Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AVIR) vs BioNTech SE (BNTX) 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 | AVIR | Beta 0.64 vs BNTX's 0.92, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | AVIR | +54.5% vs BNTX's -2.4% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | BNTX | -2.7% ROA vs AVIR's -42.9%, ROIC -10.5% vs -36.7% |
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
Atea Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing oral antiviral therapeutics for viral infections like COVID-19, hepatitis C, and dengue. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing agreements — notably with Merck for its hepatitis C candidate — while advancing its pipeline toward commercialization. The company's competitive advantage lies in its proprietary nucleotide chemistry platform that enables the development of oral antivirals with broad-spectrum potential against multiple RNA viruses.
BioNTech is a biotechnology company that develops mRNA-based immunotherapies for cancer and infectious diseases. It generates revenue primarily through COVID-19 vaccine sales — which accounted for the vast majority of its income during the pandemic — and through partnerships and licensing deals for its oncology pipeline. The company's key advantage is its pioneering mRNA technology platform, which enables rapid development of targeted therapies and vaccines.
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
AVIR leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Total Returns). BNTX leads in 1 (Profitability & Efficiency). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
BNTX and AVIR operate at a comparable scale, with $3.2B and $0 in trailing revenue.
| Metric | AVIRAtea Pharmaceutic… | BNTXBioNTech SE |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $0 | $3.2B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$165M | -$550M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$147M | -$572M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$134M | -$563M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | — | +82.5% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | — | -29.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | — | -18.1% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | — | -17.8% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | +22.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -43.2% | -114.8% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AVIRAtea Pharmaceutic… | BNTXBioNTech SE |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $366M | $27.7B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $303M | $16.4B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -2.34x | -33.74x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | — | 8.52x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.90x | 1.16x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
BNTX delivers a -3.1% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-3 in annual profit, vs $-47 for AVIR. AVIR carries lower financial leverage with a 0.00x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to BNTX's 0.01x.
| Metric | AVIRAtea Pharmaceutic… | BNTXBioNTech SE |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -46.6% | -3.1% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -42.9% | -2.7% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -36.7% | -10.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -38.3% | -6.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.00x | 0.01x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$63M | -$9.5B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $65M | $9.8B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $2M | $254M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | -49.09x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in BNTX five years ago would be worth $10,193 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $634 for AVIR. Over the past 12 months, AVIR leads with a +54.5% total return vs BNTX's -2.4%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AVIR at 9.8% vs BNTX's -5.4% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | AVIRAtea Pharmaceutic… | BNTXBioNTech SE |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +34.5% | +14.0% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +54.5% | -2.4% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +32.2% | -15.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -93.7% | +1.9% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -84.6% | +688.9% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +9.8% | -5.4% |
Risk & Volatility
AVIR is the less volatile stock with a 0.64 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than BNTX's 0.92 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. AVIR currently trades 97.5% from its 52-week high vs BNTX's 88.9% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | AVIRAtea Pharmaceutic… | BNTXBioNTech SE |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.64x | 0.92x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $4.80 | $124.00 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $2.46 | $81.20 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +97.5% | +88.9% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 67.3 | 50.2 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 441K | 822K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates AVIR as "Hold" and BNTX as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 47.0% upside for AVIR (target: $7) vs 24.1% for BNTX (target: $137).
| Metric | AVIRAtea Pharmaceutic… | BNTXBioNTech SE |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $6.88 | $136.80 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 4 | 24 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 1 |
| 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 | Oct 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atea Pharmaceutical… (AVIR) | 100 | 13.41 | -86.6% |
| BioNTech SE (BNTX) | 100 | 125.01 | +25.0% |
BioNTech SE (BNTX) returned +2% over 5 years vs Atea Pharmaceutical… (AVIR)'s -94%. A $10,000 investment in BNTX 5 years ago would be worth $10,193 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atea Pharmaceutical… (AVIR) | $0.00 | $0.00 | — |
| BioNTech SE (BNTX) | $62M | $2.8B | +4366.2% |
BioNTech SE's revenue grew from $62M (2017) to $2.8B (2024) — a 72.1% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atea Pharmaceutical… (AVIR) | -22.5% | 34.5% | +253.2% |
| BioNTech SE (BNTX) | -139.1% | -24.2% | +82.6% |
BioNTech SE's net margin went from -139% (2017) to -24% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 3 Years
| Stock | 2021 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| BioNTech SE (BNTX) | 6.3 | 27.6 | +338.1% |
BioNTech SE has traded in a 4x–28x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~-34x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atea Pharmaceutical… (AVIR) | -0.9 | -2 | -122.2% |
| BioNTech SE (BNTX) | -0.38 | -2.77 | -628.9% |
BioNTech SE's EPS grew from $-0.38 (2017) to $-2.77 (2024).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $-135M FCF in 2024 (-56% vs 2021). BioNTech SE generated $-245M FCF in 2024 (-133% vs 2021).
AVIR vs BNTX: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is AVIR or BNTX a better buy right now?
Analysts rate BioNTech SE (BNTX) a "Buy" — based on 24 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 — AVIR or BNTX?
Over the past 5 years, BioNTech SE (BNTX) delivered a total return of +1.9%, compared to -93.7% for Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AVIR). A $10,000 investment in BNTX five years ago would be worth approximately $10K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: BNTX returned +688.9% versus AVIR's -84.6%. 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 — AVIR or BNTX?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AVIR) is the lower-risk stock at 0.64β versus BioNTech SE's 0.92β — meaning BNTX is approximately 44% more volatile than AVIR relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AVIR) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 0% versus 1% for BioNTech SE — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — AVIR or BNTX?
Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AVIR) is the more profitable company, earning 0.0% net margin versus -24.2% for BioNTech SE — meaning it keeps 0.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AVIR leads at 0.0% versus -47.8% for BNTX. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — BNTX leads at 80.3%, 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.
05Which pays a better dividend — AVIR or BNTX?
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 AVIR or BNTX better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, BioNTech SE (BNTX) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.92), +688.9% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (BNTX: +688.9%, AVIR: -84.6%), 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 AVIR and BNTX?
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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