Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP) vs Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IONS) 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 | IONS | 33.9% revenue growth vs CRSP's -90.0% |
| Quality / Margins | IONS | -40.4% net margin vs CRSP's -13.3% |
| Stability / Safety | IONS | Beta 0.68 vs CRSP's 1.25 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | IONS | +144.5% vs CRSP's +36.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | IONS | -10.8% ROA vs CRSP's -21.7%, ROIC -12.2% 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
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.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals is a biotech company that discovers and develops RNA-targeted therapeutics for rare diseases and other serious conditions. It generates revenue primarily through royalties from partnered drugs like SPINRAZA for spinal muscular atrophy — which contributed over 70% of total revenue in recent years — plus milestone payments and research funding from pharmaceutical partners. Its key competitive advantage is its proprietary antisense technology platform, which enables precise targeting of disease-causing RNA and has produced multiple FDA-approved therapies.
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
IONS leads in 4 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Valuation Metrics. 1 category is tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
IONS is the larger business by revenue, generating $943M annually — 25.7x CRSP's $37M. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from -40.4% (IONS) to -13.3% (CRSP).
| Metric | CRSPCRISPR Therapeuti… | IONSIonis Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $37M | $943M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$556M | -$367M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$488M | -$381M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$303M | $162.9B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | -3.6% | +98.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -15.6% | -40.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -13.3% | -40.4% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -8.2% | +172.6% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | -10.4% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -15.8% | -113.6% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CRSPCRISPR Therapeuti… | IONSIonis Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $5.6B | $13.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $5.5B | $15.7B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -9.30x | -34.10x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1608.41x | 14.04x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.81x | 26.55x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
CRSP delivers a -25.5% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-25 in annual profit, vs $-78 for IONS. CRSP carries lower financial leverage with a 0.11x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to IONS's 5.78x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), IONS scores 3/9 vs CRSP's 2/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | CRSPCRISPR Therapeuti… | IONSIonis Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -25.5% | -77.9% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -21.7% | -10.8% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -27.4% | -12.2% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -31.1% | -16.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 2 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.11x | 5.78x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$141M | $2.5B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $348M | $372M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $207M | $2.8B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | -3.53x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in IONS five years ago would be worth $15,014 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $4,617 for CRSP. Over the past 12 months, IONS leads with a +144.5% total return vs CRSP's +36.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors IONS at 31.2% vs CRSP's 6.8% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | CRSPCRISPR Therapeuti… | IONSIonis Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +11.8% | +1.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +36.9% | +144.5% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +21.9% | +126.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -53.8% | +50.1% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +326.8% | +134.8% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +6.8% | +31.2% |
Risk & Volatility
IONS is the less volatile stock with a 0.68 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than CRSP's 1.25 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. IONS currently trades 93.6% from its 52-week high vs CRSP's 76.6% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | CRSPCRISPR Therapeuti… | IONSIonis Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.25x | 0.68x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $78.48 | $86.74 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $30.04 | $23.95 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +76.6% | +93.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 66.2 | 44.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.4M | 1.7M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates CRSP as "Buy" and IONS as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 9.8% upside for IONS (target: $89) vs 8.1% for CRSP (target: $65).
| Metric | CRSPCRISPR Therapeuti… | IONSIonis Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $65.00 | $89.13 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 38 | 32 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +1.3% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRISPR Therapeutics… (CRSP) | 100 | 96.18 | -3.8% |
| Ionis Pharmaceutica… (IONS) | 100 | 158.83 | +58.8% |
Ionis Pharmaceutica… (IONS) returned +50% over 5 years vs CRISPR Therapeutics… (CRSP)'s -54%. A $10,000 investment in IONS 5 years ago would be worth $15,014 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRISPR Therapeutics… (CRSP) | $5M | $4M | -32.0% |
| Ionis Pharmaceutica… (IONS) | $373M | $944M | +153.2% |
CRISPR Therapeutics AG's revenue grew from $5M (2016) to $4M (2025) — a -4.2% CAGR. Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s revenue grew from $373M (2016) to $944M (2025) — a 10.9% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRISPR Therapeutics… (CRSP) | -4.5% | -165.7% | -3587.9% |
| Ionis Pharmaceutica… (IONS) | -16.2% | -40.4% | -149.1% |
CRISPR Therapeutics AG's net margin went from -4% (2016) to -166% (2025). Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s net margin went from -16% (2016) to -40% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRISPR Therapeutics… (CRSP) | -1.89 | -6.47 | -242.3% |
| Ionis Pharmaceutica… (IONS) | -0.72 | -2.38 | -230.6% |
CRISPR Therapeutics AG's EPS grew from $-1.89 (2016) to $-6.47 (2025). Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.72 (2016) to $-2.38 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
CRISPR Therapeutics AG generated $-346M FCF in 2025 (-176% vs 2021). Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $-320M FCF in 2025 (-2581% vs 2021).
CRSP vs IONS: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is CRSP or IONS a better buy right now?
Analysts rate CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP) a "Buy" — based on 38 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 — CRSP or IONS?
Over the past 5 years, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IONS) delivered a total return of +50.1%, compared to -53.8% for CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP). A $10,000 investment in IONS five years ago would be worth approximately $15K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: CRSP returned +326.8% versus IONS's +134.8%. 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 — CRSP or IONS?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IONS) is the lower-risk stock at 0.68β versus CRISPR Therapeutics AG's 1.25β — meaning CRSP is approximately 84% more volatile than IONS relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 11% versus 6% for Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — CRSP or IONS?
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IONS) is the more profitable company, earning -40.4% net margin versus -165.7% for CRISPR Therapeutics AG — meaning it keeps -40.4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: IONS leads at -40.5% versus -189.3% for CRSP. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — IONS leads at 98.3%, 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 — CRSP or IONS?
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 CRSP or IONS better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IONS) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.68), +134.8% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (IONS: +134.8%, 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 CRSP and IONS?
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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