Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Liquidia Corporation (LQDA) vs United Therapeutics Corporation (UTHR) 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 | UTHR | 10.6% revenue growth vs LQDA's -20.0% |
| Value | LQDA | Lower P/E (15.5x vs 16.9x) |
| Quality / Margins | UTHR | 41.9% net margin vs LQDA's -176.0% |
| Stability / Safety | UTHR | Beta 0.43 vs LQDA's 1.08 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | LQDA | +100.3% vs UTHR's +57.4% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | UTHR | 16.9% ROA vs LQDA's -44.2%, ROIC 21.1% vs -5.0% |
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
Liquidia Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes inhaled therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension and other cardiopulmonary diseases. It generates revenue primarily from its YUTREPIA inhaled dry powder treatment for pulmonary hypertension and generic treprostinil injection distribution. The company's key advantage lies in its proprietary PRINT particle engineering technology platform, which enables precise control over drug particle size and shape for optimized pulmonary delivery.
United Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension and other rare diseases. It generates revenue primarily from its portfolio of PAH treatments — including Remodulin, Tyvaso, and Orenitram — which account for the vast majority of its sales. The company's competitive advantage lies in its deep expertise in prostacyclin therapies and its vertically integrated manufacturing capabilities for complex drug delivery systems.
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
UTHR leads in 2 of 6 categories (Profitability & Efficiency, Risk & Volatility). LQDA leads in 1 (Total Returns). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
UTHR is the larger business by revenue, generating $3.2B annually — 46.0x LQDA's $69M. UTHR is the more profitable business, keeping 41.9% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to LQDA's -176.0%. On growth, LQDA holds the edge at +11.2% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | LQDALiquidia Corporat… | UTHRUnited Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $69M | $3.2B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$106M | $1.6B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$122M | $1.3B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$108M | $1.0B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +89.4% | +87.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -155.0% | +46.9% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -176.0% | +41.9% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -155.8% | +32.7% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +11.2% | +7.4% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +86.4% | +23.7% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | LQDALiquidia Corporat… | UTHRUnited Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.7B | $22.0B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.6B | $20.4B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -18.69x | 18.09x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 15.50x | 16.90x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 0.94x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 12.95x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 192.42x | 6.91x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 31.59x | 3.40x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 21.13x |
Profitability & Efficiency
UTHR delivers a 18.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $19 in annual profit, vs $-6 for LQDA. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), UTHR scores 7/9 vs LQDA's 1/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | LQDALiquidia Corporat… | UTHRUnited Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -5.5% | +18.8% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -44.2% | +16.9% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -5.0% | +21.1% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -84.1% | +21.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 1 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.58x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$54M | -$1.6B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $176M | $1.6B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $122M | $0 |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -4.63x | 88.89x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in LQDA five years ago would be worth $105,870 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $29,421 for UTHR. Over the past 12 months, LQDA leads with a +100.3% total return vs UTHR's +57.4%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors LQDA at 60.0% vs UTHR's 27.0% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | LQDALiquidia Corporat… | UTHRUnited Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -1.2% | +1.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +100.3% | +57.4% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +309.8% | +104.8% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +958.7% | +194.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +179.5% | +313.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +60.0% | +27.0% |
Risk & Volatility
UTHR is the less volatile stock with a 0.43 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than LQDA's 1.08 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. UTHR currently trades 93.8% from its 52-week high vs LQDA's 66.5% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | LQDALiquidia Corporat… | UTHRUnited Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.08x | 0.43x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $46.67 | $537.00 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $11.26 | $266.98 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +66.5% | +93.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 31.7 | 58.6 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.5M | 274K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates LQDA as "Buy" and UTHR as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 63.3% upside for LQDA (target: $51) vs 11.8% for UTHR (target: $563).
| Metric | LQDALiquidia Corporat… | UTHRUnited Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $50.67 | $563.17 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 7 | 30 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +4.5% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquidia Corporation (LQDA) | 100 | 1,062.74 | +962.7% |
| United Therapeutics… (UTHR) | 100 | 457.48 | +357.5% |
Liquidia Corporation (LQDA) returned +959% over 5 years vs United Therapeutics… (UTHR)'s +194%. A $10,000 investment in LQDA 5 years ago would be worth $105,870 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquidia Corporation (LQDA) | $13M | $14M | +5.9% |
| United Therapeutics… (UTHR) | $1.6B | $3.2B | +99.1% |
United Therapeutics Corporation's revenue grew from $1.6B (2016) to $3.2B (2025) — a 7.9% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquidia Corporation (LQDA) | -120.6% | -9.3% | +92.3% |
| United Therapeutics… (UTHR) | 44.6% | 41.9% | -6.1% |
United Therapeutics Corporation's net margin went from 45% (2016) to 42% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Therapeutics… (UTHR) | 15.9 | 17.5 | +10.1% |
United Therapeutics Corporation has traded in a 8x–22x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~18x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquidia Corporation (LQDA) | -1.86 | -1.66 | +10.8% |
| United Therapeutics… (UTHR) | 15.25 | 27.86 | +82.7% |
United Therapeutics Corporation's EPS grew from $15.25 (2016) to $27.86 (2025) — a 7% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Liquidia Corporation generated $-98M FCF in 2024 (-188% vs 2021). United Therapeutics Corporation generated $1B FCF in 2025 (+118% vs 2021).
LQDA vs UTHR: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is LQDA or UTHR a better buy right now?
United Therapeutics Corporation (UTHR) offers the better valuation at 18.1x trailing P/E (16.9x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Liquidia Corporation (LQDA) a "Buy" — based on 7 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 has the better valuation — LQDA or UTHR?
On forward P/E, Liquidia Corporation is actually cheaper at 15.5x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.
03Which is the better long-term investment — LQDA or UTHR?
Over the past 5 years, Liquidia Corporation (LQDA) delivered a total return of +958.7%, compared to +194.2% for United Therapeutics Corporation (UTHR). A $10,000 investment in LQDA five years ago would be worth approximately $106K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: UTHR returned +313.2% versus LQDA's +179.5%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — LQDA or UTHR?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), United Therapeutics Corporation (UTHR) is the lower-risk stock at 0.43β versus Liquidia Corporation's 1.08β — meaning LQDA is approximately 149% more volatile than UTHR relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — LQDA or UTHR?
United Therapeutics Corporation (UTHR) is the more profitable company, earning 41.9% net margin versus -931.7% for Liquidia Corporation — meaning it keeps 41.9% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: UTHR leads at 46.9% versus -866.6% for LQDA. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — UTHR leads at 87.9%, 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.
06Is LQDA or UTHR more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Liquidia Corporation (LQDA) trades at 15.5x forward P/E versus 16.9x for United Therapeutics Corporation — 1.4x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for LQDA: 63.3% to $50.67.
07Which pays a better dividend — LQDA or UTHR?
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.
08Is LQDA or UTHR better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, United Therapeutics Corporation (UTHR) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.43), +313.2% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (UTHR: +313.2%, LQDA: +179.5%), 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.
09What are the main differences between LQDA and UTHR?
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.