHPH if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the NDAQ and SHPH guides.
NDAQ vs SHPH: the full fundamentals
NDAQ. Figures are approximate and tied to the asOf date; verify live numbers before acting. Nasdaq is increasingly valued like a data-and-software company rather than a pure exchange, which supports a higher multiple but also raises the bar for growth. Because part of the model still swings with trading activity, quarter-to-quarter results can be lumpy even as recurring revenue grows. Where the stock trades relative to peers like ICE and CME is as much a judgment about the durability of its software and index growth as about any single quarter.
SHPH. These characterizations are directional and tied to the asOf date, not precise live figures. Micro-cap financials like Shuttle's change quickly, especially through frequent financings that alter cash balances and share counts, and the recent pivot means historical numbers may not reflect the current business. Going-concern language is a serious signal that the company needs continued outside capital to operate. Always verify the latest cash position, share count, revenue, losses, and Nasdaq compliance status directly from Shuttle's most recent SEC filings and a live quote before drawing any conclusions.
Headline figures (approximate, Jul 2026): NDAQ shows q1 2026 net revenue ~$1.4 billion, up roughly 14% year over year, q1 2026 eps Reported in the low-$0.90s per share (approximate; verify live), financial technology growth Record pace, up roughly 18% year over year in Q1 2026, revenue mix Majority now from recurring solutions (index, data, and fintech software) rather than trading volumes; SHPH shows revenue trend No meaningful product revenue historically; the new Molecule.ai platform is early and any commercial revenue is unproven, profitability Deeply unprofitable; the latest annual report described a net loss of roughly $11.7 million with ongoing cash burn, balance sheet Weak; management flagged a working-capital deficit and substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue as a going concern, offset only by repeated capital raises, valuation A speculative micro-cap valued on narrative and potential rather than earnings or revenue; traditional multiples do not meaningfully apply.
The bottom line: NDAQ vs SHPH
NDAQ and SHPH are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined NDAQ and SHPH exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Wondering how NDAQ or SHPH fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in Nasdaq with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how NDAQ fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is the difference between NDAQ and SHPH?
+
Nasdaq, Inc. Shuttle Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.
Is NDAQ or SHPH the better stock?
+
Neither is universally better. NDAQ is the larger incumbent; SHPH is the smaller challenger. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.
Which is cheaper, NDAQ or SHPH?
+
A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.
Should you own both NDAQ and SHPH?
+
Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.
What are the risks of NDAQ vs SHPH?
+
NDAQ: Nasdaq's Market Services division still depends on trading volumes and volatility, so quieter markets can pressure that revenue line. The stock also tends to trade at a premium multiple relative to some exchange peers, which leaves less room for error if growth slows. Integration and execution risk around large software acquisitions like Adenza is real: cross-sell targets and synergy assumptions may not fully materialize, and the balance sheet still carries acquisition-related debt. Competition is intense across every division, from ICE, CME, and Cboe in trading to S&P and others in indexes and data, and specialized software vendors in fintech. New competitive threats also emerge, such as analyst concern in 2026 about crypto-derivatives venues and event-contract platforms potentially chipping at parts of the exchange landscape. Regulation of market structure, listings, and financial software is another persistent variable outside the company's control. SHPH: The risks here are severe and should not be understated. Management has flagged substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue as a going concern, with no revenue, ongoing cash burn, and a working-capital deficit, meaning survival depends on raising more outside money. That financing is highly dilutive: repeated stock offerings, PIPE deals, convertible preferred shares, and warrants can sharply increase the share count and pressure the price. The core business strategy is unproven, having just pivoted from clinical trials to an AI platform that has yet to demonstrate meaningful, recurring revenue. As a Nasdaq micro-cap, the stock has faced listing-compliance issues (such as minimum stockholders' equity) and has traded with extreme volatility and speculative day-trader interest. Discontinuing the lead drug also removes the original clinical catalyst that first drew investors. This is a small, speculative security where a total loss is a real possibility.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell NDAQ or SHPH; figures are approximate and dated (as of August 2026). Verify current data before investing.