Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (SNDX) vs Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
Selected Stocks
Add up to 10 tickers. Use presets or search to get started.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | SNDX | 6.0% revenue growth vs AGIO's 48.0% |
| Quality / Margins | SNDX | -279.3% net margin vs AGIO's -9.0% |
| Stability / Safety | AGIO | Beta 0.91 vs SNDX's 1.05, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | SNDX | +38.8% vs AGIO's -14.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AGIO | -29.0% ROA vs SNDX's -56.5%, ROIC -26.6% vs -68.8% |
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
Syndax Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing targeted cancer therapies. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing agreements — with future potential from drug commercialization if its lead candidates gain approval. The company's competitive advantage lies in its specialized pipeline targeting specific cancer pathways like Menin inhibition and CSF-1 receptor blockade.
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
SNDX leads in 2 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). AGIO leads in 1 (Profitability & Efficiency). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
SNDX is the larger business by revenue, generating $112M annually — 2.5x AGIO's $45M. SNDX is the more profitable business, keeping -2.8% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to AGIO's -9.0%. On growth, SNDX holds the edge at +2.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | SNDXSyndax Pharmaceut… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $112M | $45M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$285M | -$470M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$312M | -$401M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$311M | -$414M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +92.3% | +84.4% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -2.8% | -10.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -2.8% | -9.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -2.8% | -9.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +2.7% | +43.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +28.6% | -111.0% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | SNDXSyndax Pharmaceut… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.9B | $2.25T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.1B | $2.25T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -5.82x | -4.25x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 79.68x | 9999.00x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 6.45x | 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 $-3 for SNDX. AGIO carries lower financial leverage with a 0.03x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to SNDX's 1.20x.
| Metric | SNDXSyndax Pharmaceut… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -2.7% | -31.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -56.5% | -29.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -68.8% | -26.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -57.8% | -33.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.20x | 0.03x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $192M | -$49M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $154M | $89M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $346M | $40M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -12.81x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in SNDX five years ago would be worth $8,990 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $6,363 for AGIO. Over the past 12 months, SNDX leads with a +38.8% total return vs AGIO's -14.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AGIO at 6.1% vs SNDX's -5.0% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | SNDXSyndax Pharmaceut… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +1.9% | +11.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +38.8% | -14.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -14.4% | +19.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -10.1% | -36.4% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +80.9% | -21.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -5.0% | +6.1% |
Risk & Volatility
AGIO is the less volatile stock with a 0.91 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than SNDX's 1.05 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. SNDX currently trades 95.5% from its 52-week high vs AGIO's 65.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | SNDXSyndax Pharmaceut… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.05x | 0.91x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $22.73 | $46.00 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $8.58 | $22.24 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +95.5% | +65.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 50.7 | 62.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.0M | 948K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates SNDX as "Buy" and AGIO as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 81.2% upside for SNDX (target: $39) vs 37.3% for AGIO (target: $42).
| Metric | SNDXSyndax Pharmaceut… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $39.33 | $41.50 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 22 | 29 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | — |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syndax Pharmaceutic… (SNDX) | 100 | 217.86 | +117.9% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | 100 | 57.07 | -42.9% |
Syndax Pharmaceutic… (SNDX) returned -10% over 5 years vs Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO)'s -36%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syndax Pharmaceutic… (SNDX) | $1M | $24M | +1841.0% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syndax Pharmaceutic… (SNDX) | -36.5% | -13.5% | +63.1% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syndax Pharmaceutic… (SNDX) | -3.04 | -3.73 | -22.7% |
| 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
Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $-275M FCF in 2024 (-1048% vs 2021). Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $-377M FCF in 2025 (+9% vs 2021).
SNDX vs AGIO: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is SNDX or AGIO a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (SNDX) a "Buy" — based on 22 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 — SNDX or AGIO?
Over the past 5 years, Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (SNDX) delivered a total return of -10.1%, compared to -36.4% for Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO). A $10,000 investment in SNDX five years ago would be worth approximately $9K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SNDX returned +80.9% 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 — SNDX or AGIO?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) is the lower-risk stock at 0.91β versus Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s 1.05β — meaning SNDX is approximately 16% 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 120% for Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — SNDX or AGIO?
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) is the more profitable company, earning -764.0% net margin versus -1346.1% for Syndax Pharmaceuticals, 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 -1434.4% for SNDX. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SNDX leads at 96.5%, 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 — SNDX 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 SNDX 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)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (AGIO: -21.2%, SNDX: +80.9%), 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 SNDX 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.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.