Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare argenx SE (ARGX) vs Akari Therapeutics, Plc (AKTX) 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Stability / Safety | ARGX | Beta 0.44 vs AKTX's 0.63, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | ARGX | +22.8% vs AKTX's -72.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | ARGX | 12.9% ROA vs AKTX's -34.7%, ROIC -0.5% vs -172.5% |
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
argenx is a biotechnology company that develops antibody-based therapies for autoimmune diseases. It generates nearly all its revenue from VYVGART — its FcRn blocker for conditions like myasthenia gravis — with additional income from partnerships and licensing. The company's key advantage is its proprietary antibody engineering platform that creates differentiated therapies with potentially better safety and efficacy profiles.
Akari Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing advanced therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. It generates no revenue currently — its business model depends on advancing its lead candidate nomacopan through clinical trials to eventually secure regulatory approvals and commercialization partnerships. The company's key advantage lies in nomacopan's dual mechanism of action targeting both complement and leukotriene pathways — a differentiated approach that could offer superior efficacy in treating complex inflammatory conditions.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
ARGX leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). AKTX leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
ARGX and AKTX operate at a comparable scale, with $4.0B and $0 in trailing revenue.
| Metric | ARGXargenx SE | AKTXAkari Therapeutic… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $4.0B | $0 |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $95M | -$17M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $923M | -$16M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $213M | -$10M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +75.5% | — |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -1.0% | — |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +23.3% | — |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +5.4% | — |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +5.1% | — |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +12.6% | -80.2% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ARGXargenx SE | AKTXAkari Therapeutic… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $47.5B | $12.6B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $46.0B | $12.6B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 60.01x | -0.00x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 25.57x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 21.67x | — |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 9.09x | 0.00x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
ARGX delivers a 15.1% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $15 in annual profit, vs $-69 for AKTX. ARGX carries lower financial leverage with a 0.01x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to AKTX's 0.15x.
| Metric | ARGXargenx SE | AKTXAkari Therapeutic… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +15.1% | -69.4% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +12.9% | -34.7% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -0.5% | -172.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -0.4% | -142.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.01x | 0.15x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$1.5B | $661,000 |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $1.5B | $3M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $39M | $3M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 166.64x | -47.14x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in ARGX five years ago would be worth $22,521 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $35 for AKTX. Over the past 12 months, ARGX leads with a +22.8% total return vs AKTX's -72.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors ARGX at 28.0% vs AKTX's -67.5% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | ARGXargenx SE | AKTXAkari Therapeutic… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -8.7% | -18.6% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +22.8% | -72.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +109.5% | -96.6% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +125.2% | -99.6% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +3234.4% | -99.9% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +28.0% | -67.5% |
Risk & Volatility
ARGX is the less volatile stock with a 0.44 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than AKTX's 0.63 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. ARGX currently trades 82.1% from its 52-week high vs AKTX's 13.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | ARGXargenx SE | AKTXAkari Therapeutic… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.44x | 0.63x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $934.62 | $1.73 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $510.06 | $0.22 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +82.1% | +13.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 33.9 | 52.2 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 301K | 387K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates ARGX as "Buy" and AKTX as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 12601.1% upside for AKTX (target: $30) vs 33.9% for ARGX (target: $1027).
| Metric | ARGXargenx SE | AKTXAkari Therapeutic… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $1026.71 | $30.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 35 | 7 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| argenx SE (ARGX) | 100 | 564.69 | +464.7% |
| Akari Therapeutics,… (AKTX) | 100 | 0.63 | -99.4% |
argenx SE (ARGX) returned +125% over 5 years vs Akari Therapeutics,… (AKTX)'s -100%. A $10,000 investment in ARGX 5 years ago would be worth $22,521 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| argenx SE (ARGX) | $7M | $2.2B | +29130.4% |
| Akari Therapeutics,… (AKTX) | $0.00 | $0.00 | — |
argenx SE's revenue grew from $7M (2015) to $2.2B (2024) — a 87.9% CAGR. Akari Therapeutics, Plc's revenue grew from $0M (2015) to $0M (2024) — a 0.0% CAGR.
Chart 3EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| argenx SE (ARGX) | -1.06 | 12.78 | +1305.7% |
| Akari Therapeutics,… (AKTX) | -10,640 | -1,660 | +84.4% |
argenx SE's EPS grew from $-1.06 (2015) to $12.78 (2024). Akari Therapeutics, Plc's EPS grew from $-10640.00 (2015) to $-1660.00 (2024).
Chart 4Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
argenx SE generated $-151M FCF in 2024 (+79% vs 2021). Akari Therapeutics, Plc generated $-13M FCF in 2024 (+33% vs 2021).
ARGX vs AKTX: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is ARGX or AKTX a better buy right now?
argenx SE (ARGX) offers the better valuation at 60.0x trailing P/E (25.6x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate argenx SE (ARGX) a "Buy" — based on 35 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 — ARGX or AKTX?
Over the past 5 years, argenx SE (ARGX) delivered a total return of +125.2%, compared to -99.6% for Akari Therapeutics, Plc (AKTX). A $10,000 investment in ARGX five years ago would be worth approximately $23K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ARGX returned +32.3% versus AKTX's -99.9%. 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 — ARGX or AKTX?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), argenx SE (ARGX) is the lower-risk stock at 0.44β versus Akari Therapeutics, Plc's 0.63β — meaning AKTX is approximately 44% more volatile than ARGX relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, argenx SE (ARGX) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 1% versus 15% for Akari Therapeutics, Plc — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — ARGX or AKTX?
argenx SE (ARGX) is the more profitable company, earning 38.0% net margin versus 0.0% for Akari Therapeutics, Plc — meaning it keeps 38.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AKTX leads at 0.0% versus -1.0% for ARGX. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ARGX leads at 89.6%, 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 ARGX or AKTX more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for AKTX: 12601.1% to $30.00.
06Which pays a better dividend — ARGX or AKTX?
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 ARGX or AKTX better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, argenx SE (ARGX) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.44)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (ARGX: +32.3%, AKTX: -99.9%), 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.
08What are the main differences between ARGX and AKTX?
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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