Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) vs PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (PTCT) 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 | PTCT | 114.5% revenue growth vs AGIO's 48.0% |
| Quality / Margins | PTCT | 42.3% net margin vs AGIO's -9.0% |
| Stability / Safety | AGIO | Beta 0.91 vs PTCT's 0.91 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | PTCT | +23.4% vs AGIO's -14.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | PTCT | 28.4% ROA vs AGIO's -29.0% |
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.
PTC Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes treatments for rare genetic disorders. It generates revenue primarily from sales of its approved therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy — with additional income from collaborations and licensing agreements. The company's competitive advantage lies in its proprietary RNA-targeting and splicing technologies that enable it to address previously untreatable genetic mutations.
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
PTCT leads in 3 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Profitability & Efficiency. 2 categories are tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
PTCT is the larger business by revenue, generating $1.8B annually — 39.7x AGIO's $45M. PTCT is the more profitable business, keeping 42.3% 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… | PTCTPTC Therapeutics,… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $45M | $1.8B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$470M | $809M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$401M | $752M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$414M | $699M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +84.4% | +91.2% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -10.6% | +43.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -9.0% | +42.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -9.2% | +39.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +43.7% | +7.2% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -111.0% | +114.4% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… | PTCTPTC Therapeutics,… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.25T | $5.5B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.25T | $4.9B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -4.25x | 8.76x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 5.61x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 9999.00x | 3.15x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.47x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), PTCT scores 4/9 vs AGIO's 3/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… | PTCTPTC Therapeutics,… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -31.2% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -29.0% | +28.4% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -26.6% | — |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -33.8% | +56.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.03x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$49M | -$586M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $89M | $985M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $40M | $399M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | 6.37x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in PTCT five years ago would be worth $11,725 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $6,363 for AGIO. Over the past 12 months, PTCT leads with a +23.4% total return vs AGIO's -14.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors PTCT at 16.0% vs AGIO's 6.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… | PTCTPTC Therapeutics,… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +11.2% | -11.1% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -14.9% | +23.4% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +19.4% | +56.1% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -36.4% | +17.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -21.2% | +754.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +6.1% | +16.0% |
Risk & Volatility
AGIO is the less volatile stock with a 0.91 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than PTCT's 0.91 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. PTCT currently trades 77.9% from its 52-week high vs AGIO's 65.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… | PTCTPTC Therapeutics,… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.91x | 0.91x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $46.00 | $87.50 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $22.24 | $35.95 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +65.7% | +77.9% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 62.3 | 35.0 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 948K | 994K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates AGIO as "Buy" and PTCT as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 37.3% upside for AGIO (target: $42) vs 23.9% for PTCT (target: $85).
| Metric | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… | PTCTPTC Therapeutics,… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $41.50 | $84.50 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 29 | 26 |
| 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 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | 100 | 59.31 | -40.7% |
| PTC Therapeutics, I… (PTCT) | 100 | 136.54 | +36.5% |
PTC Therapeutics, I… (PTCT) returned +17% over 5 years vs Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO)'s -36%. A $10,000 investment in PTCT 5 years ago would be worth $11,725 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | $70M | $54M | -22.7% |
| PTC Therapeutics, I… (PTCT) | $83M | $1.7B | +1992.6% |
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s revenue grew from $70M (2016) to $54M (2025) — a -2.8% CAGR. PTC Therapeutics, Inc.'s revenue grew from $83M (2016) to $1.7B (2025) — a 40.2% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | -2.8% | -7.6% | -169.0% |
| PTC Therapeutics, I… (PTCT) | -171.8% | 39.4% | +123.0% |
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s net margin went from -3% (2016) to -8% (2025). PTC Therapeutics, Inc.'s net margin went from -172% (2016) to 39% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | -5.07 | -7.12 | -40.4% |
| PTC Therapeutics, I… (PTCT) | -4.17 | 7.78 | +286.6% |
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-5.07 (2016) to $-7.12 (2025). PTC Therapeutics, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-4.17 (2016) to $7.78 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $-377M FCF in 2025 (+9% vs 2021). PTC Therapeutics, Inc. generated $0M FCF in 2025 (+100% vs 2021).
AGIO vs PTCT: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is AGIO or PTCT a better buy right now?
PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (PTCT) offers the better valuation at 8.8x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. 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 PTCT?
Over the past 5 years, PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (PTCT) delivered a total return of +17.2%, compared to -36.4% for Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO). A $10,000 investment in PTCT five years ago would be worth approximately $12K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: PTCT returned +754.5% 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 PTCT?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) is the lower-risk stock at 0.91β versus PTC Therapeutics, Inc.'s 0.91β — meaning PTCT is approximately 1% more volatile than AGIO relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — AGIO or PTCT?
PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (PTCT) is the more profitable company, earning 39.4% net margin versus -764.0% for Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — meaning it keeps 39.4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: PTCT leads at 50.1% versus -873.9% for AGIO. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — PTCT leads at 91.2%, 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 PTCT?
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 PTCT better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (PTCT) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.91), +754.5% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (PTCT: +754.5%, 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.
07What are the main differences between AGIO and PTCT?
Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. In terms of investment character: AGIO is a mega-cap quality compounder stock; PTCT is a small-cap deep-value stock. 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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