Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare FibroGen, Inc. (FGEN) vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) 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 | VRTX | 8.9% revenue growth vs FGEN's -36.7% |
| Quality / Margins | VRTX | 31.3% net margin vs FGEN's -160.6% |
| Stability / Safety | VRTX | Beta 0.44 vs FGEN's 1.21 |
| Dividends | FGEN | 0.3% yield; 1-year raise streak; VRTX pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | VRTX | +3.6% vs FGEN's -26.5% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | FGEN | 157.4% ROA vs VRTX's 14.8% |
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
FibroGen is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapeutics for serious medical conditions like anemia and fibrotic diseases. It generates revenue primarily through collaboration agreements with major pharmaceutical partners — including Astellas and AstraZeneca — which provide upfront payments, milestone payments, and royalties on future sales. The company's competitive advantage lies in its expertise in hypoxia-inducible factor biology and connective tissue growth factor inhibition, which has produced two late-stage drug candidates with novel mechanisms of action.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing transformative medicines for serious diseases, with its flagship franchise targeting cystic fibrosis. It generates nearly all its revenue from CF therapies — primarily Trikafta/Kaftrio — while building a pipeline in pain, kidney disease, and type 1 diabetes. Its moat stems from deep scientific expertise in CFTR biology and a dominant, near-monopoly position in the CF treatment market.
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
VRTX leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Total Returns). FGEN leads in 1 (Profitability & Efficiency). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
VRTX and FGEN operate at a comparable scale, with $11.7B and -$118M in trailing revenue. VRTX is the more profitable business, keeping 31.3% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to FGEN's -160.6%. On growth, VRTX holds the edge at +11.0% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | FGENFibroGen, Inc. | VRTXVertex Pharmaceut… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | -$118M | $11.7B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$123M | $4.2B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $216M | $3.7B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$17M | $3.3B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +47.5% | +86.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -5.1% | +34.1% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -160.6% | +31.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -4.7% | +28.5% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -97.7% | +11.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +12.7% | +4.7% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | FGENFibroGen, Inc. | VRTXVertex Pharmaceut… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $585M | $126.2B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $625M | $124.8B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -15.63x | 32.43x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 25.66x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 3.91x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 26.63x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 19.75x | 10.52x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 6.87x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 39.51x |
Profitability & Efficiency
FGEN delivers a 12.3% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $12 in annual profit, vs $21 for VRTX. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), VRTX scores 5/9 vs FGEN's 2/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | FGENFibroGen, Inc. | VRTXVertex Pharmaceut… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +12.3% | +21.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +157.4% | +14.8% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | — | +22.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -104.8% | +23.0% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 2 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 0.20x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $40M | $3.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $50M | $5.1B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $90M | $3.7B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -20.28x | 348.55x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in VRTX five years ago would be worth $23,616 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $59 for FGEN. Over the past 12 months, VRTX leads with a +3.6% total return vs FGEN's -26.5%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors VRTX at 19.6% vs FGEN's -76.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | FGENFibroGen, Inc. | VRTXVertex Pharmaceut… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -18.1% | +9.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -26.5% | +3.6% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -98.6% | +71.1% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -99.4% | +136.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -98.3% | +481.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -76.2% | +19.6% |
Risk & Volatility
VRTX is the less volatile stock with a 0.44 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than FGEN's 1.21 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. VRTX currently trades 95.6% from its 52-week high vs FGEN's 59.5% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | FGENFibroGen, Inc. | VRTXVertex Pharmaceut… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.21x | 0.44x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $12.60 | $519.68 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $4.85 | $362.50 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +59.5% | +95.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 39.4 | 54.6 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 27K | 1.2M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates FGEN as "Hold" and VRTX as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 273.3% upside for FGEN (target: $28) vs 9.7% for VRTX (target: $545). FGEN is the only dividend payer here at 0.30% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | FGENFibroGen, Inc. | VRTXVertex Pharmaceut… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $28.00 | $545.08 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 14 | 55 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +0.3% | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.02 | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +1.6% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FibroGen, Inc. (FGEN) | 100 | 0.76 | -99.2% |
| Vertex Pharmaceutic… (VRTX) | 100 | 203.2 | +103.2% |
Vertex Pharmaceutic… (VRTX) returned +136% over 5 years vs FibroGen, Inc. (FGEN)'s -99%. A $10,000 investment in VRTX 5 years ago would be worth $23,616 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| FibroGen, Inc. (FGEN) | $180M | $30M | -83.5% |
| Vertex Pharmaceutic… (VRTX) | $1.7B | $12.0B | +605.1% |
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated's revenue grew from $1.7B (2016) to $12.0B (2025) — a 24.2% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| FibroGen, Inc. (FGEN) | -34.3% | -160.6% | -367.7% |
| Vertex Pharmaceutic… (VRTX) | -6.6% | 32.9% | +600.4% |
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated's net margin went from -7% (2016) to 33% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertex Pharmaceutic… (VRTX) | 144.1 | 29.6 | -79.5% |
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has traded in a 21x–144x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~32x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| FibroGen, Inc. (FGEN) | -0.98 | -0.48 | +51.0% |
| Vertex Pharmaceutic… (VRTX) | -0.46 | 15.32 | +3430.4% |
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated's EPS grew from $-0.46 (2016) to $15.32 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
FibroGen, Inc. generated $-138M FCF in 2024 (-23% vs 2021). Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated generated $3B FCF in 2025 (+33% vs 2021).
FGEN vs VRTX: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is FGEN or VRTX a better buy right now?
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) offers the better valuation at 32.4x trailing P/E (25.7x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) a "Buy" — based on 55 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 — FGEN or VRTX?
Over the past 5 years, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) delivered a total return of +136.2%, compared to -99.4% for FibroGen, Inc. (FGEN). A $10,000 investment in VRTX five years ago would be worth approximately $24K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: VRTX returned +481.2% versus FGEN's -98.3%. 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 — FGEN or VRTX?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) is the lower-risk stock at 0.44β versus FibroGen, Inc.'s 1.21β — meaning FGEN is approximately 175% more volatile than VRTX relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — FGEN or VRTX?
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) is the more profitable company, earning 32.9% net margin versus -160.6% for FibroGen, Inc. — meaning it keeps 32.9% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: VRTX leads at 39.1% versus -507.8% for FGEN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — VRTX leads at 86.2%, 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.
05Is FGEN or VRTX more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for FGEN: 273.3% to $28.00.
06Which pays a better dividend — FGEN or VRTX?
In this comparison, FGEN (0.3% yield) pays a dividend. VRTX does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
07Is FGEN or VRTX better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.44), +481.2% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (VRTX: +481.2%, FGEN: -98.3%), 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.
08What are the main differences between FGEN and VRTX?
Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. 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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