Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Coherus Oncology, Inc. (CHRS) vs Merus N.V. (MRUS) 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 | CHRS | 3.8% revenue growth vs MRUS's -12.4% |
| Quality / Margins | CHRS | 185.4% net margin vs MRUS's -6.5% |
| Stability / Safety | MRUS | Beta 0.90 vs CHRS's 1.33 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | MRUS | +91.1% vs CHRS's +50.5% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | CHRS | 30.0% ROA vs MRUS's -43.4%, ROIC -85.3% vs -74.6% |
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
Coherus Oncology is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes cancer immunotherapies and biosimilars. It generates revenue primarily from sales of its oncology biosimilars — including UDENYCA (a Neulasta biosimilar) and CIMERLI (a Lucentis biosimilar) — along with its novel immunotherapy LOQTORZI, with oncology products driving the majority of sales. The company's competitive advantage lies in its dual focus on lower-cost biosimilars that expand patient access and novel immunotherapies that target specific cancer pathways.
Merus N.V. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing bispecific antibody therapies for cancer treatment. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing deals — with no commercial products yet — while advancing its pipeline through clinical trials. The company's competitive advantage lies in its proprietary antibody discovery platform that enables the creation of novel bispecific antibodies targeting multiple cancer pathways simultaneously.
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
CHRS leads in 2 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). MRUS leads in 2 (Total Returns, Risk & Volatility). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
CHRS is the larger business by revenue, generating $84M annually — 1.6x MRUS's $51M. CHRS is the more profitable business, keeping 185.4% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to MRUS's -6.5%. On growth, MRUS holds the edge at -1.9% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | CHRSCoherus Oncology,… | MRUSMerus N.V. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $84M | $51M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$173M | -$329M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $155M | -$335M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$90M | -$318M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +47.8% | -2.2% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -2.1% | -6.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +185.4% | -6.5% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -107.9% | -6.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -83.7% | -1.9% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -2.3% | +13.7% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CHRSCoherus Oncology,… | MRUSMerus N.V. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $194M | $6.8B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $338M | $6.5B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 6.68x | -26.87x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.73x | 195.71x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 8.92x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
CHRS delivers a 176.6% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $177 in annual profit, vs $-51 for MRUS. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), CHRS scores 5/9 vs MRUS's 4/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | CHRSCoherus Oncology,… | MRUSMerus N.V. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +176.6% | -50.6% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +30.0% | -43.4% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -85.3% | -74.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -48.2% | -48.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 0.02x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $144M | -$283M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $126M | $293M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $270M | $10M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -14.50x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in MRUS five years ago would be worth $37,768 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $1,042 for CHRS. Over the past 12 months, MRUS leads with a +91.1% total return vs CHRS's +50.5%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors MRUS at 67.7% vs CHRS's -37.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | CHRSCoherus Oncology,… | MRUSMerus N.V. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +21.9% | 0.0% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +50.5% | +91.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -75.3% | +371.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -89.6% | +277.7% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -88.2% | +796.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -37.3% | +67.7% |
Risk & Volatility
MRUS is the less volatile stock with a 0.90 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than CHRS's 1.33 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. MRUS currently trades 92.6% from its 52-week high vs CHRS's 63.8% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | CHRSCoherus Oncology,… | MRUSMerus N.V. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.33x | 0.90x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $2.62 | $97.14 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.71 | $33.19 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +63.8% | +92.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 44.1 | 14.9 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 2.6M | 520K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates CHRS as "Buy" and MRUS as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 260.5% upside for CHRS (target: $6) vs 7.8% for MRUS (target: $97).
| Metric | CHRSCoherus Oncology,… | MRUSMerus N.V. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $6.02 | $97.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 16 | 22 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coherus Oncology, I… (CHRS) | 100 | 10.48 | -89.5% |
| Merus N.V. (MRUS) | 100 | 511.95 | +411.9% |
Merus N.V. (MRUS) returned +278% over 5 years vs Coherus Oncology, I… (CHRS)'s -90%. A $10,000 investment in MRUS 5 years ago would be worth $37,768 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coherus Oncology, I… (CHRS) | $30M | $267M | +788.7% |
| Merus N.V. (MRUS) | $2M | $35M | +1730.9% |
Coherus Oncology, Inc.'s revenue grew from $30M (2015) to $267M (2024) — a 27.5% CAGR. Merus N.V.'s revenue grew from $2M (2015) to $35M (2024) — a 38.1% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coherus Oncology, I… (CHRS) | -7.4% | 10.7% | +243.7% |
| Merus N.V. (MRUS) | -12.2% | -6.0% | +51.2% |
Coherus Oncology, Inc.'s net margin went from -7% (2015) to 11% (2024). Merus N.V.'s net margin went from -12% (2015) to -6% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 3 Years
| Stock | 2019 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coherus Oncology, I… (CHRS) | 14.6 | 5.5 | -62.3% |
Coherus Oncology, Inc. has traded in a 6x–15x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~7x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coherus Oncology, I… (CHRS) | -6.01 | 0.25 | +104.2% |
| Merus N.V. (MRUS) | -1.65 | -3.35 | -103.0% |
Coherus Oncology, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-6.01 (2015) to $0.25 (2024). Merus N.V.'s EPS grew from $-1.65 (2015) to $-3.35 (2024).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Coherus Oncology, Inc. generated $-20M FCF in 2024 (+47% vs 2021). Merus N.V. generated $-188M FCF in 2024 (-210% vs 2021).
CHRS vs MRUS: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is CHRS or MRUS a better buy right now?
Coherus Oncology, Inc. (CHRS) offers the better valuation at 6.7x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Coherus Oncology, Inc. (CHRS) a "Buy" — based on 16 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 — CHRS or MRUS?
Over the past 5 years, Merus N.V. (MRUS) delivered a total return of +277.7%, compared to -89.6% for Coherus Oncology, Inc. (CHRS). A $10,000 investment in MRUS five years ago would be worth approximately $38K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: MRUS returned +796.4% versus CHRS's -88.2%. 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 — CHRS or MRUS?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Merus N.V. (MRUS) is the lower-risk stock at 0.90β versus Coherus Oncology, Inc.'s 1.33β — meaning CHRS is approximately 47% more volatile than MRUS relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — CHRS or MRUS?
Coherus Oncology, Inc. (CHRS) is the more profitable company, earning 10.7% net margin versus -595.9% for Merus N.V. — meaning it keeps 10.7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: CHRS leads at -41.8% versus -753.0% for MRUS. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CHRS leads at 56.0%, 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 — CHRS or MRUS?
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 CHRS or MRUS better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Merus N.V. (MRUS) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.90), +796.4% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (MRUS: +796.4%, CHRS: -88.2%), 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.
07What are the main differences between CHRS and MRUS?
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: CHRS is a small-cap deep-value stock; MRUS is a small-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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