Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Spero Therapeutics, Inc. (SPRO) 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | NVAX | 64.7% revenue growth vs SPRO's -53.8% |
| Value | SPRO | Lower P/E (3.2x vs 3.9x) |
| Quality / Margins | NVAX | 39.2% net margin vs SPRO's -122.6% |
| Stability / Safety | SPRO | Beta 0.86 vs NVAX's 1.25 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | SPRO | +179.8% vs NVAX's +21.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | NVAX | 37.4% ROA vs SPRO's -80.9% |
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
Spero Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel antibiotics to treat multi-drug resistant bacterial infections and rare diseases. It generates revenue primarily through strategic partnerships and licensing agreements — including deals with Meiji Seika Pharma, Everest Medicines, and the Gates Medical Research Institute — while advancing its pipeline toward commercialization. The company's competitive advantage lies in its focus on addressing urgent unmet medical needs in antimicrobial resistance with innovative oral and IV antibiotic candidates that target difficult-to-treat infections.
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 2 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). SPRO leads in 1 (Total Returns). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
NVAX is the larger business by revenue, generating $1.1B annually — 31.4x SPRO's $36M. NVAX is the more profitable business, keeping 39.2% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to SPRO's -122.6%. On growth, NVAX holds the edge at +66.6% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | SPROSpero Therapeutic… | NVAXNovavax, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $36M | $1.1B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$45M | $453M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$44M | $440M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$28M | -$251M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | -2.0% | +93.5% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -130.9% | +40.3% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -122.6% | +39.2% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -77.4% | -22.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -77.4% | +66.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +59.4% | +158.8% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | SPROSpero Therapeutic… | NVAXNovavax, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $122M | $1.7B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $74M | $1.7B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -1.71x | 3.93x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 3.24x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 3.71x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 2.55x | 1.49x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.54x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), NVAX scores 5/9 vs SPRO's 1/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | SPROSpero Therapeutic… | NVAXNovavax, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -165.5% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -80.9% | +37.4% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -3.3% | — |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -71.0% | +80.7% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 1 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.09x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$49M | $8M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $53M | $241M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $4M | $249M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in SPRO five years ago would be worth $1,154 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $422 for NVAX. Over the past 12 months, SPRO leads with a +179.8% total return vs NVAX's +21.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors SPRO at 13.6% vs NVAX's 3.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | SPROSpero Therapeutic… | NVAXNovavax, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -7.7% | +42.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +179.8% | +21.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +46.6% | +9.5% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -88.5% | -95.8% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -81.1% | -88.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +13.6% | +3.1% |
Risk & Volatility
SPRO is the less volatile stock with a 0.86 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 SPRO's 67.4% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | SPROSpero Therapeutic… | NVAXNovavax, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.86x | 1.25x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $3.22 | $11.97 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.51 | $5.01 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +67.4% | +84.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 40.1 | 74.8 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 237K | 4.2M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates SPRO as "Buy" and NVAX as "Buy".
| Metric | SPROSpero Therapeutic… | NVAXNovavax, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $14.50 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 13 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spero Therapeutics,… (SPRO) | 100 | 24.19 | -75.8% |
| Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) | 100 | 72.3 | -27.7% |
Spero Therapeutics,… (SPRO) returned -88% over 5 years vs Novavax, Inc. (NVAX)'s -96%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spero Therapeutics,… (SPRO) | $335000.00 | $48M | +14221.5% |
| Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) | $15M | $1.1B | +7217.7% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spero Therapeutics,… (SPRO) | -76.1% | -142.9% | -87.8% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spero Therapeutics,… (SPRO) | -3.86 | -1.27 | +67.1% |
| Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) | -20.68 | 2.58 | +112.5% |
Novavax, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-20.68 (2016) to $2.58 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Spero Therapeutics, Inc. generated $-23M FCF in 2024. Novavax, Inc. generated $-250M FCF in 2025 (-194% vs 2021).
SPRO vs NVAX: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is SPRO 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 Spero Therapeutics, Inc. (SPRO) a "Buy" — based on 13 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 — SPRO or NVAX?
Over the past 5 years, Spero Therapeutics, Inc. (SPRO) delivered a total return of -88.5%, compared to -95.8% for Novavax, Inc. (NVAX). A $10,000 investment in SPRO five years ago would be worth approximately $1K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SPRO returned -81.1% 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 — SPRO or NVAX?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Spero Therapeutics, Inc. (SPRO) is the lower-risk stock at 0.86β versus Novavax, Inc.'s 1.25β — meaning NVAX is approximately 44% more volatile than SPRO relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — SPRO or NVAX?
Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) is the more profitable company, earning 39.2% net margin versus -142.9% for Spero 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 -152.9% for SPRO. 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 — SPRO 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 SPRO or NVAX better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Spero Therapeutics, Inc. (SPRO) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.86)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (SPRO: -81.1%, 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 SPRO 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: SPRO is a small-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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