Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Stoke Therapeutics, Inc. (STOK) vs Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IONS) 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 | STOK | 316.3% revenue growth vs IONS's 33.9% |
| Quality / Margins | STOK | 19.7% net margin vs IONS's -40.4% |
| Stability / Safety | IONS | Beta 0.68 vs STOK's 0.80 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | STOK | +363.8% vs IONS's +144.5% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | STOK | 11.3% ROA vs IONS's -10.8%, ROIC -206.8% vs -12.2% |
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
Stoke Therapeutics is an early-stage biopharmaceutical company developing antisense oligonucleotide medicines that target the root causes of severe genetic diseases. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing agreements — like its partnership with Acadia Pharmaceuticals — while advancing its own pipeline, including lead candidate STK-001 for Dravet syndrome. The company's key advantage is its proprietary TANGO platform, which enables precise upregulation of protein expression to address genetic deficiencies that traditional therapies cannot.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals is a biotech company that discovers and develops RNA-targeted therapeutics for rare diseases and other serious conditions. It generates revenue primarily through royalties from partnered drugs like SPINRAZA for spinal muscular atrophy — which contributed over 70% of total revenue in recent years — plus milestone payments and research funding from pharmaceutical partners. Its key competitive advantage is its proprietary antisense technology platform, which enables precise targeting of disease-causing RNA and has produced multiple FDA-approved therapies.
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
STOK leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). IONS leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
IONS is the larger business by revenue, generating $943M annually — 4.6x STOK's $206M. STOK is the more profitable business, keeping 19.7% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to IONS's -40.4%. On growth, STOK holds the edge at +117.2% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | STOKStoke Therapeutic… | IONSIonis Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $206M | $943M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $30M | -$367M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $41M | -$381M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $52M | $162.9B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +99.5% | +98.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +13.2% | -40.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +19.7% | -40.4% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +25.5% | +172.6% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +117.2% | -10.4% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -38.3% | -113.6% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | STOKStoke Therapeutic… | IONSIonis Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.0B | $13.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.9B | $15.7B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -22.07x | -34.10x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 54.90x | 14.04x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 8.59x | 26.55x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
STOK delivers a 13.2% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $13 in annual profit, vs $-78 for IONS. STOK carries lower financial leverage with a 0.01x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to IONS's 5.78x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), STOK scores 4/9 vs IONS's 3/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | STOKStoke Therapeutic… | IONSIonis Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +13.2% | -77.9% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +11.3% | -10.8% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -2.1% | -12.2% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -47.3% | -16.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.01x | 5.78x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$126M | $2.5B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $128M | $372M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $2M | $2.8B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 10221.67x | -3.53x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in IONS five years ago would be worth $15,014 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $5,955 for STOK. Over the past 12 months, STOK leads with a +363.8% total return vs IONS's +144.5%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors STOK at 60.0% vs IONS's 31.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | STOKStoke Therapeutic… | IONSIonis Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +17.8% | +1.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +363.8% | +144.5% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +309.6% | +126.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -40.4% | +50.1% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +42.4% | +134.8% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +60.0% | +31.2% |
Risk & Volatility
IONS is the less volatile stock with a 0.68 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than STOK's 0.80 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | STOKStoke Therapeutic… | IONSIonis Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.80x | 0.68x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $38.69 | $86.74 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $5.35 | $23.95 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +94.1% | +93.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 62.8 | 44.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 560K | 1.7M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates STOK as "Buy" and IONS as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 17.4% upside for STOK (target: $43) vs 9.8% for IONS (target: $89).
| Metric | STOKStoke Therapeutic… | IONSIonis Pharmaceuti… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $42.75 | $89.13 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 15 | 32 |
| 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 | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stoke Therapeutics,… (STOK) | 100 | 114.34 | +14.3% |
| Ionis Pharmaceutica… (IONS) | 100 | 158.83 | +58.8% |
Ionis Pharmaceutica… (IONS) returned +50% over 5 years vs Stoke Therapeutics,… (STOK)'s -40%. A $10,000 investment in IONS 5 years ago would be worth $15,014 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stoke Therapeutics,… (STOK) | $0.00 | $37M | — |
| Ionis Pharmaceutica… (IONS) | $373M | $944M | +153.2% |
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s revenue grew from $373M (2016) to $944M (2025) — a 10.9% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stoke Therapeutics,… (STOK) | -8.1% | -2.4% | +70.1% |
| Ionis Pharmaceutica… (IONS) | -16.2% | -40.4% | -149.1% |
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s net margin went from -16% (2016) to -40% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stoke Therapeutics,… (STOK) | -0.24 | -1.65 | -587.5% |
| Ionis Pharmaceutica… (IONS) | -0.72 | -2.38 | -230.6% |
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.72 (2016) to $-2.38 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Stoke Therapeutics, Inc. generated $-87M FCF in 2024 (-28% vs 2021). Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. generated $-320M FCF in 2025 (-2581% vs 2021).
STOK vs IONS: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is STOK or IONS a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Stoke Therapeutics, Inc. (STOK) a "Buy" — based on 15 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 — STOK or IONS?
Over the past 5 years, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IONS) delivered a total return of +50.1%, compared to -40.4% for Stoke Therapeutics, Inc. (STOK). A $10,000 investment in IONS five years ago would be worth approximately $15K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: IONS returned +134.8% versus STOK's +42.4%. 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 — STOK or IONS?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IONS) is the lower-risk stock at 0.68β versus Stoke Therapeutics, Inc.'s 0.80β — meaning STOK is approximately 18% more volatile than IONS relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Stoke Therapeutics, Inc. (STOK) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 1% versus 6% for Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — STOK or IONS?
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IONS) is the more profitable company, earning -40.4% net margin versus -243.4% for Stoke Therapeutics, Inc. — meaning it keeps -40.4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: IONS leads at -40.5% versus -277.3% for STOK. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — STOK 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 — STOK or IONS?
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 STOK or IONS better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IONS) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.68), +134.8% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (IONS: +134.8%, STOK: +42.4%), 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 STOK and IONS?
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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