Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare PepGen Inc. (PEPG) vs Beam Therapeutics Inc. (BEAM) 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 | PEPG | Beta 1.36 vs BEAM's 1.66 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | PEPG | +97.5% vs BEAM's +8.0% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | BEAM | -5.4% ROA vs PEPG's -49.2%, ROIC -33.6% vs -108.1% |
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
PepGen is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing oligonucleotide therapeutics for severe neuromuscular and neurological diseases. It currently generates no revenue from product sales — its business model relies on research funding, partnerships, and future commercialization of its drug candidates if approved. The company's competitive advantage lies in its proprietary Enhanced Delivery Oligonucleotide (EDO) platform technology, which aims to improve cellular uptake and efficacy of therapeutic oligonucleotides.
Beam Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing precision genetic medicines using base editing technology to treat serious diseases. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing agreements with pharmaceutical partners — with potential future income from clinical-stage programs targeting sickle cell disease, T-cell cancers, and metabolic disorders. The company's key advantage is its proprietary base editing platform, which enables more precise DNA modifications than traditional CRISPR approaches — potentially offering safer and more effective genetic therapies.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
BEAM leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). PEPG leads in 1 (Risk & Volatility). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
BEAM and PEPG operate at a comparable scale, with $140M and $0 in trailing revenue.
| Metric | PEPGPepGen Inc. | BEAMBeam Therapeutics… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $0 | $140M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$95M | -$361M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$94M | -$80M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$86M | -$360M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | — | +84.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | — | -2.7% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | — | -57.2% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | — | -2.6% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | +2.8% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +21.2% | +3.1% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | PEPGPepGen Inc. | BEAMBeam Therapeutics… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $203M | $2.9B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $172M | $2.8B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -2.18x | -35.14x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | — | 20.72x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.66x | 2.27x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
BEAM delivers a -6.5% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-6 in annual profit, vs $-57 for PEPG. BEAM carries lower financial leverage with a 0.12x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to PEPG's 0.16x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), BEAM scores 5/9 vs PEPG's 3/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | PEPGPepGen Inc. | BEAMBeam Therapeutics… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -57.3% | -6.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -49.2% | -5.4% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -108.1% | -33.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -75.3% | -33.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.16x | 0.12x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$31M | -$141M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $49M | $295M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $19M | $154M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | -9.14x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in PEPG five years ago would be worth $4,825 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $2,978 for BEAM. Over the past 12 months, PEPG leads with a +97.5% total return vs BEAM's +8.0%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors BEAM at -10.9% vs PEPG's -25.9% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | PEPGPepGen Inc. | BEAMBeam Therapeutics… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -13.2% | +4.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +97.5% | +8.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -59.3% | -29.3% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -51.7% | -70.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -51.7% | +51.8% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -25.9% | -10.9% |
Risk & Volatility
PEPG is the less volatile stock with a 1.36 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than BEAM's 1.66 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | PEPGPepGen Inc. | BEAMBeam Therapeutics… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.36x | 1.66x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $7.80 | $36.44 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.88 | $13.53 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +79.7% | +78.1% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 54.9 | 51.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 595K | 1.5M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates PEPG as "Buy" and BEAM as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 84.9% upside for PEPG (target: $12) vs 43.6% for BEAM (target: $41).
| Metric | PEPGPepGen Inc. | BEAMBeam Therapeutics… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $11.50 | $40.86 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 6 | 27 |
| 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 | May 22 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| PepGen Inc. (PEPG) | 100 | 39.41 | -60.6% |
| Beam Therapeutics I… (BEAM) | 100 | 82.05 | -18.0% |
PepGen Inc. (PEPG) returned -52% over 5 years vs Beam Therapeutics I… (BEAM)'s -70%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| PepGen Inc. (PEPG) | $0.00 | $0.00 | — |
| Beam Therapeutics I… (BEAM) | $0.00 | $140M | — |
Beam Therapeutics Inc.'s revenue grew from $0M (2017) to $140M (2025) — a 0.0% CAGR.
Chart 3EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| PepGen Inc. (PEPG) | -0.06 | -2.85 | -4642.1% |
| Beam Therapeutics I… (BEAM) | -0.62 | -0.81 | -30.6% |
Beam Therapeutics Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.62 (2017) to $-0.81 (2025).
Chart 4Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
PepGen Inc. generated $-83M FCF in 2024 (-259% vs 2021). Beam Therapeutics Inc. generated $-360M FCF in 2025 (-218% vs 2021).
PEPG vs BEAM: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is PEPG or BEAM a better buy right now?
Analysts rate PepGen Inc. (PEPG) a "Buy" — based on 6 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 — PEPG or BEAM?
Over the past 5 years, PepGen Inc. (PEPG) delivered a total return of -51.7%, compared to -70.2% for Beam Therapeutics Inc. (BEAM). A $10,000 investment in PEPG five years ago would be worth approximately $5K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: BEAM returned +51.8% versus PEPG's -51.7%. 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 — PEPG or BEAM?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), PepGen Inc. (PEPG) is the lower-risk stock at 1.36β versus Beam Therapeutics Inc.'s 1.66β — meaning BEAM is approximately 22% more volatile than PEPG relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Beam Therapeutics Inc. (BEAM) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 12% versus 16% for PepGen Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — PEPG or BEAM?
PepGen Inc. (PEPG) is the more profitable company, earning 0.0% net margin versus -57.2% for Beam Therapeutics Inc. — meaning it keeps 0.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: PEPG leads at 0.0% versus -274.6% for BEAM. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — BEAM leads at 84.0%, 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 — PEPG or BEAM?
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 PEPG or BEAM better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, PepGen Inc. (PEPG) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding. Beam Therapeutics Inc. (BEAM) carries a higher beta of 1.66 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (PEPG: -51.7%, BEAM: +51.8%), 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 PEPG and BEAM?
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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