Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. (ARQT) 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 | ARQT | 91.3% revenue growth vs AMRN's -25.5% |
| Quality / Margins | ARQT | -4.3% net margin vs AMRN's -38.0% |
| Stability / Safety | AMRN | Beta 0.84 vs ARQT's 1.08, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | ARQT | +97.0% vs AMRN's +27.3% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | ARQT | -3.7% ROA vs AMRN's -13.1%, ROIC -5.2% 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
Arcutis Biotherapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing topical treatments for inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis. It generates revenue primarily from product sales of its FDA-approved roflumilast cream for plaque psoriasis — ZORYVE — with additional pipeline candidates targeting other dermatological diseases. The company's competitive advantage lies in its specialized focus on topical formulations that offer targeted delivery with fewer systemic side effects compared to oral or injectable alternatives.
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
ARQT leads in 4 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Valuation Metrics. 1 category is tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
ARQT is the larger business by revenue, generating $376M annually — 1.7x AMRN's $227M. ARQT is the more profitable business, keeping -4.3% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to AMRN's -38.0%. On growth, ARQT holds the edge at +81.5% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | ARQTArcutis Biotherap… | AMRNAmarin Corporatio… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $376M | $227M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$7M | -$93M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$16M | -$86M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$6M | -$22M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +90.2% | +38.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -3.3% | -42.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -4.3% | -38.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -1.7% | -9.6% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +81.5% | +17.4% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +2.5% | +69.7% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ARQTArcutis Biotherap… | AMRNAmarin Corporatio… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $3.3B | $5.7B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $3.3B | $5.6B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -207.46x | -3.45x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 73.47x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 8.84x | 25.11x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 18.11x | 0.58x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
ARQT delivers a -8.5% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-9 in annual profit, vs $-19 for AMRN. AMRN carries lower financial leverage with a 0.02x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to ARQT's 0.03x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), ARQT scores 4/9 vs AMRN's 2/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | ARQTArcutis Biotherap… | AMRNAmarin Corporatio… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -8.5% | -18.8% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -3.7% | -13.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -5.2% | -18.7% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -4.3% | -17.0% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 2 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.03x | 0.02x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$37M | -$113M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $43M | $121M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $6M | $8M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -0.44x | -7085.14x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in ARQT five years ago would be worth $7,712 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $1,115 for AMRN. Over the past 12 months, ARQT leads with a +97.0% total return vs AMRN's +27.3%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors ARQT at 18.6% vs AMRN's -30.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | ARQTArcutis Biotherap… | AMRNAmarin Corporatio… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -7.0% | +0.6% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +97.0% | +27.3% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +66.7% | -66.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -22.9% | -88.9% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +23.7% | -52.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +18.6% | -30.2% |
Risk & Volatility
AMRN is the less volatile stock with a 0.84 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than ARQT's 1.08 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. ARQT currently trades 84.9% from its 52-week high vs AMRN's 66.0% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | ARQTArcutis Biotherap… | AMRNAmarin Corporatio… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.08x | 0.84x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $31.77 | $20.90 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $11.86 | $7.08 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +84.9% | +66.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 59.9 | 40.0 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.2M | 76K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates ARQT as "Buy" and AMRN as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 23.6% upside for ARQT (target: $33) vs -84.3% for AMRN (target: $2).
| Metric | ARQTArcutis Biotherap… | AMRNAmarin Corporatio… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $33.33 | $2.17 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 12 | 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 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcutis Biotherapeu… (ARQT) | 100 | 96.22 | -3.8% |
| Amarin Corporation … (AMRN) | 100 | 5.11 | -94.9% |
Arcutis Biotherapeu… (ARQT) returned -23% over 5 years vs Amarin Corporation … (AMRN)'s -89%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcutis Biotherapeu… (ARQT) | $0.00 | $376M | — |
| Amarin Corporation … (AMRN) | $130M | $229M | +75.7% |
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcutis Biotherapeu… (ARQT) | -84.5% | -4.3% | +94.9% |
| Amarin Corporation … (AMRN) | -66.4% | -35.9% | +45.8% |
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcutis Biotherapeu… (ARQT) | -4.71 | -0.13 | +97.2% |
| Amarin Corporation … (AMRN) | -8.2 | -4 | +51.2% |
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. generated $-6M FCF in 2025 (+96% vs 2021). Amarin Corporation plc generated $-31M FCF in 2024 (+53% vs 2021).
ARQT vs AMRN: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is ARQT or AMRN a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. (ARQT) a "Buy" — based on 12 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 — ARQT or AMRN?
Over the past 5 years, Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. (ARQT) delivered a total return of -22.9%, compared to -88.9% for Amarin Corporation plc (AMRN). A $10,000 investment in ARQT five years ago would be worth approximately $8K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ARQT returned +23.7% 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 — ARQT or AMRN?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Amarin Corporation plc (AMRN) is the lower-risk stock at 0.84β versus Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.'s 1.08β — meaning ARQT is approximately 28% more volatile than AMRN relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Amarin Corporation plc (AMRN) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 2% versus 3% for Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — ARQT or AMRN?
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. (ARQT) is the more profitable company, earning -4.3% net margin versus -35.9% for Amarin Corporation plc — meaning it keeps -4.3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: ARQT leads at -3.3% versus -40.2% for AMRN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ARQT leads at 90.2%, 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.
05Is ARQT or AMRN more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ARQT: 23.6% to $33.33.
06Which pays a better dividend — ARQT 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 ARQT or AMRN better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Amarin Corporation plc (AMRN) 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 (AMRN: -52.7%, ARQT: +23.7%), 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 ARQT 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.