Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (INO) vs Summit Therapeutics Inc. (SMMT) 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Stability / Safety | INO | Beta 0.97 vs SMMT's 1.40 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | INO | -8.6% vs SMMT's -19.8% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | SMMT | -143.7% ROA vs INO's -155.8%, ROIC -163.4% vs -114.1% |
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
Inovio Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company developing DNA-based medicines to treat HPV-related conditions, cancers, and infectious diseases. It generates revenue primarily through government grants and research funding — particularly from defense and public health agencies — as it advances its clinical pipeline toward commercialization. The company's key advantage lies in its proprietary DNA medicine platform combining SynCon antigen design with CELLECTRA delivery technology, which enables rapid vaccine development against emerging pathogens.
Summit Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel antibiotics to treat serious infectious diseases. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing agreements — with its lead candidate ridinilazole in Phase III trials for C. difficile infection — while pursuing future commercialization of its pipeline. The company's competitive advantage lies in its targeted approach to antibiotic-resistant infections and its clinical-stage assets addressing significant unmet medical needs.
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
INO leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). SMMT leads in 1 (Total Returns). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
INO and SMMT operate at a comparable scale, with $182,337 and $0 in trailing revenue.
| Metric | INOInovio Pharmaceut… | SMMTSummit Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $182,337 | $0 |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$87M | -$812M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$108M | -$1.1B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$20.9B | -$324M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | -7.3% | — |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -492.0% | — |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -592.8% | — |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -114511.0% | — |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | — |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +99.9% | -2.4% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | INOInovio Pharmaceut… | SMMTSummit Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $65M | $12.9B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $11M | $12.7B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -0.46x | -11.52x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 300.07x | — |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.72x | 18.83x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
INO delivers a -115.4% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-115 in annual profit, vs $-164 for SMMT. SMMT carries lower financial leverage with a 0.03x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to INO's 0.17x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), INO scores 2/9 vs SMMT's 1/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | INOInovio Pharmaceut… | SMMTSummit Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -115.4% | -163.9% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -155.8% | -143.7% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -114.1% | -163.4% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -109.0% | -151.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 2 | 1 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.17x | 0.03x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$54M | -$204M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $66M | $225M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $12M | $21M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -632.05x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in SMMT five years ago would be worth $25,060 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $130 for INO. Over the past 12 months, INO leads with a -8.6% total return vs SMMT's -19.8%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors SMMT at 109.7% vs INO's -50.7% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | INOInovio Pharmaceut… | SMMTSummit Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +7.1% | -5.3% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -8.6% | -19.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -88.0% | +821.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -98.7% | +150.6% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -97.2% | +145.8% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -50.7% | +109.7% |
Risk & Volatility
INO is the less volatile stock with a 0.97 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than SMMT's 1.40 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. INO currently trades 60.7% from its 52-week high vs SMMT's 44.9% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | INOInovio Pharmaceut… | SMMTSummit Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.97x | 1.40x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $2.98 | $36.91 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $1.30 | $13.83 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +60.7% | +44.9% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 56.2 | 50.1 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.2M | 2.3M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates INO as "Buy" and SMMT as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 231.5% upside for INO (target: $6) vs 56.7% for SMMT (target: $26).
| Metric | INOInovio Pharmaceut… | SMMTSummit Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $6.00 | $26.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 17 | 20 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | — |
| 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 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inovio Pharmaceutic… (INO) | 100 | 3.31 | -96.7% |
| Summit Therapeutics… (SMMT) | 100 | 1,018.84 | +918.8% |
Summit Therapeutics… (SMMT) returned +151% over 5 years vs Inovio Pharmaceutic… (INO)'s -99%. A $10,000 investment in SMMT 5 years ago would be worth $25,060 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inovio Pharmaceutic… (INO) | $35M | $217756.00 | -99.4% |
| Summit Therapeutics… (SMMT) | $3M | $0.00 | -100.0% |
Summit Therapeutics Inc.'s revenue grew from $3M (2016) to $0M (2025) — a -100.0% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inovio Pharmaceutic… (INO) | -71.9% | -492.5% | -584.7% |
| Summit Therapeutics… (SMMT) | -19.0% | -111.9% | -488.8% |
Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s net margin went from -72% (2015) to -493% (2024).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inovio Pharmaceutic… (INO) | -1.01 | -3.95 | -291.1% |
| Summit Therapeutics… (SMMT) | -0.43 | -1.44 | -234.9% |
Summit Therapeutics Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.43 (2016) to $-1.44 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $-105M FCF in 2024 (+52% vs 2021). Summit Therapeutics Inc. generated $-324M FCF in 2025 (-344% vs 2021).
INO vs SMMT: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is INO or SMMT a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (INO) a "Buy" — based on 17 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 — INO or SMMT?
Over the past 5 years, Summit Therapeutics Inc. (SMMT) delivered a total return of +150.6%, compared to -98.7% for Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (INO). A $10,000 investment in SMMT five years ago would be worth approximately $25K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SMMT returned +145.8% versus INO's -97.2%. 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 — INO or SMMT?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (INO) is the lower-risk stock at 0.97β versus Summit Therapeutics Inc.'s 1.40β — meaning SMMT is approximately 45% more volatile than INO relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Summit Therapeutics Inc. (SMMT) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 3% versus 17% for Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — INO or SMMT?
Summit Therapeutics Inc. (SMMT) is the more profitable company, earning 0.0% net margin versus -492.5% for Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — meaning it keeps 0.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SMMT leads at 0.0% versus -516.2% for INO. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — INO 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 — INO or SMMT?
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 INO or SMMT better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (INO) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.97)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (INO: -97.2%, SMMT: +145.8%), 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 INO and SMMT?
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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