Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RIGL) 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 | RIGL | 53.4% revenue growth vs AGIO's 48.0% |
| Quality / Margins | RIGL | 40.2% net margin vs AGIO's -9.0% |
| Stability / Safety | RIGL | Beta 0.86 vs AGIO's 0.91 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | RIGL | +50.7% vs AGIO's -14.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | RIGL | 46.7% ROA vs AGIO's -29.0%, ROIC 6.4% vs -26.6% |
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
Rigel Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company that discovers and develops small molecule drugs for hematologic disorders, cancer, and rare immune diseases. It generates revenue primarily from sales of its FDA-approved drug Tavalisse for chronic immune thrombocytopenia, supplemented by milestone payments and royalties from partnership agreements. The company's competitive advantage lies in its specialized expertise in kinase inhibition—particularly spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) targeting—and its focused pipeline addressing underserved hematologic and autoimmune conditions.
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
RIGL leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). AGIO leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
RIGL is the larger business by revenue, generating $282M annually — 6.3x AGIO's $45M. RIGL is the more profitable business, keeping 40.2% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to AGIO's -9.0%. On growth, AGIO holds the edge at +43.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | RIGLRigel Pharmaceuti… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $282M | $45M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $121M | -$470M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $113M | -$401M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $68M | -$414M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +93.1% | +84.4% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +42.2% | -10.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +40.2% | -9.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +24.2% | -9.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +25.6% | +43.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +108.1% | -111.0% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | RIGLRigel Pharmaceuti… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $615M | $2.25T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $618M | $2.25T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 35.09x | -4.25x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 8.75x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 23.41x | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 3.43x | 9999.00x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 186.88x | 1.47x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 19.80x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
RIGL delivers a 96.3% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $96 in annual profit, vs $-31 for AGIO. AGIO carries lower financial leverage with a 0.03x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to RIGL's 18.24x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), RIGL scores 7/9 vs AGIO's 3/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | RIGLRigel Pharmaceuti… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +96.3% | -31.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +46.7% | -29.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +6.4% | -26.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +29.4% | -33.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 7 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 18.24x | 0.03x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $3M | -$49M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $57M | $89M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $60M | $40M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 16.09x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in RIGL five years ago would be worth $7,772 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $6,363 for AGIO. Over the past 12 months, RIGL leads with a +50.7% total return vs AGIO's -14.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors RIGL at 32.0% vs AGIO's 6.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | RIGLRigel Pharmaceuti… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -16.9% | +11.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +50.7% | -14.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +130.1% | +19.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -22.3% | -36.4% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +53.0% | -21.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +32.0% | +6.1% |
Risk & Volatility
RIGL is the less volatile stock with a 0.86 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.
| Metric | RIGLRigel Pharmaceuti… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.86x | 0.91x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $52.24 | $46.00 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $15.50 | $22.24 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +66.5% | +65.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 48.7 | 62.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 347K | 948K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates RIGL as "Buy" and AGIO as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 37.3% upside for AGIO (target: $42) vs 15.1% for RIGL (target: $40).
| Metric | RIGLRigel Pharmaceuti… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $40.00 | $41.50 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 15 | 29 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +1.6% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rigel Pharmaceutica… (RIGL) | 100 | 166.71 | +66.7% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | 100 | 57.07 | -42.9% |
Rigel Pharmaceutica… (RIGL) returned -22% over 5 years vs Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO)'s -36%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rigel Pharmaceutica… (RIGL) | $20M | $179M | +779.5% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | $70M | $54M | -22.7% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rigel Pharmaceutica… (RIGL) | -3.4% | 9.8% | +387.2% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rigel Pharmaceutica… (RIGL) | -7.33 | 0.99 | +113.5% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | -5.07 | -7.12 | -40.4% |
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-5.07 (2016) to $-7.12 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $31M FCF in 2024 (+492% vs 2021). Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $-377M FCF in 2025 (+9% vs 2021).
RIGL vs AGIO: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is RIGL or AGIO a better buy right now?
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RIGL) offers the better valuation at 35.1x trailing P/E (8.8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RIGL) a "Buy" — based on 15 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 — RIGL or AGIO?
Over the past 5 years, Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RIGL) delivered a total return of -22.3%, compared to -36.4% for Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO). A $10,000 investment in RIGL five years ago would be worth approximately $8K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: RIGL returned +53.0% 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 — RIGL or AGIO?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RIGL) is the lower-risk stock at 0.86β versus Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s 0.91β — meaning AGIO is approximately 5% more volatile than RIGL relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 3% versus 18% for Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — RIGL or AGIO?
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RIGL) is the more profitable company, earning 9.8% net margin versus -764.0% for Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — meaning it keeps 9.8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: RIGL leads at 13.5% versus -873.9% for AGIO. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — RIGL leads at 89.6%, 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 RIGL 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 — RIGL 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 RIGL or AGIO better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RIGL) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.86)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (RIGL: +53.0%, 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 RIGL 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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