Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (MCRB) vs Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) 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 |  MCRB | 448.4% revenue growth vs AGIO's 48.0% |
| Quality / Margins | MCRB | 15.4% net margin vs AGIO's -9.0% |
| Stability / Safety |  AGIO | Beta 0.91 vs MCRB's 1.21, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | AGIO | -17.0% vs MCRB's -40.3% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | MCRB | 3.8% ROA vs AGIO's -29.0%, ROIC -180.9% vs -26.6% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
AGIObeta 0.91
Growth exposure
MCRBRev growth 448.4%, EPS growth -6.2%
Long-term compounding (10Y)
AGIO-40.9% 10Y total return vs MCRB's -98.5%
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
AGIOLower volatility, beta 0.91, Low D/E 3.4%, current ratio 11.46x
Defensive / Recession hedge
AGIOBeta 0.91, current ratio 11.46x
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Seres Therapeutics is a microbiome therapeutics company developing bacterial consortia treatments for serious diseases. It generates revenue primarily through collaboration agreements and milestone payments — notably with Nestlé Health Science — while advancing its lead candidate SER-109 toward FDA approval for recurrent C. difficile infection. The company's key advantage is its proprietary platform for rationally designing bacterial consortia that functionally interact with human biology, creating a technical moat in the emerging microbiome therapeutics field.
Agios Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for rare genetic diseases related to cellular metabolism. It generates revenue primarily from sales of its lead drug PYRUKYND for pyruvate kinase deficiency — with additional income from research collaborations and milestone payments — while advancing a pipeline of other metabolic therapies. The company's competitive advantage lies in its deep expertise in cellular metabolism science and proprietary platform for targeting metabolic pathways in rare diseases.
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
AGIO 5MCRB 0AGIO3/5 metricsAGIO2/2 metricsAGIO6/8 metricsAGIO6/6 metricsAGIO2/2 metricsAGIO leads in 5 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Valuation Metrics.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AGIO is the larger business by revenue, generating $45M annually — 127.6x MCRB's $351,000. MCRB is the more profitable business, keeping 15.4% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to AGIO's -9.0%.
| Metric | MCRBSeres Therapeutic… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $351,000 | $45M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$99M | -$470M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $5M | -$401M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$23M | -$414M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | -50.1% | +84.4% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -294.7% | -10.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +15.4% | -9.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -66.6% | -9.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | +43.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +112.3% | -111.0% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | MCRBSeres Therapeutic… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $80M | $1.6B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $141M | $1.6B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -0.48x | -3.96x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | — | 30.25x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 5.15x | 1.37x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
MCRB delivers a 12.3% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $12 in annual profit, vs $-31 for AGIO. AGIO carries lower financial leverage with a 0.03x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to MCRB's 6.65x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AGIO scores 3/9 vs MCRB's 2/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | MCRBSeres Therapeutic… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +12.3% | -31.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +3.8% | -29.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -180.9% | -26.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -67.7% | -33.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 2 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 6.65x | 0.03x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $61M | -$49M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $31M | $89M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $92M | $40M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AGIO five years ago would be worth $5,766 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $240 for MCRB. Over the past 12 months, AGIO leads with a -17.0% total return vs MCRB's -40.3%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AGIO at 5.3% vs MCRB's -56.4% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | MCRBSeres Therapeutic… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -39.7% | +3.7% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -40.3% | -17.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -91.7% | +16.6% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -97.6% | -42.3% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -98.5% | -40.9% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -56.4% | +5.3% |
Risk & Volatility
AGIO is the less volatile stock with a 0.91 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than MCRB's 1.21 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. AGIO currently trades 61.3% from its 52-week high vs MCRB's 30.5% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | MCRBSeres Therapeutic… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.21x | 0.91x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $29.98 | $46.00 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $6.53 | $22.24 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +30.5% | +61.3% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 32.0 | 48.8 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 70K | 896K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates MCRB as "Buy" and AGIO as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 47.2% upside for AGIO (target: $42) vs -86.3% for MCRB (target: $1).
| Metric | MCRBSeres Therapeutic… | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $1.25 | $41.50 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 18 | 29 |
| 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 | Mar 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seres Therapeutics,… (MCRB) | 100 | 12.66 | -87.3% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | 100 | 60.08 | -39.9% |
Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) returned -42% over 5 years vs Seres Therapeutics,… (MCRB)'s -98%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seres Therapeutics,… (MCRB) | $22M | $0.00 | -100.0% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | $70M | $54M | -22.7% |
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s revenue grew from $70M (2016) to $54M (2025) — a -2.8% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seres Therapeutics,… (MCRB) | -4.2% | -45.2% | -975.5% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | -2.8% | -7.6% | -169.0% |
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s net margin went from -3% (2016) to -8% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seres Therapeutics,… (MCRB) | -46 | -18.86 | +59.0% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | -5.07 | -7.12 | -40.4% |
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-5.07 (2016) to $-7.12 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Seres Therapeutics, Inc. generated $-149M FCF in 2024 (-5077% vs 2021). Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $-377M FCF in 2025 (+9% vs 2021).
MCRB vs AGIO: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is MCRB or AGIO a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (MCRB) a "Buy" — based on 18 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 — MCRB or AGIO?
Over the past 5 years, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) delivered a total return of -42.3%, compared to -97.6% for Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (MCRB). A $10,000 investment in AGIO five years ago would be worth approximately $6K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AGIO returned -40.9% versus MCRB's -98.5%. 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 — MCRB or AGIO?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) is the lower-risk stock at 0.91β versus Seres Therapeutics, Inc.'s 1.21β — meaning MCRB is approximately 34% more volatile than AGIO relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 3% versus 7% for Seres Therapeutics, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — MCRB or AGIO?
Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (MCRB) is the more profitable company, earning 1537% net margin versus -764.0% for Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — meaning it keeps 1537% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AGIO leads at -873.9% versus -294.7% for MCRB. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AGIO leads at 88.3%, 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 — MCRB or AGIO?
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 MCRB or AGIO better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.91)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (AGIO: -40.9%, MCRB: -98.5%), 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.
07What are the main differences between MCRB and AGIO?
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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