Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc (CNTA) vs Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RXRX) 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 | RXRX | 26.9% revenue growth vs CNTA's -100.0% |
| Quality / Margins | RXRX | -8.6% net margin vs CNTA's -16.2% |
| Stability / Safety | CNTA | Beta 0.98 vs RXRX's 2.38 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | CNTA | +72.7% vs RXRX's -51.1% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | RXRX | -43.7% ROA vs CNTA's -54.1%, ROIC -95.8% vs -91.8% |
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
Centessa Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel medicines for serious diseases. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing agreements — though as a pre-commercial company, it currently relies on equity financing and partnerships to fund development. The company's competitive advantage lies in its asset-centric model — each program operates as an independent "company" with dedicated resources and accountability — and its LockBody platform technology designed to create targeted cancer therapies with reduced systemic toxicity.
Recursion Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that uses an industrialized, technology-driven platform to discover and develop new drugs. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and partnerships with pharmaceutical companies — like its major deal with Bayer — while advancing its own pipeline of drug candidates. Its key competitive advantage is its proprietary platform that combines automation, artificial intelligence, and massive biological datasets to systematically decode biology and accelerate drug discovery at scale.
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
RXRX leads in 2 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). CNTA leads in 2 (Total Returns, Risk & Volatility). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
RXRX is the larger business by revenue, generating $75M annually — 5.0x CNTA's $15M. RXRX is the more profitable business, keeping -8.6% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to CNTA's -16.2%.
| Metric | CNTACentessa Pharmace… | RXRXRecursion Pharmac… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $15M | $75M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$213M | -$564M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$243M | -$645M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$181M | -$378M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +100.0% | -32.1% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -14.3% | -8.7% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -16.2% | -8.6% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -12.1% | -5.1% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | +6.9% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -10.8% | +60.4% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CNTACentessa Pharmace… | RXRXRecursion Pharmac… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $3.6B | $1.9B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $3.3B | $1.3B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -13.04x | -2.55x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | — | 25.96x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 7.66x | 1.45x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
RXRX delivers a -57.0% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-57 in annual profit, vs $-80 for CNTA. RXRX carries lower financial leverage with a 0.07x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to CNTA's 0.29x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), RXRX scores 4/9 vs CNTA's 3/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | CNTACentessa Pharmace… | RXRXRecursion Pharmac… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -80.5% | -57.0% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -54.1% | -43.7% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -91.8% | -95.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -47.9% | -50.1% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.29x | 0.07x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$266M | -$665M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $383M | $743M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $117M | $78M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -20.50x | -491.16x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in CNTA five years ago would be worth $12,349 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $2,039 for RXRX. Over the past 12 months, CNTA leads with a +72.7% total return vs RXRX's -51.1%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors CNTA at 96.9% vs RXRX's -23.4% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | CNTACentessa Pharmace… | RXRXRecursion Pharmac… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +13.4% | -12.6% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +72.7% | -51.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +663.1% | -55.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +23.5% | -79.6% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +23.5% | -79.6% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +96.9% | -23.4% |
Risk & Volatility
CNTA is the less volatile stock with a 0.98 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than RXRX's 2.38 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. CNTA currently trades 87.8% from its 52-week high vs RXRX's 46.5% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | CNTACentessa Pharmace… | RXRXRecursion Pharmac… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.98x | 2.38x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $30.58 | $7.89 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $9.60 | $2.98 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +87.8% | +46.5% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 65.7 | 46.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.2M | 18.2M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates CNTA as "Buy" and RXRX as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 199.7% upside for RXRX (target: $11) vs 39.0% for CNTA (target: $37).
| Metric | CNTACentessa Pharmace… | RXRXRecursion Pharmac… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $37.33 | $11.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 11 | 10 |
| 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 | May 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centessa Pharmaceut… (CNTA) | 100 | 115.82 | +15.8% |
| Recursion Pharmaceu… (RXRX) | 100 | 14.68 | -85.3% |
Centessa Pharmaceut… (CNTA) returned +23% over 5 years vs Recursion Pharmaceu… (RXRX)'s -80%. A $10,000 investment in CNTA 5 years ago would be worth $12,349 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2019 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centessa Pharmaceut… (CNTA) | $0.00 | $0.00 | — |
| Recursion Pharmaceu… (RXRX) | $2M | $75M | +4264.8% |
Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s revenue grew from $2M (2019) to $75M (2025) — a 87.6% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2019 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centessa Pharmaceut… (CNTA) | -22.0% | -22.0% | +0.0% |
| Recursion Pharmaceu… (RXRX) | -36.5% | -8.6% | +76.4% |
Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s net margin went from -37% (2019) to -9% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2019 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centessa Pharmaceut… (CNTA) | -0.08 | -2.06 | -2551.2% |
| Recursion Pharmaceu… (RXRX) | -0.37 | -1.44 | -285.9% |
Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.37 (2019) to $-1.44 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc generated $-142M FCF in 2024 (-4% vs 2021). Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $-378M FCF in 2025 (-91% vs 2021).
CNTA vs RXRX: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is CNTA or RXRX a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc (CNTA) a "Buy" — based on 11 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 — CNTA or RXRX?
Over the past 5 years, Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc (CNTA) delivered a total return of +23.5%, compared to -79.6% for Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RXRX). A $10,000 investment in CNTA five years ago would be worth approximately $12K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: CNTA returned +23.5% versus RXRX's -79.6%. 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 — CNTA or RXRX?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc (CNTA) is the lower-risk stock at 0.98β versus Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s 2.38β — meaning RXRX is approximately 142% more volatile than CNTA relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RXRX) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 7% versus 29% for Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — CNTA or RXRX?
Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RXRX) is the more profitable company, earning -863.4% net margin versus -1618.0% for Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc — meaning it keeps -863.4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: RXRX leads at -867.9% versus -1425.3% for CNTA. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CNTA leads at 100.0%, 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 — CNTA or RXRX?
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 CNTA or RXRX better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc (CNTA) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.98)). Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RXRX) carries a higher beta of 2.38 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (CNTA: +23.5%, RXRX: -79.6%), 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 CNTA and RXRX?
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.