Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NTLA) vs Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARWR) 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 | ARWR | 232.6% revenue growth vs NTLA's -100.0% |
| Stability / Safety | NTLA | Beta 1.52 vs ARWR's 1.67, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | ARWR | +234.6% vs NTLA's +36.6% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | ARWR | 12.6% ROA vs NTLA's -49.0% |
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
Intellia Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing CRISPR-based gene editing therapies for genetic diseases. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing agreements — notably with Regeneron and Novartis — while advancing its own pipeline of in vivo and ex vivo therapies. The company's competitive advantage lies in its proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 platform technology and intellectual property portfolio for genome editing.
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company that develops RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics for intractable diseases. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing agreements with pharmaceutical partners — including upfront payments, milestone payments, and royalties on future sales — while advancing its own pipeline of clinical-stage candidates. The company's key advantage is its proprietary Targeted RNAi Molecule (TRiM™) platform, which enables precise delivery of RNAi therapeutics to specific tissues and cells.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
ARWR leads in 2 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Total Returns. 3 categories are tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
ARWR and NTLA operate at a comparable scale, with $1.1B and $0 in trailing revenue. On growth, ARWR holds the edge at +104.6% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | NTLAIntellia Therapeu… | ARWRArrowhead Pharmac… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $0 | $1.1B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$332M | $326M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$413M | $202M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$355M | $322M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | — | +99.4% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | — | +27.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | — | +18.5% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | — | +29.5% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -4.5% | +104.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +36.2% | +115.8% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | NTLAIntellia Therapeu… | ARWRArrowhead Pharmac… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.6B | $8.7B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.5B | $9.3B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -3.62x | -5186.07x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 76.09x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | — | 10.48x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.22x | 16.81x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 55.41x |
Profitability & Efficiency
ARWR delivers a 35.9% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $36 in annual profit, vs $-61 for NTLA. NTLA carries lower financial leverage with a 0.14x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to ARWR's 1.66x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), ARWR scores 5/9 vs NTLA's 3/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | NTLAIntellia Therapeu… | ARWRArrowhead Pharmac… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -61.5% | +35.9% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -49.0% | +12.6% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | — | +7.2% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | — | +8.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.14x | 1.66x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$62M | $611M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $155M | $227M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $93M | $838M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | 3.83x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in ARWR five years ago would be worth $7,552 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $2,152 for NTLA. Over the past 12 months, ARWR leads with a +234.6% total return vs NTLA's +36.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors ARWR at 25.1% vs NTLA's -30.0% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | NTLAIntellia Therapeu… | ARWRArrowhead Pharmac… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +49.6% | -6.7% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +36.6% | +234.6% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -65.7% | +95.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -78.5% | -24.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -37.6% | +1522.3% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -30.0% | +25.1% |
Risk & Volatility
NTLA is the less volatile stock with a 1.52 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than ARWR's 1.67 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. ARWR currently trades 82.4% from its 52-week high vs NTLA's 48.8% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | NTLAIntellia Therapeu… | ARWRArrowhead Pharmac… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.52x | 1.67x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $28.25 | $76.76 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $5.90 | $9.57 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +48.8% | +82.4% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 62.7 | 46.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 4.4M | 2.5M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates NTLA as "Buy" and ARWR as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 40.6% upside for NTLA (target: $19) vs 24.5% for ARWR (target: $79).
| Metric | NTLAIntellia Therapeu… | ARWRArrowhead Pharmac… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $19.38 | $78.78 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 38 | 20 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intellia Therapeuti… (NTLA) | 100 | 97.46 | -2.5% |
| Arrowhead Pharmaceu… (ARWR) | 100 | 205.63 | +105.6% |
Arrowhead Pharmaceu… (ARWR) returned -24% over 5 years vs Intellia Therapeuti… (NTLA)'s -78%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intellia Therapeuti… (NTLA) | $16M | $0.00 | -100.0% |
| Arrowhead Pharmaceu… (ARWR) | $158333.00 | $829M | +523763.0% |
Intellia Therapeutics, Inc.'s revenue grew from $16M (2016) to $0M (2025) — a -100.0% CAGR. Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s revenue grew from $0M (2016) to $829M (2025) — a 159.0% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intellia Therapeuti… (NTLA) | -192.0% | -9.0% | +95.3% |
| Arrowhead Pharmaceu… (ARWR) | -516.1% | -0.2% | +100.0% |
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s net margin went from -516% (2016) to -0% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intellia Therapeuti… (NTLA) | -0.91 | -3.81 | -318.7% |
| Arrowhead Pharmaceu… (ARWR) | -1.34 | -0.01 | +99.1% |
Intellia Therapeutics, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.91 (2016) to $-3.81 (2025). Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-1.34 (2016) to $-0.01 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. generated $-355M FCF in 2025 (-49% vs 2021). Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $157M FCF in 2025 (+6% vs 2021).
NTLA vs ARWR: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is NTLA or ARWR a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NTLA) a "Buy" — based on 38 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 — NTLA or ARWR?
Over the past 5 years, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARWR) delivered a total return of -24.5%, compared to -78.5% for Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NTLA). A $10,000 investment in ARWR five years ago would be worth approximately $8K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ARWR returned +1522% versus NTLA's -37.6%. 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 — NTLA or ARWR?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NTLA) is the lower-risk stock at 1.52β versus Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s 1.67β — meaning ARWR is approximately 10% more volatile than NTLA relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NTLA) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 14% versus 166% for Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — NTLA or ARWR?
Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NTLA) is the more profitable company, earning 0.0% net margin versus -0.2% for Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — meaning it keeps 0.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: ARWR leads at 11.9% versus 0.0% for NTLA. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ARWR leads at 97.1%, 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 — NTLA or ARWR?
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 NTLA or ARWR better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARWR) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (+1522% 10Y return). Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NTLA) carries a higher beta of 1.52 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (ARWR: +1522%, NTLA: -37.6%), 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 NTLA and ARWR?
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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