Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Theriva Biologics, Inc. (TOVX) vs Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (MCRB) 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 |  TOVX | Beta 0.80 vs MCRB's 1.21, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) |  MCRB | -40.3% vs TOVX's -86.1% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | MCRB | 3.8% ROA vs TOVX's -84.9%, ROIC -180.9% vs -142.7% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
TOVXbeta 0.80
Growth exposure
TOVXEPS growth 33.2%
Long-term compounding (10Y)
MCRB-98.5% 10Y total return vs TOVX's -100.0%
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
TOVXLower volatility, beta 0.80, Low D/E 8.2%, current ratio 2.15x
Defensive / Recession hedge
TOVXBeta 0.80, current ratio 2.15x
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Theriva Biologics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for diseases with high unmet medical need, particularly in oncology and gastrointestinal disorders. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing agreements — though as a pre-revenue clinical-stage company, it currently relies on equity financing and grants to fund operations. The company's competitive advantage lies in its proprietary platform technologies for developing targeted biologics and its focus on niche therapeutic areas where existing treatments are inadequate.
Seres Therapeutics is a microbiome therapeutics company developing bacterial consortia treatments for serious diseases. It generates revenue primarily through collaboration agreements and milestone payments — notably with Nestlé Health Science — while advancing its lead candidate SER-109 toward FDA approval for recurrent C. difficile infection. The company's key advantage is its proprietary platform for rationally designing bacterial consortia that functionally interact with human biology, creating a technical moat in the emerging microbiome therapeutics field.
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
MCRB 2TOVX 0MCRB1/1 metricsMCRB5/6 metricsMCRB leads in 2 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Total Returns. 3 categories are tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
MCRB and TOVX operate at a comparable scale, with $351,000 and $0 in trailing revenue.
| Metric | TOVXTheriva Biologics… | MCRBSeres Therapeutic… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $0 | $351,000 |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$26M | -$99M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$26M | $5M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$19M | -$23M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | — | -50.1% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | — | -294.7% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | — | +15.4% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | — | -66.6% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | — |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +93.4% | +112.3% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | TOVXTheriva Biologics… | MCRBSeres Therapeutic… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2M | $80M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | -$8M | $141M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -0.01x | -0.48x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | — | — |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.01x | 5.15x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
MCRB delivers a 12.3% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $12 in annual profit, vs $-4 for TOVX. TOVX carries lower financial leverage with a 0.08x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to MCRB's 6.65x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), MCRB scores 2/9 vs TOVX's 1/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | TOVXTheriva Biologics… | MCRBSeres Therapeutic… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -3.9% | +12.3% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -84.9% | +3.8% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -142.7% | -180.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -69.1% | -67.7% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 1 | 2 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.08x | 6.65x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$10M | $61M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $12M | $31M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $2M | $92M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in MCRB five years ago would be worth $240 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $14 for TOVX. Over the past 12 months, MCRB leads with a -40.3% total return vs TOVX's -86.1%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors MCRB at -56.4% vs TOVX's -79.4% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | TOVXTheriva Biologics… | MCRBSeres Therapeutic… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -28.1% | -39.7% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -86.1% | -40.3% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -99.1% | -91.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -99.9% | -97.6% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -100.0% | -98.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -79.4% | -56.4% |
Risk & Volatility
TOVX is the less volatile stock with a 0.80 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than MCRB's 1.21 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. MCRB currently trades 30.5% from its 52-week high vs TOVX's 12.5% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | TOVXTheriva Biologics… | MCRBSeres Therapeutic… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.80x | 1.21x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $1.50 | $29.98 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.16 | $6.53 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +12.5% | +30.5% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 47.8 | 32.0 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 11.4M | 69K |
Analyst Outlook
| Metric | TOVXTheriva Biologics… | MCRBSeres Therapeutic… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $1.25 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 18 |
| 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 | Mar 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theriva Biologics, … (TOVX) | 100 | 0.18 | -99.8% |
| Seres Therapeutics,… (MCRB) | 100 | 12.66 | -87.3% |
Seres Therapeutics,… (MCRB) returned -98% over 5 years vs Theriva Biologics, … (TOVX)'s -100%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theriva Biologics, … (TOVX) | $0.00 | $0.00 | — |
| Seres Therapeutics,… (MCRB) | $0.00 | $0.00 | — |
Theriva Biologics, Inc.'s revenue grew from $0M (2015) to $0M (2024) — a 0.0% CAGR. Seres Therapeutics, Inc.'s revenue grew from $0M (2015) to $0M (2024) — a 0.0% CAGR.
Chart 3EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theriva Biologics, … (TOVX) | -189.68 | -19.03 | +90.0% |
| Seres Therapeutics,… (MCRB) | -46.6 | -18.86 | +59.5% |
Theriva Biologics, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-189.68 (2015) to $-19.03 (2024). Seres Therapeutics, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-46.60 (2015) to $-18.86 (2024).
Chart 4Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Theriva Biologics, Inc. generated $-17M FCF in 2024 (-31% vs 2021). Seres Therapeutics, Inc. generated $-149M FCF in 2024 (-5077% vs 2021).
TOVX vs MCRB: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is TOVX or MCRB a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (MCRB) a "Buy" — based on 18 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 — TOVX or MCRB?
Over the past 5 years, Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (MCRB) delivered a total return of -97.6%, compared to -99.9% for Theriva Biologics, Inc. (TOVX). A $10,000 investment in MCRB five years ago would be worth approximately $240 today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: MCRB returned -98.5% versus TOVX's -100.0%. 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 — TOVX or MCRB?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Theriva Biologics, Inc. (TOVX) is the lower-risk stock at 0.80β versus Seres Therapeutics, Inc.'s 1.21β — meaning MCRB is approximately 52% more volatile than TOVX relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Theriva Biologics, Inc. (TOVX) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 8% versus 7% for Seres Therapeutics, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — TOVX or MCRB?
Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (MCRB) is the more profitable company, earning 1537% net margin versus 0.0% for Theriva Biologics, Inc. — meaning it keeps 1537% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: TOVX leads at 0.0% versus -294.7% for MCRB. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — TOVX leads at 0.0%, 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 — TOVX or MCRB?
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 TOVX or MCRB better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Theriva Biologics, Inc. (TOVX) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.80)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (TOVX: -100.0%, MCRB: -98.5%), 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 TOVX and MCRB?
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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