Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Relay Therapeutics, Inc. (RLAY) 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 | RLAY | 53.4% revenue growth vs AGIO's 48.0% |
| Quality / Margins | AGIO | -9.0% net margin vs RLAY's -18.0% |
| Stability / Safety | AGIO | Beta 0.91 vs RLAY's 1.70, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | RLAY | +200.9% vs AGIO's -14.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AGIO | -29.0% ROA vs RLAY's -44.5%, ROIC -26.6% vs -37.3% |
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
Relay Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotech company developing precision medicines for cancer and genetic diseases using computational drug discovery. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing deals — with no commercial products yet — while advancing its own pipeline of targeted oncology therapies. Its key competitive advantage is proprietary technology that analyzes protein motion to design more effective small molecule drugs, potentially accelerating and improving the drug discovery process.
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
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
AGIO leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). RLAY leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AGIO is the larger business by revenue, generating $45M annually — 2.9x RLAY's $15M. AGIO is the more profitable business, keeping -9.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to RLAY's -18.0%.
| Metric | RLAYRelay Therapeutic… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $15M | $45M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$303M | -$470M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$276M | -$401M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$236M | -$414M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | — | +84.4% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -19.7% | -10.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -18.0% | -9.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -15.4% | -9.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | +43.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +31.1% | -111.0% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | RLAYRelay Therapeutic… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.8B | $2.25T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.7B | $2.25T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -6.37x | -4.25x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 116.18x | 9999.00x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 3.10x | 1.47x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
AGIO delivers a -31.2% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-31 in annual profit, vs $-49 for RLAY. AGIO carries lower financial leverage with a 0.03x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to RLAY's 0.06x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), RLAY scores 5/9 vs AGIO's 3/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | RLAYRelay Therapeutic… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -48.8% | -31.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -44.5% | -29.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -37.3% | -26.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -42.7% | -33.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.06x | 0.03x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$52M | -$49M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $84M | $89M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $32M | $40M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AGIO five years ago would be worth $6,363 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $2,553 for RLAY. Over the past 12 months, RLAY leads with a +200.9% total return vs AGIO's -14.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AGIO at 6.1% vs RLAY's -14.0% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | RLAYRelay Therapeutic… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +25.4% | +11.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +200.9% | -14.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -36.5% | +19.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -74.5% | -36.4% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -70.7% | -21.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -14.0% | +6.1% |
Risk & Volatility
AGIO is the less volatile stock with a 0.91 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than RLAY's 1.70 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. RLAY currently trades 89.8% from its 52-week high vs AGIO's 65.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | RLAYRelay Therapeutic… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.70x | 0.91x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $11.43 | $46.00 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $1.78 | $22.24 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +89.8% | +65.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 59.3 | 62.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.9M | 948K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates RLAY as "Buy" and AGIO as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 37.3% upside for AGIO (target: $42) vs 31.6% for RLAY (target: $14).
| Metric | RLAYRelay Therapeutic… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $13.50 | $41.50 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 14 | 29 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.1% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Jul 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relay Therapeutics,… (RLAY) | 100 | 23.25 | -76.7% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | 100 | 59.98 | -40.0% |
Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) returned -36% over 5 years vs Relay Therapeutics,… (RLAY)'s -74%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relay Therapeutics,… (RLAY) | $0.00 | $15M | — |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relay Therapeutics,… (RLAY) | -63.4% | -18.0% | +71.6% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relay Therapeutics,… (RLAY) | -19.63 | -1.61 | +91.8% |
| 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
Relay Therapeutics, Inc. generated $-236M FCF in 2025 (-203% vs 2021). Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $-377M FCF in 2025 (+9% vs 2021).
RLAY vs AGIO: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is RLAY or AGIO a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Relay Therapeutics, Inc. (RLAY) a "Buy" — based on 14 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 — RLAY or AGIO?
Over the past 5 years, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) delivered a total return of -36.4%, compared to -74.5% for Relay Therapeutics, Inc. (RLAY). A $10,000 investment in AGIO five years ago would be worth approximately $6K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AGIO returned -21.2% versus RLAY's -70.7%. 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 — RLAY or AGIO?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) is the lower-risk stock at 0.91β versus Relay Therapeutics, Inc.'s 1.70β — meaning RLAY is approximately 88% more volatile than AGIO relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 3% versus 6% for Relay Therapeutics, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — RLAY or AGIO?
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) is the more profitable company, earning -764.0% net margin versus -1800.6% for Relay Therapeutics, Inc. — meaning it keeps -764.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AGIO leads at -873.9% versus -1971.6% for RLAY. 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.
05Which pays a better dividend — RLAY 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.
06Is RLAY or AGIO better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.91)). Relay Therapeutics, Inc. (RLAY) carries a higher beta of 1.70 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (AGIO: -21.2%, RLAY: -70.7%), 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 RLAY 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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