Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Argo Blockchain plc (ARBK) vs Riot Platforms, Inc. (RIOT) 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 | RIOT | 34.2% revenue growth vs ARBK's -15.9% |
| Quality / Margins | RIOT | 29.0% net margin vs ARBK's -113.6% |
| Stability / Safety | ARBK | Beta 1.92 vs RIOT's 2.35 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | ARBK | +6.0% vs RIOT's +75.5% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | RIOT | 3.7% ROA vs ARBK's -7.6%, ROIC 4.1% vs -31.3% |
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
Argo Blockchain is a cryptocurrency mining company that operates large-scale data centers to validate blockchain transactions and earn digital assets. It generates revenue primarily from bitcoin mining rewards — which account for the vast majority of its income — with additional income from hosting services for other miners. The company's competitive advantage lies in its strategic access to low-cost renewable energy sources and its operational efficiency in large-scale mining operations.
Riot Platforms is a Bitcoin mining company that operates large-scale mining facilities in Texas and Kentucky. It generates revenue primarily from Bitcoin mining rewards (the majority of income) and secondarily from engineering services — designing and manufacturing power distribution equipment for data centers and industrial clients. The company's competitive advantage lies in its vertically integrated operations — owning its mining facilities and power infrastructure — which provides cost control and operational efficiency in the energy-intensive mining business.
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
RIOT leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). ARBK leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
RIOT is the larger business by revenue, generating $377M annually — 7.8x ARBK's $49M. RIOT is the more profitable business, keeping 29.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to ARBK's -113.6%.
| Metric | ARBKArgo Blockchain p… | RIOTRiot Platforms, I… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $49M | $377M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$6M | $577M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$69M | $164M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$59M | -$1.5B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +3.0% | +30.2% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -31.6% | +40.8% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -113.6% | +29.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -92.3% | -4.0% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | — |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +80.1% | +148.1% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ARBKArgo Blockchain p… | RIOTRiot Platforms, I… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $954,205 | $6.0B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $32M | $6.4B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -0.01x | 47.91x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 17.45x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.02x | 16.05x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 1.65x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
| Metric | ARBKArgo Blockchain p… | RIOTRiot Platforms, I… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | +4.7% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -7.6% | +3.7% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -31.3% | +4.1% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -52.7% | +5.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 0.20x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $32M | $335M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $9M | $278M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $40M | $613M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -5.72x | 20.48x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in RIOT five years ago would be worth $3,039 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $1,707 for ARBK. Over the past 12 months, ARBK leads with a +602.0% total return vs RIOT's +75.5%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors RIOT at 37.6% vs ARBK's 18.9% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | ARBKArgo Blockchain p… | RIOTRiot Platforms, I… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -22.5% | +15.0% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +602.0% | +75.5% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +68.2% | +160.6% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -82.9% | -69.6% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -82.9% | +540.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +18.9% | +37.6% |
Risk & Volatility
ARBK is the less volatile stock with a 1.92 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than RIOT's 2.35 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. RIOT currently trades 68.0% from its 52-week high vs ARBK's 7.2% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | ARBKArgo Blockchain p… | RIOTRiot Platforms, I… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.92x | 2.35x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $39.96 | $23.94 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.15 | $6.19 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +7.2% | +68.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 43.4 | 58.2 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 66K | 16.2M |
Analyst Outlook
| Metric | ARBKArgo Blockchain p… | RIOTRiot Platforms, I… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $28.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 18 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 3 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +0.2% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Sep 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argo Blockchain plc (ARBK) | 100 | 22.39 | -77.6% |
| Riot Platforms, Inc. (RIOT) | 100 | 58.7 | -41.3% |
Riot Platforms, Inc. (RIOT) returned -70% over 5 years vs Argo Blockchain plc (ARBK)'s -83%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argo Blockchain plc (ARBK) | $764562.00 | $49M | +6245.5% |
| Riot Platforms, Inc. (RIOT) | $198086.00 | $377M | +190048.7% |
Riot Platforms, Inc.'s revenue grew from $0M (2015) to $377M (2024) — a 131.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argo Blockchain plc (ARBK) | -5.4% | -113.6% | -2009.1% |
| Riot Platforms, Inc. (RIOT) | -44.2% | 29.0% | +165.7% |
Riot Platforms, Inc.'s net margin went from -44% (2015) to 29% (2024).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argo Blockchain plc (ARBK) | -30.24 | -192.89 | -537.9% |
| Riot Platforms, Inc. (RIOT) | -2.26 | 0.34 | +115.0% |
Riot Platforms, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-2.26 (2015) to $0.34 (2024).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Argo Blockchain plc generated $-45M FCF in 2024 (+80% vs 2021). Riot Platforms, Inc. generated $-2B FCF in 2024 (-200% vs 2021).
ARBK vs RIOT: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is ARBK or RIOT a better buy right now?
Riot Platforms, Inc. (RIOT) offers the better valuation at 47.9x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Riot Platforms, Inc. (RIOT) a "Buy" — based on 18 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 — ARBK or RIOT?
Over the past 5 years, Riot Platforms, Inc. (RIOT) delivered a total return of -69.6%, compared to -82.9% for Argo Blockchain plc (ARBK). A $10,000 investment in RIOT five years ago would be worth approximately $3K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: RIOT returned +540.4% versus ARBK's -82.9%. 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 — ARBK or RIOT?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Argo Blockchain plc (ARBK) is the lower-risk stock at 1.92β versus Riot Platforms, Inc.'s 2.35β — meaning RIOT is approximately 23% more volatile than ARBK relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — ARBK or RIOT?
Riot Platforms, Inc. (RIOT) is the more profitable company, earning 29.0% net margin versus -113.6% for Argo Blockchain plc — meaning it keeps 29.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: RIOT leads at 40.8% versus -31.6% for ARBK. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — RIOT leads at 30.2%, 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 — ARBK or RIOT?
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 ARBK or RIOT better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Riot Platforms, Inc. (RIOT) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (+540.4% 10Y return). Argo Blockchain plc (ARBK) carries a higher beta of 1.92 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (RIOT: +540.4%, ARBK: -82.9%), 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 ARBK and RIOT?
Both stocks operate in the Financial Services 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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