Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL) 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 | DTIL | 41.0% revenue growth vs IONS's 33.9% |
| Quality / Margins | IONS | -40.4% net margin vs DTIL's -119.8% |
| Stability / Safety | DTIL | Beta 0.66 vs IONS's 0.68, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | IONS | +144.5% vs DTIL's -22.1% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | IONS | -10.8% ROA vs DTIL's -89.4% |
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
Precision BioSciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing gene editing therapies using its proprietary ARCUS platform. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing deals with pharmaceutical partners — like its Servier partnership for CAR-T therapies — while advancing its own pipeline of in vivo gene editing and allogeneic CAR-T candidates. The company's key advantage is its ARCUS genome editing technology, which offers precise DNA cutting with potentially lower off-target effects than other gene editing approaches.
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 2 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Total Returns). DTIL leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
IONS is the larger business by revenue, generating $943M annually — 1351.5x DTIL's $698,000. IONS is the more profitable business, keeping -40.4% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to DTIL's -119.8%. On growth, IONS holds the edge at -10.4% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | DTILPrecision BioScie… | IONSIonis Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $698,000 | $943M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$87M | -$367M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$84M | -$381M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$74M | $162.9B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | -96.3% | +98.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -128.2% | -40.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -119.8% | -40.4% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -105.6% | +172.6% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -97.7% | -10.4% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +18.1% | -113.6% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | DTILPrecision BioScie… | IONSIonis Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $51M | $13.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | -$5M | $15.7B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 4.04x | -34.10x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.74x | 14.04x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.51x | 26.55x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
IONS delivers a -77.9% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-78 in annual profit, vs $-5 for DTIL. DTIL carries lower financial leverage with a 0.53x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to IONS's 5.78x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), DTIL scores 4/9 vs IONS's 3/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | DTILPrecision BioScie… | IONSIonis Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -5.0% | -77.9% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -89.4% | -10.8% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | — | -12.2% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -22.6% | -16.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.53x | 5.78x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$56M | $2.5B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $86M | $372M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $30M | $2.8B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -56.03x | -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 $109 for DTIL. Over the past 12 months, IONS leads with a +144.5% total return vs DTIL's -22.1%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors IONS at 31.2% vs DTIL's -50.0% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | DTILPrecision BioScie… | IONSIonis Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +2.4% | +1.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -22.1% | +144.5% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -87.5% | +126.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -98.9% | +50.1% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -99.2% | +134.8% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -50.0% | +31.2% |
Risk & Volatility
DTIL is the less volatile stock with a 0.66 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than IONS's 0.68 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 DTIL's 47.6% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | DTILPrecision BioScie… | IONSIonis Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.66x | 0.68x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $8.82 | $86.74 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $3.53 | $23.95 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +47.6% | +93.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 49.8 | 44.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 197K | 1.7M |
Analyst Outlook
| Metric | DTILPrecision BioScie… | IONSIonis Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $89.13 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 32 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precision BioScienc… (DTIL) | 100 | 1.68 | -98.3% |
| Ionis Pharmaceutica… (IONS) | 100 | 158.83 | +58.8% |
Ionis Pharmaceutica… (IONS) returned +50% over 5 years vs Precision BioScienc… (DTIL)'s -99%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precision BioScienc… (DTIL) | $7M | $69M | +879.3% |
| Ionis Pharmaceutica… (IONS) | $373M | $944M | +153.2% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precision BioScienc… (DTIL) | -117.6% | 10.4% | +108.9% |
| Ionis Pharmaceutica… (IONS) | -16.2% | -40.4% | -149.1% |
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s net margin went from -16% (2016) to -40% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precision BioScienc… (DTIL) | -0.49 | 1.04 | +312.2% |
| Ionis Pharmaceutica… (IONS) | -0.72 | -2.38 | -230.6% |
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.72 (2016) to $-2.38 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Precision BioSciences, Inc. generated $-59M FCF in 2024 (-252% vs 2021). Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $-320M FCF in 2025 (-2581% vs 2021).
DTIL vs IONS: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is DTIL or IONS a better buy right now?
Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL) offers the better valuation at 4.0x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IONS) a "Buy" — based on 32 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 — DTIL or IONS?
Over the past 5 years, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IONS) delivered a total return of +50.1%, compared to -98.9% for Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL). 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: IONS returned +134.8% versus DTIL's -99.2%. 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 — DTIL or IONS?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL) is the lower-risk stock at 0.66β versus Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s 0.68β — meaning IONS is approximately 3% more volatile than DTIL relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 53% versus 6% for Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — DTIL or IONS?
Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL) is the more profitable company, earning 10.4% net margin versus -40.4% for Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — meaning it keeps 10.4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: DTIL leads at -38.1% versus -40.5% for IONS. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — DTIL 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 — DTIL 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 DTIL 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%, DTIL: -99.2%), 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 DTIL 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. In terms of investment character: DTIL is a small-cap deep-value stock; IONS is a mid-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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