Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Ardelyx, Inc. (ARDX) vs Amarin Corporation plc (AMRN) 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 | ARDX | 22.1% revenue growth vs AMRN's -25.5% |
| Quality / Margins | ARDX | -14.2% net margin vs AMRN's -38.0% |
| Stability / Safety | ARDX | Beta 0.62 vs AMRN's 0.84 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | AMRN | +27.3% vs ARDX's +22.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | ARDX | -11.6% ROA vs AMRN's -13.1%, ROIC -10.8% vs -18.7% |
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
Ardelyx is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes novel medicines for gastrointestinal and cardiorenal diseases. It generates revenue primarily from sales of its FDA-approved drug tenapanor — marketed as IBSRELA for irritable bowel syndrome with constipation and XPHOZAH for hyperphosphatemia in chronic kidney disease patients — along with partnership milestone payments and royalties from international licensing deals. The company's competitive advantage lies in its proprietary NHE3 inhibitor technology platform, which enables development of first-in-class oral therapies targeting specific ion transport pathways with potentially better safety profiles than existing treatments.
Amarin Corporation is a pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing cardiovascular therapeutics. It generates nearly all its revenue from VASCEPA — a prescription omega-3 fatty acid product for reducing triglyceride levels — sold primarily to wholesalers and specialty pharmacies. Its key advantage is patent protection and regulatory exclusivity for VASCEPA, though this moat faces challenges from generic competition.
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
ARDX leads in 5 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Valuation Metrics.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
ARDX is the larger business by revenue, generating $398M annually — 1.8x AMRN's $227M. ARDX is the more profitable business, keeping -14.2% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to AMRN's -38.0%. On growth, AMRN holds the edge at +17.4% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | ARDXArdelyx, Inc. | AMRNAmarin Corporatio… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $398M | $227M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$35M | -$93M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$57M | -$86M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$55M | -$22M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +88.9% | +38.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -9.5% | -42.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -14.2% | -38.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -13.9% | -9.6% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +12.3% | +17.4% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | +69.7% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ARDXArdelyx, Inc. | AMRNAmarin Corporatio… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.6B | $5.7B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.7B | $5.6B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -25.19x | -3.45x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 401.84x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 3.91x | 25.11x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 9.46x | 0.58x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
AMRN delivers a -18.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-19 in annual profit, vs $-37 for ARDX. AMRN carries lower financial leverage with a 0.02x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to ARDX's 1.25x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), ARDX scores 3/9 vs AMRN's 2/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | ARDXArdelyx, Inc. | AMRNAmarin Corporatio… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -36.7% | -18.8% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -11.6% | -13.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -10.8% | -18.7% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -10.6% | -17.0% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 2 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.25x | 0.02x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $140M | -$113M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $68M | $121M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $208M | $8M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -1.27x | -7085.14x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in ARDX five years ago would be worth $38,081 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $1,115 for AMRN. Over the past 12 months, AMRN leads with a +27.3% total return vs ARDX's +22.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors ARDX at 31.5% vs AMRN's -30.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | ARDXArdelyx, Inc. | AMRNAmarin Corporatio… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +6.5% | +0.6% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +22.2% | +27.3% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +127.4% | -66.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +280.8% | -88.9% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +170.7% | -52.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +31.5% | -30.2% |
Risk & Volatility
ARDX is the less volatile stock with a 0.62 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than AMRN's 0.84 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. ARDX currently trades 78.0% from its 52-week high vs AMRN's 66.0% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | ARDXArdelyx, Inc. | AMRNAmarin Corporatio… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.62x | 0.84x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $8.40 | $20.90 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $3.21 | $7.08 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +78.0% | +66.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 46.1 | 40.0 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 4.1M | 76K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates ARDX as "Buy" and AMRN as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 159.5% upside for ARDX (target: $17) vs -84.3% for AMRN (target: $2).
| Metric | ARDXArdelyx, Inc. | AMRNAmarin Corporatio… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $17.00 | $2.17 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 16 | 18 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ardelyx, Inc. (ARDX) | 100 | 432.78 | +332.8% |
| Amarin Corporation … (AMRN) | 100 | 4.66 | -95.3% |
Ardelyx, Inc. (ARDX) returned +281% over 5 years vs Amarin Corporation … (AMRN)'s -89%. A $10,000 investment in ARDX 5 years ago would be worth $38,081 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ardelyx, Inc. (ARDX) | $24M | $407M | +1595.3% |
| Amarin Corporation … (AMRN) | $130M | $229M | +75.7% |
Ardelyx, Inc.'s revenue grew from $24M (2016) to $407M (2025) — a 37.0% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ardelyx, Inc. (ARDX) | -4.7% | -15.1% | -223.3% |
| Amarin Corporation … (AMRN) | -66.4% | -35.9% | +45.8% |
Ardelyx, Inc.'s net margin went from -5% (2016) to -15% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ardelyx, Inc. (ARDX) | -2.8 | -0.26 | +90.7% |
| Amarin Corporation … (AMRN) | -8.2 | -4 | +51.2% |
Ardelyx, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-2.80 (2016) to $-0.26 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Ardelyx, Inc. generated $-44M FCF in 2025 (+72% vs 2021). Amarin Corporation plc generated $-31M FCF in 2024 (+53% vs 2021).
ARDX vs AMRN: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is ARDX or AMRN a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Ardelyx, Inc. (ARDX) a "Buy" — based on 16 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 — ARDX or AMRN?
Over the past 5 years, Ardelyx, Inc. (ARDX) delivered a total return of +280.8%, compared to -88.9% for Amarin Corporation plc (AMRN). A $10,000 investment in ARDX five years ago would be worth approximately $38K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ARDX returned +170.7% versus AMRN's -52.7%. 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 — ARDX or AMRN?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Ardelyx, Inc. (ARDX) is the lower-risk stock at 0.62β versus Amarin Corporation plc's 0.84β — meaning AMRN is approximately 35% more volatile than ARDX relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Amarin Corporation plc (AMRN) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 2% versus 125% for Ardelyx, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — ARDX or AMRN?
Ardelyx, Inc. (ARDX) is the more profitable company, earning -15.1% net margin versus -35.9% for Amarin Corporation plc — meaning it keeps -15.1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: ARDX leads at -10.1% versus -40.2% for AMRN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ARDX leads at 90.3%, 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.
05Is ARDX or AMRN more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ARDX: 159.5% to $17.00.
06Which pays a better dividend — ARDX or AMRN?
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.
07Is ARDX or AMRN better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Ardelyx, Inc. (ARDX) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.62), +170.7% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (ARDX: +170.7%, AMRN: -52.7%), 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.
08What are the main differences between ARDX and AMRN?
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.