Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Vaxcyte, Inc. (PCVX) vs Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. (CDTX) 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Stability / Safety | CDTX | Beta 0.65 vs PCVX's 0.77, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | CDTX | +7.9% vs PCVX's -15.4% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | PCVX | -25.5% ROA vs CDTX's -35.6% |
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
Vaxcyte is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel protein vaccines to prevent bacterial infectious diseases. It currently generates no revenue from product sales — relying on research funding and partnerships — but aims to commercialize its lead pneumococcal conjugate vaccine candidate, VAX-24, which is in Phase 1/2 clinical trials. The company's key advantage is its proprietary cell-free protein synthesis platform, which enables rapid design and production of complex vaccine candidates that are difficult to manufacture using traditional methods.
Cidara Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing long-acting anti-infective drugs for serious fungal and viral diseases. It generates revenue primarily through strategic partnerships and licensing agreements — including a major deal with Melinta Therapeutics for its lead antifungal candidate rezafungin — while advancing its proprietary Cloudbreak platform for antiviral conjugates. The company's key advantage is its Cloudbreak platform technology, which enables creation of targeted, long-acting conjugates that combine antiviral or antifungal agents with immune system boosters.
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
CDTX leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). PCVX leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
PCVX and CDTX operate at a comparable scale, with $0 and $0 in trailing revenue.
| Metric | PCVXVaxcyte, Inc. | CDTXCidara Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $0 | $0 |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$899M | -$195M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$767M | -$185M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$669M | -$133M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | — | +100.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | — | -138.1% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | — | -133.2% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | — | -138.6% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | — |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -61.9% | -30.3% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | PCVXVaxcyte, Inc. | CDTXCidara Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $8.1B | $7.0B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $8.0B | $6.8B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -10.96x | -8.28x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | — | 5460.07x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 3.13x | 8.61x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
PCVX delivers a -28.5% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-29 in annual profit, vs $-44 for CDTX. CDTX carries lower financial leverage with a 0.02x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to PCVX's 0.04x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), CDTX scores 3/9 vs PCVX's 1/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | PCVXVaxcyte, Inc. | CDTXCidara Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -28.5% | -43.7% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -25.5% | -35.6% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -24.7% | — |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -29.9% | -2.1% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 1 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.04x | 0.02x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$56M | -$186M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $174M | $190M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $117M | $4M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in CDTX five years ago would be worth $48,336 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $23,902 for PCVX. Over the past 12 months, CDTX leads with a +789.1% total return vs PCVX's -15.4%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors CDTX at 94.3% vs PCVX's 14.6% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | PCVXVaxcyte, Inc. | CDTXCidara Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +32.9% | +0.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -15.4% | +789.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +50.7% | +633.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +139.0% | +383.4% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +136.1% | +10.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +14.6% | +94.3% |
Risk & Volatility
CDTX is the less volatile stock with a 0.65 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than PCVX's 0.77 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. CDTX currently trades 100.0% from its 52-week high vs PCVX's 80.6% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | PCVXVaxcyte, Inc. | CDTXCidara Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.77x | 0.65x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $76.61 | $221.42 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $27.66 | $15.22 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +80.6% | +100.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 62.8 | 84.8 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.2M | 796K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates PCVX as "Buy" and CDTX as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 34.4% upside for PCVX (target: $83) vs -19.6% for CDTX (target: $178).
| Metric | PCVXVaxcyte, Inc. | CDTXCidara Therapeuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $83.00 | $177.88 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 11 | 11 |
| 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 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vaxcyte, Inc. (PCVX) | 100 | 219.5 | +119.5% |
| Cidara Therapeutics… (CDTX) | 100 | 301.95 | +202.0% |
Cidara Therapeutics… (CDTX) returned +383% over 5 years vs Vaxcyte, Inc. (PCVX)'s +139%. A $10,000 investment in CDTX 5 years ago would be worth $48,336 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vaxcyte, Inc. (PCVX) | $0.00 | $0.00 | — |
| Cidara Therapeutics… (CDTX) | $0.00 | $1M | — |
Chart 3EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vaxcyte, Inc. (PCVX) | -4.83 | -5.63 | -16.6% |
| Cidara Therapeutics… (CDTX) | -66.49 | -26.75 | +59.8% |
Chart 4Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Vaxcyte, Inc. generated $-669M FCF in 2025 (-423% vs 2021). Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. generated $-177M FCF in 2024 (-599% vs 2021).
PCVX vs CDTX: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is PCVX or CDTX a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Vaxcyte, Inc. (PCVX) a "Buy" — based on 11 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 — PCVX or CDTX?
Over the past 5 years, Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. (CDTX) delivered a total return of +383.4%, compared to +139.0% for Vaxcyte, Inc. (PCVX). A $10,000 investment in CDTX five years ago would be worth approximately $48K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: PCVX returned +136.1% versus CDTX's +10.5%. 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 — PCVX or CDTX?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. (CDTX) is the lower-risk stock at 0.65β versus Vaxcyte, Inc.'s 0.77β — meaning PCVX is approximately 18% more volatile than CDTX relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. (CDTX) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 2% versus 4% for Vaxcyte, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — PCVX or CDTX?
Vaxcyte, Inc. (PCVX) is the more profitable company, earning 0.0% net margin versus -133.2% for Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. — meaning it keeps 0.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: PCVX leads at 0.0% versus -138.1% for CDTX. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CDTX 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 — PCVX or CDTX?
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 PCVX or CDTX better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. (CDTX) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.65)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (CDTX: +10.5%, PCVX: +136.1%), 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 PCVX and CDTX?
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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