Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APLS) 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 | AGIO | 48.0% revenue growth vs APLS's -11.8% |
| Quality / Margins | APLS | 3.2% net margin vs AGIO's -9.0% |
| Stability / Safety | APLS | Beta 0.84 vs AGIO's 0.91 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | AGIO | -14.9% vs APLS's -16.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | APLS | 2.3% ROA vs AGIO's -29.0%, ROIC 27.4% 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
Apellis Pharmaceuticals is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing therapies that target the complement system — a part of the immune system — for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. It generates revenue primarily from sales of its approved drug EMPAVELI® (pegcetacoplan) for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, with additional revenue from SYFOVRE® (pegcetacoplan injection) for geographic atrophy, and is advancing a pipeline of complement-targeting candidates. Its key advantage is its deep expertise in complement inhibition — a complex biological pathway — and its first-mover position with the first approved therapy for geographic atrophy.
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
APLS leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). AGIO leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Total Returns).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
APLS is the larger business by revenue, generating $689M annually — 15.4x AGIO's $45M. APLS is the more profitable business, keeping 3.2% 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 | APLSApellis Pharmaceu… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $689M | $45M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $55M | -$470M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $0 | -$401M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $45M | -$414M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +85.2% | +84.4% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +8.0% | -10.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +3.2% | -9.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +6.6% | -9.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -153.9% | +43.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -124.1% | -111.0% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | APLSApellis Pharmaceu… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.7B | $2.25T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.3B | $2.25T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 116.44x | -4.25x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 33.61x | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 3.85x | 9999.00x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 7.14x | 1.47x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 58.55x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
APLS delivers a 7.5% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $7 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 APLS's 0.30x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), APLS scores 6/9 vs AGIO's 3/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | APLSApellis Pharmaceu… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +7.5% | -31.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +2.3% | -29.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +27.4% | -26.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +7.6% | -33.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.30x | 0.03x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$354M | -$49M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $466M | $89M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $113M | $40M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 1.22x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AGIO five years ago would be worth $6,363 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $4,396 for APLS. Over the past 12 months, AGIO leads with a -14.9% total return vs APLS's -16.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AGIO at 6.1% vs APLS's -31.6% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | APLSApellis Pharmaceu… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -18.9% | +11.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -16.7% | -14.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -68.0% | +19.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -56.0% | -36.4% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +49.4% | -21.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -31.6% | +6.1% |
Risk & Volatility
APLS is the less volatile stock with a 0.84 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. APLS currently trades 68.8% from its 52-week high vs AGIO's 65.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | APLSApellis Pharmaceu… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.84x | 0.91x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $30.48 | $46.00 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $16.10 | $22.24 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +68.8% | +65.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 43.8 | 62.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 2.5M | 948K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates APLS as "Buy" and AGIO as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 59.8% upside for APLS (target: $34) vs 37.3% for AGIO (target: $42).
| Metric | APLSApellis Pharmaceu… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $33.50 | $41.50 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 25 | 29 |
| 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 | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apellis Pharmaceuti… (APLS) | 100 | 62.27 | -37.7% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | 100 | 57.07 | -42.9% |
Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) returned -36% over 5 years vs Apellis Pharmaceuti… (APLS)'s -56%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apellis Pharmaceuti… (APLS) | $0.00 | $689M | — |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | $70M | $54M | -22.7% |
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s revenue grew from $0M (2016) to $689M (2025) — a 0.0% CAGR. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apellis Pharmaceuti… (APLS) | -137.6% | 3.2% | +102.4% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apellis Pharmaceuti… (APLS) | -1.5 | 0.18 | +112.0% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | -5.07 | -7.12 | -40.4% |
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-1.50 (2016) to $0.18 (2025). Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-5.07 (2016) to $-7.12 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $45M FCF in 2025 (+108% vs 2021). Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $-377M FCF in 2025 (+9% vs 2021).
APLS vs AGIO: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is APLS or AGIO a better buy right now?
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APLS) offers the better valuation at 116.4x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APLS) a "Buy" — based on 25 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 — APLS or AGIO?
Over the past 5 years, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) delivered a total return of -36.4%, compared to -56.0% for Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APLS). 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: APLS returned +49.4% 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 — APLS or AGIO?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APLS) is the lower-risk stock at 0.84β versus Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s 0.91β — meaning AGIO is approximately 8% more volatile than APLS relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 3% versus 30% for Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — APLS or AGIO?
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APLS) is the more profitable company, earning 3.2% net margin versus -764.0% for Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — meaning it keeps 3.2% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: APLS leads at 8.0% versus -873.9% for AGIO. 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 — APLS 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 APLS or AGIO better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APLS) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.84)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (APLS: +49.4%, 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 APLS 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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