Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Summit Therapeutics Inc. (SMMT) vs Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) 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 | NVAX | Beta 1.25 vs SMMT's 1.40 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | NVAX | +21.7% vs SMMT's -19.8% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | NVAX | 37.4% ROA vs SMMT's -143.7% |
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
Summit Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel antibiotics to treat serious infectious diseases. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing agreements — with its lead candidate ridinilazole in Phase III trials for C. difficile infection — while pursuing future commercialization of its pipeline. The company's competitive advantage lies in its targeted approach to antibiotic-resistant infections and its clinical-stage assets addressing significant unmet medical needs.
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.
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 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). SMMT leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Total Returns).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
NVAX and SMMT operate at a comparable scale, with $1.1B and $0 in trailing revenue.
| Metric | SMMTSummit Therapeuti… | NVAXNovavax, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $0 | $1.1B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$812M | $453M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$1.1B | $440M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$324M | -$251M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | — | +93.5% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | — | +40.3% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | — | +39.2% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | — | -22.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | +66.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -2.4% | +158.8% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | SMMTSummit Therapeuti… | NVAXNovavax, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $12.9B | $1.7B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $12.7B | $1.7B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -11.52x | 3.93x |
| 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 |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 18.83x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), NVAX scores 5/9 vs SMMT's 1/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | SMMTSummit Therapeuti… | NVAXNovavax, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -163.9% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -143.7% | +37.4% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -163.4% | — |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -151.5% | +80.7% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 1 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.03x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$204M | $8M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $225M | $241M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $21M | $249M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in SMMT five years ago would be worth $25,060 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $422 for NVAX. Over the past 12 months, NVAX leads with a +21.7% total return vs SMMT's -19.8%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors SMMT at 109.7% vs NVAX's 3.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | SMMTSummit Therapeuti… | NVAXNovavax, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -5.3% | +42.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -19.8% | +21.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +821.7% | +9.5% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +150.6% | -95.8% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +145.8% | -88.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +109.7% | +3.1% |
Risk & Volatility
NVAX is the less volatile stock with a 1.25 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than SMMT's 1.40 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 SMMT's 44.9% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | SMMTSummit Therapeuti… | NVAXNovavax, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.40x | 1.25x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $36.91 | $11.97 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $13.83 | $5.01 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +44.9% | +84.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 50.1 | 74.8 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 2.3M | 4.2M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates SMMT as "Buy" and NVAX as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 56.7% upside for SMMT (target: $26) vs 43.0% for NVAX (target: $15).
| Metric | SMMTSummit Therapeuti… | NVAXNovavax, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $26.00 | $14.50 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 20 | 23 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summit Therapeutics… (SMMT) | 100 | 878.75 | +778.8% |
| Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) | 100 | 72.3 | -27.7% |
Summit Therapeutics… (SMMT) returned +151% over 5 years vs Novavax, Inc. (NVAX)'s -96%. A $10,000 investment in SMMT 5 years ago would be worth $25,060 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summit Therapeutics… (SMMT) | $3M | $0.00 | -100.0% |
| Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) | $15M | $1.1B | +7217.7% |
Summit Therapeutics Inc.'s revenue grew from $3M (2016) to $0M (2025) — a -100.0% CAGR. Novavax, Inc.'s revenue grew from $15M (2016) to $1.1B (2025) — a 61.1% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summit Therapeutics… (SMMT) | -7.4% | -111.9% | -1407.4% |
| Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) | -18.2% | 39.2% | +314.9% |
Novavax, Inc.'s net margin went from -18% (2016) to 39% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summit Therapeutics… (SMMT) | -0.43 | -1.44 | -234.9% |
| Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) | -20.68 | 2.58 | +112.5% |
Summit Therapeutics Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.43 (2016) to $-1.44 (2025). Novavax, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-20.68 (2016) to $2.58 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Summit Therapeutics Inc. generated $-324M FCF in 2025 (-344% vs 2021). Novavax, Inc. generated $-250M FCF in 2025 (-194% vs 2021).
SMMT vs NVAX: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is SMMT or NVAX 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 Summit Therapeutics Inc. (SMMT) a "Buy" — based on 20 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 — SMMT or NVAX?
Over the past 5 years, Summit Therapeutics Inc. (SMMT) delivered a total return of +150.6%, compared to -95.8% for Novavax, Inc. (NVAX). A $10,000 investment in SMMT five years ago would be worth approximately $25K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SMMT returned +145.8% 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 — SMMT or NVAX?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) is the lower-risk stock at 1.25β versus Summit Therapeutics Inc.'s 1.40β — meaning SMMT is approximately 13% more volatile than NVAX relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — SMMT or NVAX?
Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) is the more profitable company, earning 39.2% net margin versus 0.0% for Summit Therapeutics 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 0.0% for SMMT. 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 — SMMT or NVAX?
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 SMMT or NVAX better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Summit Therapeutics Inc. (SMMT) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (+145.8% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (SMMT: +145.8%, 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 SMMT and NVAX?
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: SMMT is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; NVAX is a small-cap deep-value 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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