Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BCRX) vs Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) 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 | BCRX | 94.1% revenue growth vs AGIO's 48.0% |
| Quality / Margins | BCRX | 30.2% net margin vs AGIO's -9.0% |
| Stability / Safety | BCRX | Beta 0.74 vs AGIO's 0.91 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | BCRX | +1.6% vs AGIO's -14.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | BCRX | 51.3% ROA vs AGIO's -29.0%, ROIC 8.1% vs -26.6% |
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
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company that discovers and develops novel oral small-molecule medicines for rare diseases. It generates revenue primarily from sales of its hereditary angioedema drug ORLADEYO — which accounts for the vast majority of its income — supplemented by royalties from its influenza treatment peramivir. The company's competitive advantage lies in its expertise in structure-guided drug design and its focus on oral therapies for complement-mediated diseases where few treatment options exist.
Agios Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for rare genetic diseases related to cellular metabolism. It generates revenue primarily from sales of its lead drug PYRUKYND for pyruvate kinase deficiency — with additional income from research collaborations and milestone payments — while advancing a pipeline of other metabolic therapies. The company's competitive advantage lies in its deep expertise in cellular metabolism science and proprietary platform for targeting metabolic pathways in rare diseases.
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
BCRX leads in 4 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Profitability & Efficiency. 1 category is tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
BCRX is the larger business by revenue, generating $875M annually — 19.5x AGIO's $45M. BCRX is the more profitable business, keeping 30.2% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to AGIO's -9.0%. On growth, BCRX holds the edge at +2.1% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | BCRXBioCryst Pharmace… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $875M | $45M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $342M | -$470M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $264M | -$401M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $503M | -$414M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +97.8% | +84.4% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +39.0% | -10.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +30.2% | -9.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +57.5% | -9.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +2.1% | +43.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +9.6% | -111.0% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | BCRXBioCryst Pharmace… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.9B | $2.25T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.8B | $2.25T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 7.23x | -4.25x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 28.11x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 5.24x | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 2.13x | 9999.00x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 1.47x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 5.37x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), BCRX scores 7/9 vs AGIO's 3/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | BCRXBioCryst Pharmace… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | -31.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +51.3% | -29.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +8.1% | -26.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +105.2% | -33.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 7 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 0.03x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$78M | -$49M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $90M | $89M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $12M | $40M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 1.66x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in BCRX five years ago would be worth $7,304 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $6,363 for AGIO. Over the past 12 months, BCRX leads with a +1.6% total return vs AGIO's -14.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AGIO at 6.1% vs BCRX's -0.4% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | BCRXBioCryst Pharmace… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +16.7% | +11.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +1.6% | -14.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -1.1% | +19.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -27.0% | -36.4% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +339.7% | -21.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -0.4% | +6.1% |
Risk & Volatility
BCRX is the less volatile stock with a 0.74 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than AGIO's 0.91 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. BCRX currently trades 77.4% from its 52-week high vs AGIO's 65.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | BCRXBioCryst Pharmace… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.74x | 0.91x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $11.31 | $46.00 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $6.00 | $22.24 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +77.4% | +65.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 70.7 | 62.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 3.5M | 948K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates BCRX as "Buy" and AGIO as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 64.6% upside for BCRX (target: $14) vs 37.3% for AGIO (target: $42).
| Metric | BCRXBioCryst Pharmace… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $14.40 | $41.50 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 29 | 29 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BioCryst Pharmaceut… (BCRX) | 100 | 203.37 | +103.4% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | 100 | 57.07 | -42.9% |
BioCryst Pharmaceut… (BCRX) returned -27% over 5 years vs Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO)'s -36%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| BioCryst Pharmaceut… (BCRX) | $26M | $875M | +3219.7% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | $70M | $54M | -22.7% |
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s revenue grew from $26M (2016) to $875M (2025) — a 47.6% CAGR. Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s revenue grew from $70M (2016) to $54M (2025) — a -2.8% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| BioCryst Pharmaceut… (BCRX) | -2.1% | 30.2% | +1541.4% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | -2.8% | -7.6% | -169.0% |
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s net margin went from -2% (2016) to 30% (2025). Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s net margin went from -3% (2016) to -8% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| BioCryst Pharmaceut… (BCRX) | -0.75 | 1.21 | +261.3% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | -5.07 | -7.12 | -40.4% |
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.75 (2016) to $1.21 (2025). Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-5.07 (2016) to $-7.12 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $347M FCF in 2025 (+340% vs 2021). Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $-377M FCF in 2025 (+9% vs 2021).
BCRX vs AGIO: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is BCRX or AGIO a better buy right now?
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BCRX) offers the better valuation at 7.2x trailing P/E (28.1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BCRX) a "Buy" — based on 29 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 — BCRX or AGIO?
Over the past 5 years, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BCRX) delivered a total return of -27.0%, compared to -36.4% for Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO). A $10,000 investment in BCRX five years ago would be worth approximately $7K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: BCRX returned +339.7% versus AGIO's -21.2%. 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 — BCRX or AGIO?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BCRX) is the lower-risk stock at 0.74β versus Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s 0.91β — meaning AGIO is approximately 22% more volatile than BCRX relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — BCRX or AGIO?
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BCRX) is the more profitable company, earning 30.2% net margin versus -764.0% for Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — meaning it keeps 30.2% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: BCRX leads at 39.0% versus -873.9% for AGIO. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — BCRX leads at 97.8%, 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 BCRX or AGIO more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for BCRX: 64.6% to $14.40.
06Which pays a better dividend — BCRX or AGIO?
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 BCRX or AGIO better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BCRX) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.74), +339.7% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (BCRX: +339.7%, AGIO: -21.2%), 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 BCRX and AGIO?
Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. In terms of investment character: BCRX is a small-cap deep-value stock; AGIO is a mega-cap quality compounder stock. 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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