Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARWR) vs CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP) 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 | ARWR | 232.6% revenue growth vs CRSP's -90.0% |
| Quality / Margins | ARWR | 18.5% net margin vs CRSP's -13.3% |
| Stability / Safety | CRSP | Beta 1.25 vs ARWR's 1.67, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | ARWR | +234.6% vs CRSP's +36.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | ARWR | 12.6% ROA vs CRSP's -21.7%, ROIC 7.2% vs -27.4% |
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
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company that develops RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics for intractable diseases. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing agreements with pharmaceutical partners — including upfront payments, milestone payments, and royalties on future sales — while advancing its own pipeline of clinical-stage candidates. The company's key advantage is its proprietary Targeted RNAi Molecule (TRiM™) platform, which enables precise delivery of RNAi therapeutics to specific tissues and cells.
CRISPR Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing transformative gene-editing therapies for serious diseases using its proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 platform. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and milestone payments from partners like Vertex Pharmaceuticals — with its lead therapy for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia now approved and generating product sales. The company's key advantage is its foundational CRISPR/Cas9 intellectual property and extensive expertise in developing ex vivo gene-edited cell therapies.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
ARWR leads in 4 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Valuation Metrics. 1 category is tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
ARWR is the larger business by revenue, generating $1.1B annually — 29.7x CRSP's $37M. ARWR is the more profitable business, keeping 18.5% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to CRSP's -13.3%.
| Metric | ARWRArrowhead Pharmac… | CRSPCRISPR Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $1.1B | $37M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $326M | -$556M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $202M | -$488M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $322M | -$303M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +99.4% | -3.6% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +27.6% | -15.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +18.5% | -13.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +29.5% | -8.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +104.6% | — |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +115.8% | -15.8% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ARWRArrowhead Pharmac… | CRSPCRISPR Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $8.7B | $5.6B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $9.3B | $5.5B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -5186.07x | -9.30x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 76.09x | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 10.48x | 1608.41x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 16.81x | 2.81x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 55.41x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
ARWR delivers a 35.9% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $36 in annual profit, vs $-25 for CRSP. CRSP carries lower financial leverage with a 0.11x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to ARWR's 1.66x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), ARWR scores 5/9 vs CRSP's 2/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | ARWRArrowhead Pharmac… | CRSPCRISPR Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +35.9% | -25.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +12.6% | -21.7% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +7.2% | -27.4% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +8.6% | -31.1% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 2 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.66x | 0.11x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $611M | -$141M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $227M | $348M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $838M | $207M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 3.83x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in ARWR five years ago would be worth $7,552 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $4,617 for CRSP. Over the past 12 months, ARWR leads with a +234.6% total return vs CRSP's +36.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors ARWR at 25.1% vs CRSP's 6.8% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | ARWRArrowhead Pharmac… | CRSPCRISPR Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -6.7% | +11.8% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +234.6% | +36.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +95.9% | +21.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -24.5% | -53.8% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +1522.3% | +326.8% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +25.1% | +6.8% |
Risk & Volatility
CRSP is the less volatile stock with a 1.25 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than ARWR's 1.67 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. ARWR currently trades 82.4% from its 52-week high vs CRSP's 76.6% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | ARWRArrowhead Pharmac… | CRSPCRISPR Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.67x | 1.25x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $76.76 | $78.48 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $9.57 | $30.04 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +82.4% | +76.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 46.7 | 66.2 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 2.5M | 1.4M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates ARWR as "Buy" and CRSP as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 24.5% upside for ARWR (target: $79) vs 8.1% for CRSP (target: $65).
| Metric | ARWRArrowhead Pharmac… | CRSPCRISPR Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $78.78 | $65.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 20 | 38 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +1.3% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead Pharmaceu… (ARWR) | 100 | 205.63 | +105.6% |
| CRISPR Therapeutics… (CRSP) | 100 | 96.18 | -3.8% |
Arrowhead Pharmaceu… (ARWR) returned -24% over 5 years vs CRISPR Therapeutics… (CRSP)'s -54%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead Pharmaceu… (ARWR) | $158333.00 | $829M | +523763.0% |
| CRISPR Therapeutics… (CRSP) | $5M | $4M | -32.0% |
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s revenue grew from $0M (2016) to $829M (2025) — a 159.0% CAGR. CRISPR Therapeutics AG's revenue grew from $5M (2016) to $4M (2025) — a -4.2% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead Pharmaceu… (ARWR) | -516.1% | -0.2% | +100.0% |
| CRISPR Therapeutics… (CRSP) | -4.5% | -165.7% | -3587.9% |
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s net margin went from -516% (2016) to -0% (2025). CRISPR Therapeutics AG's net margin went from -4% (2016) to -166% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead Pharmaceu… (ARWR) | -1.34 | -0.01 | +99.1% |
| CRISPR Therapeutics… (CRSP) | -1.89 | -6.47 | -242.3% |
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-1.34 (2016) to $-0.01 (2025). CRISPR Therapeutics AG's EPS grew from $-1.89 (2016) to $-6.47 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $157M FCF in 2025 (+6% vs 2021). CRISPR Therapeutics AG generated $-346M FCF in 2025 (-176% vs 2021).
ARWR vs CRSP: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is ARWR or CRSP a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARWR) a "Buy" — based on 20 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 — ARWR or CRSP?
Over the past 5 years, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARWR) delivered a total return of -24.5%, compared to -53.8% for CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP). A $10,000 investment in ARWR five years ago would be worth approximately $8K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ARWR returned +1522% versus CRSP's +326.8%. 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 — ARWR or CRSP?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP) is the lower-risk stock at 1.25β versus Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s 1.67β — meaning ARWR is approximately 33% more volatile than CRSP relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 11% versus 166% for Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — ARWR or CRSP?
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARWR) is the more profitable company, earning -0.2% net margin versus -165.7% for CRISPR Therapeutics AG — meaning it keeps -0.2% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: ARWR leads at 11.9% versus -189.3% for CRSP. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ARWR leads at 97.1%, 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 — ARWR or CRSP?
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 ARWR or CRSP better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARWR) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (+1522% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (ARWR: +1522%, CRSP: +326.8%), 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 ARWR and CRSP?
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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