Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) vs GRAIL, Inc. (GRAL) 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 GRAL's 34.9% |
| Quality / Margins | GRAL | -286.4% net margin vs AGIO's -9.0% |
| Stability / Safety | AGIO | Beta 0.91 vs GRAL's 2.12 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | GRAL | +38.0% vs AGIO's -14.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | GRAL | -15.6% ROA vs AGIO's -29.0%, ROIC -54.8% 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
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.
GRAIL is a biotechnology company developing blood tests for early cancer detection through its Galleri multi-cancer screening test. It generates revenue primarily from Galleri test sales — a liquid biopsy that screens for over 50 cancers from a single blood draw — with additional diagnostic aid products for cancer detection. Its key advantage lies in its massive clinical dataset and proprietary methylation technology platform, which enables detection of cancers at earlier stages when treatment is more effective.
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
GRAL leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). AGIO leads in 1 (Risk & Volatility). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
GRAL is the larger business by revenue, generating $142M annually — 3.2x AGIO's $45M. GRAL is the more profitable business, keeping -2.9% 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 | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… | GRALGRAIL, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $45M | $142M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$470M | -$418M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$401M | -$406M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$414M | -$330M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +84.4% | -47.5% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -10.6% | -4.1% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -9.0% | -2.9% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -9.2% | -2.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +43.7% | +26.3% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -111.0% | +37.6% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… | GRALGRAIL, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.25T | $1.92T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.25T | $1.92T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -4.25x | -0.84x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 9999.00x | 9999.00x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.47x | 0.68x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
GRAL delivers a -18.1% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-18 in annual profit, vs $-31 for AGIO. GRAL carries lower financial leverage with a 0.03x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to AGIO's 0.03x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), GRAL scores 4/9 vs AGIO's 3/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… | GRALGRAIL, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -31.2% | -18.1% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -29.0% | -15.6% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -26.6% | -54.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -33.8% | -60.0% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.03x | 0.03x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$49M | -$146M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $89M | $214M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $40M | $68M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in GRAL five years ago would be worth $38,968 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $6,363 for AGIO. Over the past 12 months, GRAL leads with a +38.0% total return vs AGIO's -14.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors GRAL at 57.4% vs AGIO's 6.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… | GRALGRAIL, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +11.2% | -40.1% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -14.9% | +38.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +19.4% | +289.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -36.4% | +289.7% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -21.2% | +289.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +6.1% | +57.4% |
Risk & Volatility
AGIO is the less volatile stock with a 0.91 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than GRAL's 2.12 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. AGIO currently trades 65.7% from its 52-week high vs GRAL's 44.8% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… | GRALGRAIL, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.91x | 2.12x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $46.00 | $118.84 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $22.24 | $20.44 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +65.7% | +44.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 62.3 | 34.0 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 948K | 650K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates AGIO as "Buy" and GRAL as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 60.4% upside for GRAL (target: $85) vs 37.3% for AGIO (target: $42).
| Metric | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… | GRALGRAIL, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $41.50 | $85.40 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 29 | 4 |
| 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 | Jul 24 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | 100 | 64.91 | -35.1% |
| GRAIL, Inc. (GRAL) | 109.52 | 758.93 | +593.0% |
GRAIL, Inc. (GRAL) returned +290% over 5 years vs Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO)'s -36%. A $10,000 investment in GRAL 5 years ago would be worth $38,968 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | $70M | $54M | -22.7% |
| GRAIL, Inc. (GRAL) | $0.00 | $126M | — |
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s revenue grew from $70M (2016) to $54M (2025) — a -2.8% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | -199.1% | -7.6% | +96.2% |
| GRAIL, Inc. (GRAL) | -85.4% | -16.1% | +81.1% |
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s net margin went from -199% (2015) to -8% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | -5.07 | -7.12 | -40.4% |
| GRAIL, Inc. (GRAL) | -2.42 | -63.54 | -2525.6% |
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-5.07 (2016) to $-7.12 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $-377M FCF in 2025 (+9% vs 2021). GRAIL, Inc. generated $-582M FCF in 2024 (+23% vs 2021).
AGIO vs GRAL: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is AGIO or GRAL a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) a "Buy" — based on 29 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 — AGIO or GRAL?
Over the past 5 years, GRAIL, Inc. (GRAL) delivered a total return of +289.7%, compared to -36.4% for Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO). A $10,000 investment in GRAL five years ago would be worth approximately $39K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: GRAL returned +289.7% 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 — AGIO or GRAL?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) is the lower-risk stock at 0.91β versus GRAIL, Inc.'s 2.12β — meaning GRAL is approximately 135% more volatile than AGIO relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, GRAIL, Inc. (GRAL) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 3% versus 3% for Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — AGIO or GRAL?
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) is the more profitable company, earning -764.0% net margin versus -1613.9% for GRAIL, 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 -1743.0% for GRAL. 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 — AGIO or GRAL?
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 AGIO or GRAL 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)). GRAIL, Inc. (GRAL) carries a higher beta of 2.12 — 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%, GRAL: +289.7%), 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 AGIO and GRAL?
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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