Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (MCRB) vs Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARMP) 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 ARMP's 14.2% |
| Quality / Margins | MCRB | 15.4% net margin vs ARMP's -9.3% |
| Stability / Safety |  ARMP | Beta 0.21 vs MCRB's 1.21 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | ARMP | +474.8% vs MCRB's -40.3% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | MCRB | 3.8% ROA vs ARMP's -52.4%, ROIC -180.9% vs -44.2% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
ARMPDividend streak 0 yrs, beta 0.21
Growth exposure
MCRBRev growth 448.4%, EPS growth -6.2%
Long-term compounding (10Y)
ARMP-98.0% 10Y total return vs MCRB's -98.5%
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
ARMPLower volatility, beta 0.21, current ratio 0.23x
Defensive / Recession hedge
ARMPBeta 0.21, current ratio 0.23x
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.
Armata Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biotech company developing targeted bacteriophage therapies to treat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and partnerships — like its Merck deal — while advancing its pipeline of phage-based candidates through clinical trials. The company's key advantage is its proprietary bacteriophage platform technology, which offers a novel approach to targeting specific drug-resistant pathogens.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
ARMP 4MCRB 1ARMP3/5 metricsARMP1/1 metricsMCRB4/5 metricsARMP6/6 metricsARMP2/2 metricsARMP leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). MCRB leads in 1 (Profitability & Efficiency).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
ARMP is the larger business by revenue, generating $5M annually — 14.4x MCRB's $351,000. MCRB is the more profitable business, keeping 15.4% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to ARMP's -9.3%.
| Metric | MCRBSeres Therapeutic… | ARMPArmata Pharmaceut… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $351,000 | $5M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$99M | -$32M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $5M | -$47M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$23M | -$27M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | -50.1% | +70.5% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -294.7% | -6.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +15.4% | -9.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -66.6% | -5.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | -61.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +112.3% | -3.9% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | MCRBSeres Therapeutic… | ARMPArmata Pharmaceut… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $80M | $420M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $141M | $537M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -0.48x | -22.19x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | — | 81.14x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 5.15x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
| Metric | MCRBSeres Therapeutic… | ARMPArmata Pharmaceut… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +12.3% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +3.8% | -52.4% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -180.9% | -44.2% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -67.7% | -70.7% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 2 | 2 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 6.65x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $61M | $117M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $31M | $9M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $92M | $127M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | -2.12x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in ARMP five years ago would be worth $25,857 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $240 for MCRB. Over the past 12 months, ARMP leads with a +474.8% total return vs MCRB's -40.3%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors ARMP at 56.0% vs MCRB's -56.4% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | MCRBSeres Therapeutic… | ARMPArmata Pharmaceut… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -39.7% | +77.0% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -40.3% | +474.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -91.7% | +279.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -97.6% | +158.6% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -98.5% | -98.0% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -56.4% | +56.0% |
Risk & Volatility
ARMP is the less volatile stock with a 0.21 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. ARMP currently trades 71.1% 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… | ARMPArmata Pharmaceut… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.21x | 0.21x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $29.98 | $16.34 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $6.53 | $0.90 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +30.5% | +71.1% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 32.0 | 71.9 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 70K | 50K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates MCRB as "Buy" and ARMP as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply -22.5% upside for ARMP (target: $9) vs -86.3% for MCRB (target: $1).
| Metric | MCRBSeres Therapeutic… | ARMPArmata Pharmaceut… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $1.25 | $9.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 18 | 4 |
| 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 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seres Therapeutics,… (MCRB) | 100 | 12.66 | -87.3% |
| Armata Pharmaceutic… (ARMP) | 100 | 303.72 | +203.7% |
Armata Pharmaceutic… (ARMP) returned +159% over 5 years vs Seres Therapeutics,… (MCRB)'s -98%. A $10,000 investment in ARMP 5 years ago would be worth $25,857 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seres Therapeutics,… (MCRB) | $0.00 | $0.00 | — |
| Armata Pharmaceutic… (ARMP) | $475000.00 | $5M | +989.3% |
Seres Therapeutics, Inc.'s revenue grew from $0M (2015) to $0M (2024) — a 0.0% CAGR. Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s revenue grew from $0M (2015) to $5M (2024) — a 30.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seres Therapeutics,… (MCRB) | -4.2% | -45.2% | -975.5% |
| Armata Pharmaceutic… (ARMP) | -108.6% | -3.7% | +96.6% |
Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s net margin went from -109% (2015) to -4% (2024).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seres Therapeutics,… (MCRB) | -46.6 | -18.86 | +59.5% |
| Armata Pharmaceutic… (ARMP) | -278.6 | -0.52 | +99.8% |
Seres Therapeutics, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-46.60 (2015) to $-18.86 (2024). Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-278.60 (2015) to $-0.52 (2024).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Seres Therapeutics, Inc. generated $-149M FCF in 2024 (-5077% vs 2021). Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $-39M FCF in 2024 (-58% vs 2021).
MCRB vs ARMP: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is MCRB or ARMP 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 ARMP?
Over the past 5 years, Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARMP) delivered a total return of +158.6%, compared to -97.6% for Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (MCRB). A $10,000 investment in ARMP five years ago would be worth approximately $26K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ARMP returned -98.0% 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 ARMP?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARMP) is the lower-risk stock at 0.21β versus Seres Therapeutics, Inc.'s 1.21β — meaning MCRB is approximately 470% more volatile than ARMP relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — MCRB or ARMP?
Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (MCRB) is the more profitable company, earning 1537% net margin versus -365.6% for Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — meaning it keeps 1537% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: ARMP leads at -820.2% versus -294.7% for MCRB. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ARMP leads at -565.4%, 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 ARMP?
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 ARMP better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARMP) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.21)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (ARMP: -98.0%, 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 ARMP?
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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