Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) 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 | NVAX | 64.7% revenue growth vs AGIO's 48.0% |
| Quality / Margins | NVAX | 39.2% net margin vs AGIO's -9.0% |
| Stability / Safety | AGIO | Beta 0.91 vs NVAX's 1.25 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | NVAX | +21.7% vs AGIO's -14.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | NVAX | 37.4% ROA vs AGIO's -29.0% |
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
Novavax is a biotechnology company that develops and commercializes protein-based vaccines for serious infectious diseases. It generates revenue primarily from its COVID-19 vaccine sales and government contracts, with future potential from its pipeline including seasonal flu and RSV vaccines. The company's key advantage is its proprietary recombinant nanoparticle vaccine technology platform, which enables rapid development of vaccines with demonstrated efficacy.
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
NVAX leads in 2 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). AGIO leads in 1 (Total Returns). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
NVAX is the larger business by revenue, generating $1.1B annually — 25.1x AGIO's $45M. NVAX is the more profitable business, keeping 39.2% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to AGIO's -9.0%. On growth, NVAX holds the edge at +66.6% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | NVAXNovavax, Inc. | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $1.1B | $45M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $453M | -$470M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $440M | -$401M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$251M | -$414M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +93.5% | +84.4% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +40.3% | -10.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +39.2% | -9.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -22.3% | -9.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +66.6% | +43.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +158.8% | -111.0% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | NVAXNovavax, Inc. | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.7B | $2.25T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.7B | $2.25T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 3.93x | -4.25x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 3.71x | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.49x | 9999.00x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 1.47x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), NVAX scores 5/9 vs AGIO's 3/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | NVAXNovavax, Inc. | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | -31.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +37.4% | -29.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | — | -26.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +80.7% | -33.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 0.03x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $8M | -$49M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $241M | $89M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $249M | $40M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AGIO five years ago would be worth $6,363 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $422 for NVAX. Over the past 12 months, NVAX leads with a +21.7% total return vs AGIO's -14.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AGIO at 6.1% vs NVAX's 3.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | NVAXNovavax, Inc. | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +42.2% | +11.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +21.7% | -14.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +9.5% | +19.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -95.8% | -36.4% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -88.4% | -21.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +3.1% | +6.1% |
Risk & Volatility
AGIO is the less volatile stock with a 0.91 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than NVAX's 1.25 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. NVAX currently trades 84.7% from its 52-week high vs AGIO's 65.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | NVAXNovavax, Inc. | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.25x | 0.91x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $11.97 | $46.00 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $5.01 | $22.24 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +84.7% | +65.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 74.8 | 62.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 4.2M | 948K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates NVAX as "Buy" and AGIO as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 43.0% upside for NVAX (target: $15) vs 37.3% for AGIO (target: $42).
| Metric | NVAXNovavax, Inc. | AGIOAgios Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $14.50 | $41.50 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 23 | 29 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | — |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) | 100 | 72.3 | -27.7% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | 100 | 57.07 | -42.9% |
Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) returned -36% over 5 years vs Novavax, Inc. (NVAX)'s -96%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) | $15M | $1.1B | +7217.7% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | $70M | $54M | -22.7% |
Novavax, Inc.'s revenue grew from $15M (2016) to $1.1B (2025) — a 61.1% CAGR. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) | -18.2% | 39.2% | +314.9% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | -2.8% | -7.6% | -169.0% |
Novavax, Inc.'s net margin went from -18% (2016) to 39% (2025). Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s net margin went from -3% (2016) to -8% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) | -20.68 | 2.58 | +112.5% |
| Agios Pharmaceutica… (AGIO) | -5.07 | -7.12 | -40.4% |
Novavax, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-20.68 (2016) to $2.58 (2025). Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-5.07 (2016) to $-7.12 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Novavax, Inc. generated $-250M FCF in 2025 (-194% vs 2021). Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $-377M FCF in 2025 (+9% vs 2021).
NVAX vs AGIO: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is NVAX or AGIO a better buy right now?
Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) offers the better valuation at 3.9x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) a "Buy" — based on 23 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 — NVAX or AGIO?
Over the past 5 years, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) delivered a total return of -36.4%, compared to -95.8% for Novavax, Inc. (NVAX). 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 -21.2% versus NVAX's -88.4%. 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 — NVAX or AGIO?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AGIO) is the lower-risk stock at 0.91β versus Novavax, Inc.'s 1.25β — meaning NVAX is approximately 38% more volatile than AGIO relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — NVAX or AGIO?
Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) is the more profitable company, earning 39.2% net margin versus -764.0% for Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — meaning it keeps 39.2% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: NVAX leads at 40.3% versus -873.9% for AGIO. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — NVAX leads at 93.5%, 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 — NVAX 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 NVAX 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: -21.2%, NVAX: -88.4%), 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 NVAX 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. In terms of investment character: NVAX is a small-cap deep-value stock; AGIO is a mega-cap quality compounder stock. 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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