Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. (PTGX) vs Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) 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 | AGIO | 48.0% revenue growth vs PTGX's -100.0% |
| Stability / Safety | PTGX | Lower D/E ratio (1.7% vs 3.4%) |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | PTGX | +145.0% vs AGIO's -14.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | PTGX | -19.5% ROA vs AGIO's -29.0%, ROIC -21.8% vs -26.6% |
Who Each Stock Is For
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
Protagonist Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing peptide-based drugs for blood disorders and inflammatory diseases. It generates revenue primarily through collaboration agreements — notably with Janssen Biotech — and has no commercial products yet, relying on milestone payments and potential future royalties. The company's key advantage is its proprietary peptide discovery platform that enables the development of orally available peptide therapeutics, a challenging area in drug development.
Agios Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for rare genetic diseases related to cellular metabolism. It generates revenue primarily from sales of its lead drug PYRUKYND for pyruvate kinase deficiency — with additional income from research collaborations and milestone payments — while advancing a pipeline of other metabolic therapies. The company's competitive advantage lies in its deep expertise in cellular metabolism science and proprietary platform for targeting metabolic pathways in rare diseases.
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
PTGX leads in 3 of 6 categories (Profitability & Efficiency, Total Returns). AGIO leads in 1 (Financial Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AGIO and PTGX operate at a comparable scale, with $45M and $0 in trailing revenue. On growth, AGIO holds the edge at +43.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | PTGXProtagonist Thera… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $0 | $45M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$158M | -$470M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$130M | -$401M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $58M | -$414M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | — | +84.4% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | — | -10.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | — | -9.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | — | -9.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -122.6% | +43.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -134.8% | -111.0% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | PTGXProtagonist Thera… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $5.8B | $2.25T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $5.6B | $2.25T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -44.92x | -4.25x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 25.45x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | — | 9999.00x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 9.52x | 1.47x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 99.91x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
PTGX delivers a -21.2% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-21 in annual profit, vs $-31 for AGIO. PTGX carries lower financial leverage with a 0.02x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to AGIO's 0.03x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), PTGX scores 4/9 vs AGIO's 3/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | PTGXProtagonist Thera… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -21.2% | -31.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -19.5% | -29.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -21.8% | -26.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -24.0% | -33.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.02x | 0.03x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$118M | -$49M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $128M | $89M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $10M | $40M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in PTGX five years ago would be worth $34,422 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $6,363 for AGIO. Over the past 12 months, PTGX leads with a +145.0% total return vs AGIO's -14.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors PTGX at 78.4% vs AGIO's 6.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | PTGXProtagonist Thera… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +5.6% | +11.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +145.0% | -14.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +467.7% | +19.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +244.2% | -36.4% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +687.0% | -21.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +78.4% | +6.1% |
Risk & Volatility
PTGX is the less volatile stock with a -0.11 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than AGIO's 0.91 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. PTGX currently trades 95.4% from its 52-week high vs AGIO's 65.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | PTGXProtagonist Thera… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | -0.11x | 0.91x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $96.54 | $46.00 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $35.97 | $22.24 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +95.4% | +65.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 62.7 | 62.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 594K | 948K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates PTGX as "Buy" and AGIO as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 37.3% upside for AGIO (target: $42) vs 21.4% for PTGX (target: $112).
| Metric | PTGXProtagonist Thera… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $111.75 | $41.50 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 24 | 29 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | 0.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protagonist Therape… (PTGX) | 100 | 1,048.61 | +948.6% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | 100 | 57.07 | -42.9% |
Protagonist Therape… (PTGX) returned +244% over 5 years vs Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO)'s -36%. A $10,000 investment in PTGX 5 years ago would be worth $34,422 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protagonist Therape… (PTGX) | $0.00 | $0.00 | — |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | $70M | $54M | -22.7% |
Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc.'s revenue grew from $0M (2016) to $0M (2025) — a 0.0% CAGR. Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s revenue grew from $70M (2016) to $54M (2025) — a -2.8% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protagonist Therape… (PTGX) | -184.2% | 63.3% | +134.4% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | -2.8% | -7.6% | -169.0% |
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s net margin went from -3% (2016) to -8% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protagonist Therape… (PTGX) | -5.72 | -2.05 | +64.2% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | -5.07 | -7.12 | -40.4% |
Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-5.72 (2016) to $-2.05 (2025). Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-5.07 (2016) to $-7.12 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. generated $58M FCF in 2025 (+153% vs 2021). Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $-377M FCF in 2025 (+9% vs 2021).
PTGX vs AGIO: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is PTGX or AGIO a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. (PTGX) a "Buy" — based on 24 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 — PTGX or AGIO?
Over the past 5 years, Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. (PTGX) delivered a total return of +244.2%, compared to -36.4% for Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO). A $10,000 investment in PTGX five years ago would be worth approximately $34K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: PTGX returned +687.0% versus AGIO's -21.2%. 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 — PTGX or AGIO?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. (PTGX) is the lower-risk stock at -0.11β versus Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s 0.91β — meaning AGIO is approximately -929% more volatile than PTGX relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. (PTGX) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 2% versus 3% for Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — PTGX or AGIO?
Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. (PTGX) is the more profitable company, earning 0.0% net margin versus -764.0% for Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — meaning it keeps 0.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: PTGX leads at 0.0% versus -873.9% for AGIO. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AGIO leads at 88.3%, 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 PTGX or AGIO more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for AGIO: 37.3% to $41.50.
06Which pays a better dividend — PTGX or AGIO?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
07Is PTGX or AGIO better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. (PTGX) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β -0.11), +687.0% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (PTGX: +687.0%, AGIO: -21.2%), 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 PTGX and AGIO?
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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