Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Molecular Partners AG (MOLN) vs Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (CLDX) 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 | MOLN | -29.4% revenue growth vs CLDX's -78.6% |
| Quality / Margins | MOLN | -10.9% net margin vs CLDX's -172.5% |
| Stability / Safety | MOLN | Beta 0.20 vs CLDX's 1.14 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | CLDX | +46.3% vs MOLN's -0.1% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | CLDX | -44.4% ROA vs MOLN's -53.7%, ROIC -35.2% vs -47.6% |
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
Molecular Partners is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that develops targeted protein therapeutics using its proprietary DARPin platform technology. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing deals with pharmaceutical partners — including Novartis, Amgen, and AbbVie — which provide upfront payments, milestone payments, and potential future royalties. The company's key competitive advantage is its DARPin platform, which enables the creation of multi-specific protein therapeutics with high target specificity and modular design capabilities.
Celldex Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing targeted antibody therapies for cancer and inflammatory diseases. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing agreements — with future income dependent on successful clinical development and commercialization of its pipeline candidates. The company's competitive advantage lies in its proprietary antibody platform technology and focused expertise in developing monoclonal and bispecific antibodies against validated targets.
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
MOLN leads in 2 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). CLDX leads in 1 (Profitability & Efficiency). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
CLDX and MOLN operate at a comparable scale, with $2M and $0 in trailing revenue. MOLN is the more profitable business, keeping -10.9% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to CLDX's -172.5%. On growth, CLDX holds the edge at -93.6% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | MOLNMolecular Partner… | CLDXCelldex Therapeut… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $0 | $2M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$58M | -$284M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$60M | -$259M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$54M | -$213M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | -8.6% | +100.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -12.3% | -191.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -10.9% | -172.5% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -12.1% | -142.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -100.0% | -93.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +34.7% | -73.2% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | MOLNMolecular Partner… | CLDXCelldex Therapeut… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $188M | $2.0B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $108M | $2.0B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -2.43x | -7.72x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 29.13x | 1334.98x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.93x | 3.80x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
CLDX delivers a -49.1% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-49 in annual profit, vs $-63 for MOLN. CLDX carries lower financial leverage with a 0.00x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to MOLN's 0.02x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), CLDX scores 3/9 vs MOLN's 2/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | MOLNMolecular Partner… | CLDXCelldex Therapeut… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -63.1% | -49.1% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -53.7% | -44.4% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -47.6% | -35.2% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -36.9% | -44.7% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 2 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.02x | 0.00x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$61M | -$27M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $64M | $29M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $2M | $2M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -3345.44x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in CLDX five years ago would be worth $10,674 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $2,556 for MOLN. Over the past 12 months, CLDX leads with a +46.3% total return vs MOLN's -0.1%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors MOLN at -7.0% vs CLDX's -11.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | MOLNMolecular Partner… | CLDXCelldex Therapeut… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +19.0% | +11.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -0.1% | +46.3% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -19.6% | -29.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -74.4% | +6.7% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -74.4% | -70.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -7.0% | -11.1% |
Risk & Volatility
MOLN is the less volatile stock with a 0.20 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than CLDX's 1.14 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | MOLNMolecular Partner… | CLDXCelldex Therapeut… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.20x | 1.14x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $5.36 | $31.29 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $3.36 | $14.40 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +93.7% | +96.2% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 58.7 | 71.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 4K | 547K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates MOLN as "Hold" and CLDX as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 158.8% upside for MOLN (target: $13) vs -20.2% for CLDX (target: $24).
| Metric | MOLNMolecular Partner… | CLDXCelldex Therapeut… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $13.00 | $24.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 3 | 19 |
| 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 | Jun 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molecular Partners … (MOLN) | 100 | 23.26 | -76.7% |
| Celldex Therapeutic… (CLDX) | 100 | 71.62 | -28.4% |
Celldex Therapeutic… (CLDX) returned +7% over 5 years vs Molecular Partners … (MOLN)'s -74%. A $10,000 investment in CLDX 5 years ago would be worth $10,674 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molecular Partners … (MOLN) | $23M | $5M | -78.4% |
| Celldex Therapeutic… (CLDX) | $7M | $2M | -77.9% |
Celldex Therapeutics, Inc.'s revenue grew from $7M (2016) to $2M (2025) — a -15.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molecular Partners … (MOLN) | -80.8% | -10.9% | +86.5% |
| Celldex Therapeutic… (CLDX) | -18.9% | -172.5% | -810.9% |
Celldex Therapeutics, Inc.'s net margin went from -19% (2016) to -173% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molecular Partners … (MOLN) | -0.91 | -1.59 | -74.7% |
| Celldex Therapeutic… (CLDX) | -18.99 | -3.9 | +79.5% |
Celldex Therapeutics, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-18.99 (2016) to $-3.90 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Molecular Partners AG generated $-60M FCF in 2024 (+35% vs 2021). Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. generated $-211M FCF in 2025 (-239% vs 2021).
MOLN vs CLDX: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is MOLN or CLDX a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (CLDX) a "Buy" — based on 19 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 — MOLN or CLDX?
Over the past 5 years, Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (CLDX) delivered a total return of +6.7%, compared to -74.4% for Molecular Partners AG (MOLN). A $10,000 investment in CLDX five years ago would be worth approximately $11K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: CLDX returned -70.5% versus MOLN's -74.4%. 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 — MOLN or CLDX?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Molecular Partners AG (MOLN) is the lower-risk stock at 0.20β versus Celldex Therapeutics, Inc.'s 1.14β — meaning CLDX is approximately 458% more volatile than MOLN relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (CLDX) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 0% versus 2% for Molecular Partners AG — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — MOLN or CLDX?
Molecular Partners AG (MOLN) is the more profitable company, earning -1087.4% net margin versus -172.5% for Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. — meaning it keeps -1087.4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MOLN leads at -1231.7% versus -191.6% for CLDX. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CLDX 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 — MOLN or CLDX?
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 MOLN or CLDX better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Molecular Partners AG (MOLN) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.20)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (MOLN: -74.4%, CLDX: -70.5%), 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 MOLN and CLDX?
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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