Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Milestone Pharmaceuticals Inc. (MIST) vs Amarin Corporation plc (AMRN) 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 | AMRN | -25.5% revenue growth vs MIST's -100.0% |
| Stability / Safety | AMRN | Beta 0.84 vs MIST's 1.32, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | AMRN | +27.3% vs MIST's +4.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AMRN | -13.1% ROA vs MIST's -66.1%, ROIC -18.7% vs -64.8% |
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
Milestone Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel cardiovascular therapies. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing agreements — notably with Ji Xing Pharmaceuticals for its lead candidate etripamil — while advancing toward potential drug commercialization. The company's competitive advantage lies in its proprietary etripamil formulation, a fast-acting nasal spray designed for patient self-administration during acute cardiac episodes.
Amarin Corporation is a pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing cardiovascular therapeutics. It generates nearly all its revenue from VASCEPA — a prescription omega-3 fatty acid product for reducing triglyceride levels — sold primarily to wholesalers and specialty pharmacies. Its key advantage is patent protection and regulatory exclusivity for VASCEPA, though this moat faces challenges from generic competition.
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
AMRN leads in 4 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Valuation Metrics. 1 category is tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AMRN and MIST operate at a comparable scale, with $227M and $0 in trailing revenue.
| Metric | MISTMilestone Pharmac… | AMRNAmarin Corporatio… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $0 | $227M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$57M | -$93M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$58M | -$86M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$43M | -$22M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | — | +38.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | — | -42.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | — | -38.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | — | -9.6% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | +17.4% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +14.3% | +69.7% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | MISTMilestone Pharmac… | AMRNAmarin Corporatio… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $146M | $5.7B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $175M | $5.6B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -2.55x | -3.45x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | — | 25.11x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 8.09x | 0.58x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
AMRN delivers a -18.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-19 in annual profit, vs $-3 for MIST. AMRN carries lower financial leverage with a 0.02x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to MIST's 4.17x.
| Metric | MISTMilestone Pharmac… | AMRNAmarin Corporatio… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -2.8% | -18.8% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -66.1% | -13.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -64.8% | -18.7% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -62.2% | -17.0% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 2 | 2 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 4.17x | 0.02x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $29M | -$113M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $25M | $121M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $55M | $8M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -14.42x | -7085.14x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in MIST five years ago would be worth $2,277 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $1,115 for AMRN. Over the past 12 months, AMRN leads with a +27.3% total return vs MIST's +4.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors MIST at -18.5% vs AMRN's -30.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | MISTMilestone Pharmac… | AMRNAmarin Corporatio… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -16.6% | +0.6% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +4.9% | +27.3% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -45.9% | -66.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -77.2% | -88.9% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -88.9% | -52.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -18.5% | -30.2% |
Risk & Volatility
AMRN is the less volatile stock with a 0.84 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than MIST's 1.32 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. AMRN currently trades 66.0% from its 52-week high vs MIST's 55.9% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | MISTMilestone Pharmac… | AMRNAmarin Corporatio… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.32x | 0.84x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $3.06 | $20.90 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.63 | $7.08 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +55.9% | +66.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 39.6 | 40.0 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 2.5M | 76K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates MIST as "Buy" and AMRN as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 367.8% upside for MIST (target: $8) vs -84.3% for AMRN (target: $2).
| Metric | MISTMilestone Pharmac… | AMRNAmarin Corporatio… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $8.00 | $2.17 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 7 | 18 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milestone Pharmaceu… (MIST) | 100 | 10.44 | -89.6% |
| Amarin Corporation … (AMRN) | 100 | 4.66 | -95.3% |
Milestone Pharmaceu… (MIST) returned -77% over 5 years vs Amarin Corporation … (AMRN)'s -89%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milestone Pharmaceu… (MIST) | $0.00 | $0.00 | — |
| Amarin Corporation … (AMRN) | $82M | $229M | +179.6% |
Amarin Corporation plc's revenue grew from $82M (2015) to $229M (2024) — a 12.1% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milestone Pharmaceu… (MIST) | -2.9% | -59.7% | -1989.2% |
| Amarin Corporation … (AMRN) | -140.9% | -35.9% | +74.5% |
Amarin Corporation plc's net margin went from -141% (2015) to -36% (2024).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milestone Pharmaceu… (MIST) | -0.34 | -0.67 | -97.1% |
| Amarin Corporation … (AMRN) | -16.6 | -4 | +75.9% |
Amarin Corporation plc's EPS grew from $-16.60 (2015) to $-4.00 (2024).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Milestone Pharmaceuticals Inc. generated $-29M FCF in 2024 (+13% vs 2021). Amarin Corporation plc generated $-31M FCF in 2024 (+53% vs 2021).
MIST vs AMRN: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is MIST or AMRN a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Milestone Pharmaceuticals Inc. (MIST) 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 is the better long-term investment — MIST or AMRN?
Over the past 5 years, Milestone Pharmaceuticals Inc. (MIST) delivered a total return of -77.2%, compared to -88.9% for Amarin Corporation plc (AMRN). A $10,000 investment in MIST five years ago would be worth approximately $2K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AMRN returned -52.7% versus MIST's -88.9%. 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 — MIST or AMRN?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Amarin Corporation plc (AMRN) is the lower-risk stock at 0.84β versus Milestone Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s 1.32β — meaning MIST is approximately 57% more volatile than AMRN relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Amarin Corporation plc (AMRN) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 2% versus 4% for Milestone Pharmaceuticals Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — MIST or AMRN?
Milestone Pharmaceuticals Inc. (MIST) is the more profitable company, earning 0.0% net margin versus -35.9% for Amarin Corporation plc — meaning it keeps 0.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MIST leads at 0.0% versus -40.2% for AMRN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AMRN leads at 35.6%, 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 — MIST or AMRN?
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 MIST or AMRN better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Amarin Corporation plc (AMRN) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.84)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (AMRN: -52.7%, MIST: -88.9%), 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 MIST and AMRN?
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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