Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Scilex Holding Company (SCLX) vs Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) 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 | SCLX | 21.1% revenue growth vs GILD's 6.0% |
| Value | SCLX | Lower P/E (2.6x vs 17.1x) |
| Quality / Margins | GILD | 28.9% net margin vs SCLX's -9.3% |
| Stability / Safety | GILD | Beta 0.38 vs SCLX's 0.96 |
| Dividends | GILD | 2.1% yield; 10-year raise streak; SCLX pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | GILD | +33.1% vs SCLX's -0.6% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | GILD | 14.4% ROA vs SCLX's -136.2% |
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
Scilex Holding is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing non-opioid pain management products. It generates revenue primarily from sales of its commercial product ZTlido — a prescription lidocaine topical patch for neuropathic pain — while advancing a pipeline of novel pain therapies through clinical trials. The company's competitive advantage lies in its specialized focus on non-opioid alternatives for acute and chronic pain, addressing a critical need in pain management with reduced addiction risks.
Gilead Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing medicines for serious diseases like HIV, viral hepatitis, and cancer. It generates revenue primarily from antiviral drugs — especially HIV treatments like Biktarvy which drive the majority of sales — along with oncology therapies and COVID-19 treatment Veklury. The company's moat lies in its deep expertise in antiviral drug development, a robust HIV franchise with high patient retention, and a pipeline of cell therapy and oncology assets.
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
GILD leads in 4 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Profitability & Efficiency. 1 category is tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
GILD is the larger business by revenue, generating $29.4B annually — 729.5x SCLX's $40M. GILD is the more profitable business, keeping 28.9% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to SCLX's -9.3%. On growth, GILD holds the edge at +4.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | SCLXScilex Holding Co… | GILDGilead Sciences, … |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $40M | $29.4B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$259M | $12.4B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$376M | $8.5B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $24M | $9.7B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +68.6% | +80.8% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -6.5% | +37.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -9.3% | +28.9% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +59.0% | +32.8% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -26.8% | +4.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -17.3% | +22.5% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | SCLXScilex Holding Co… | GILDGilead Sciences, … |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.5B | $185.6B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.5B | $202.3B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -0.42x | 391.97x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 2.64x | 17.13x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 45.68x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 26.58x | 6.45x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 9.71x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 77.75x | 18.01x |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), GILD scores 7/9 vs SCLX's 6/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | SCLXScilex Holding Co… | GILDGilead Sciences, … |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | +37.6% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -136.2% | +14.4% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | — | +3.2% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | — | +3.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 1.39x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $35M | $16.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $3M | $10.0B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $38M | $26.7B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -39.55x | 10.56x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in GILD five years ago would be worth $26,249 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $238 for SCLX. Over the past 12 months, GILD leads with a +33.1% total return vs SCLX's -0.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors GILD at 25.2% vs SCLX's -70.0% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | SCLXScilex Holding Co… | GILDGilead Sciences, … |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -37.3% | +22.5% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -0.6% | +33.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -97.3% | +96.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -97.6% | +162.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -97.6% | +101.0% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -70.0% | +25.2% |
Risk & Volatility
GILD is the less volatile stock with a 0.38 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than SCLX's 0.96 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. GILD currently trades 94.7% from its 52-week high vs SCLX's 24.0% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | SCLXScilex Holding Co… | GILDGilead Sciences, … |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.96x | 0.38x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $34.27 | $157.29 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $3.60 | $93.37 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +24.0% | +94.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 35.9 | 48.8 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 61K | 6.2M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates SCLX as "Buy" and GILD as "Buy". GILD is the only dividend payer here at 2.10% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | SCLXScilex Holding Co… | GILDGilead Sciences, … |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $157.38 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 2 | 58 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +2.1% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 10 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $3.12 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +0.6% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scilex Holding Comp… (SCLX) | 100 | 2.65 | -97.3% |
| Gilead Sciences, In… (GILD) | 100 | 215.07 | +115.1% |
Gilead Sciences, In… (GILD) returned +162% over 5 years vs Scilex Holding Comp… (SCLX)'s -98%. A $10,000 investment in GILD 5 years ago would be worth $26,249 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scilex Holding Comp… (SCLX) | $24M | $57M | +140.2% |
| Gilead Sciences, In… (GILD) | $32.6B | $28.8B | -11.9% |
Gilead Sciences, Inc.'s revenue grew from $32.6B (2015) to $28.8B (2024) — a -1.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scilex Holding Comp… (SCLX) | -2.0% | -128.7% | -6278.8% |
| Gilead Sciences, In… (GILD) | 55.5% | 1.7% | -97.0% |
Gilead Sciences, Inc.'s net margin went from 55% (2015) to 2% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 7 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gilead Sciences, In… (GILD) | 20.4 | 243.1 | +1091.7% |
Gilead Sciences, Inc. has traded in a 15x–243x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~392x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scilex Holding Comp… (SCLX) | -0.01 | -19.43 | -154106.3% |
| Gilead Sciences, In… (GILD) | 11.91 | 0.38 | -96.8% |
Gilead Sciences, Inc.'s EPS grew from $11.91 (2015) to $0.38 (2024) — a -32% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Scilex Holding Company generated $19M FCF in 2024 (+168% vs 2021). Gilead Sciences, Inc. generated $10B FCF in 2024 (-5% vs 2021).
SCLX vs GILD: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is SCLX or GILD a better buy right now?
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) offers the better valuation at 392.0x trailing P/E (17.1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Scilex Holding Company (SCLX) a "Buy" — based on 2 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 has the better valuation — SCLX or GILD?
On forward P/E, Scilex Holding Company is actually cheaper at 2.6x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.
03Which is the better long-term investment — SCLX or GILD?
Over the past 5 years, Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) delivered a total return of +162.5%, compared to -97.6% for Scilex Holding Company (SCLX). A $10,000 investment in GILD five years ago would be worth approximately $26K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: GILD returned +101.0% versus SCLX's -97.6%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — SCLX or GILD?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) is the lower-risk stock at 0.38β versus Scilex Holding Company's 0.96β — meaning SCLX is approximately 151% more volatile than GILD relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — SCLX or GILD?
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) is the more profitable company, earning 1.7% net margin versus -128.7% for Scilex Holding Company — meaning it keeps 1.7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: GILD leads at 5.8% versus -147.4% for SCLX. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — GILD leads at 78.3%, 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.
06Is SCLX or GILD more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Scilex Holding Company (SCLX) trades at 2.6x forward P/E versus 17.1x for Gilead Sciences, Inc. — 14.5x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis.
07Which pays a better dividend — SCLX or GILD?
In this comparison, GILD (2.1% yield) pays a dividend. SCLX does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is SCLX or GILD better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.38), 2.1% yield, +101.0% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (GILD: +101.0%, SCLX: -97.6%), 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.
09What are the main differences between SCLX and GILD?
Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. GILD pays a dividend while SCLX does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. 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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