Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc. (UNCY) vs Alkermes plc (ALKS) 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 | ALKS | -5.2% revenue growth vs UNCY's -100.0% |
| Value | UNCY | Lower P/E (1.0x vs 32.0x) |
| Stability / Safety | ALKS | Beta 0.61 vs UNCY's 0.81, lower leverage |
| Dividends | UNCY | 2.4% yield; 1-year raise streak; ALKS pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | UNCY | +26.0% vs ALKS's -12.3% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | ALKS | 9.7% ROA vs UNCY's -66.0% |
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
Unicycive Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing novel treatments for kidney diseases. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing agreements — with no commercial products yet — while advancing its lead candidates through clinical trials. The company's competitive advantage lies in its specialized focus on kidney disease therapeutics and proprietary drug development platforms targeting unmet medical needs in nephrology.
Alkermes is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes medicines for central nervous system disorders and other serious conditions. It generates revenue primarily from product sales of its proprietary drugs like VIVITROL and ARISTADA — which treat addiction and schizophrenia — along with royalties from partnered products and manufacturing services. The company's competitive advantage lies in its specialized drug delivery technologies that enable long-acting injectable formulations, creating significant barriers to entry for competitors.
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
UNCY leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). ALKS leads in 2 (Profitability & Efficiency, Risk & Volatility).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
ALKS and UNCY operate at a comparable scale, with $1.5B and $0 in trailing revenue.
| Metric | UNCYUnicycive Therape… | ALKSAlkermes plc |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $0 | $1.5B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$31M | $281M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$33M | $242M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$30M | $520,800 |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | — | +86.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | — | +17.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | — | +16.4% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | — | +0.0% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | -10.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +28.3% | -67.0% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | UNCYUnicycive Therape… | ALKSAlkermes plc |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $144M | $5.0B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $119M | $4.5B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -1.24x | 21.05x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 1.01x | 32.04x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 15.89x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | — | 3.38x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 6.25x | 2.79x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 9571.39x |
Profitability & Efficiency
ALKS delivers a 13.3% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $13 in annual profit, vs $-89 for UNCY. ALKS carries lower financial leverage with a 0.04x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to UNCY's 0.10x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), ALKS scores 5/9 vs UNCY's 4/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | UNCYUnicycive Therape… | ALKSAlkermes plc |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -89.1% | +13.3% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -66.0% | +9.7% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | — | +14.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -15.3% | +14.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.10x | 0.04x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$25M | -$518M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $26M | $588M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $773,000 | $70M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -335.02x | 23.55x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in ALKS five years ago would be worth $15,677 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $1,386 for UNCY. Over the past 12 months, UNCY leads with a +26.0% total return vs ALKS's -12.3%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors UNCY at 10.3% vs ALKS's 4.0% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | UNCYUnicycive Therape… | ALKSAlkermes plc |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +19.5% | +6.5% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +26.0% | -12.3% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +34.0% | +12.6% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -86.1% | +56.8% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -86.1% | -6.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +10.3% | +4.0% |
Risk & Volatility
ALKS is the less volatile stock with a 0.61 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than UNCY's 0.81 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. ALKS currently trades 82.9% from its 52-week high vs UNCY's 63.0% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | UNCYUnicycive Therape… | ALKSAlkermes plc |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.81x | 0.61x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $11.00 | $36.32 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $3.71 | $25.17 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +63.0% | +82.9% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 56.2 | 39.0 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 474K | 1.6M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates UNCY as "Buy" and ALKS as "Buy". UNCY is the only dividend payer here at 2.36% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | UNCYUnicycive Therape… | ALKSAlkermes plc |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $46.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 5 | 28 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +2.4% | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.16 | — |
| 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 | Jul 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unicycive Therapeut… (UNCY) | 100 | 12.9 | -87.1% |
| Alkermes plc (ALKS) | 100 | 129.77 | +29.8% |
Alkermes plc (ALKS) returned +57% over 5 years vs Unicycive Therapeut… (UNCY)'s -86%. A $10,000 investment in ALKS 5 years ago would be worth $15,677 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unicycive Therapeut… (UNCY) | $0.00 | $0.00 | — |
| Alkermes plc (ALKS) | $746M | $1.5B | +97.9% |
Alkermes plc's revenue grew from $746M (2016) to $1.5B (2025) — a 7.9% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unicycive Therapeut… (UNCY) | -19.0% | -45.3% | -138.3% |
| Alkermes plc (ALKS) | -28.0% | 16.4% | +158.6% |
Alkermes plc's net margin went from -28% (2016) to 16% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 3 Years
| Stock | 2023 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alkermes plc (ALKS) | 13.2 | 19.6 | +48.5% |
Alkermes plc has traded in a 13x–20x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~21x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unicycive Therapeut… (UNCY) | -0.14 | -5.6 | -3900.0% |
| Alkermes plc (ALKS) | -1.38 | 1.43 | +203.6% |
Alkermes plc's EPS grew from $-1.38 (2016) to $1.43 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc. generated $-29M FCF in 2024 (-394% vs 2021). Alkermes plc generated $1M FCF in 2025 (-99% vs 2021).
UNCY vs ALKS: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is UNCY or ALKS a better buy right now?
Alkermes plc (ALKS) offers the better valuation at 21.0x trailing P/E (32.0x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc. (UNCY) a "Buy" — based on 5 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 — UNCY or ALKS?
On forward P/E, Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc. is actually cheaper at 1.0x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.
03Which is the better long-term investment — UNCY or ALKS?
Over the past 5 years, Alkermes plc (ALKS) delivered a total return of +56.8%, compared to -86.1% for Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc. (UNCY). A $10,000 investment in ALKS five years ago would be worth approximately $16K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ALKS returned -6.7% versus UNCY's -86.1%. 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 — UNCY or ALKS?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Alkermes plc (ALKS) is the lower-risk stock at 0.61β versus Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc.'s 0.81β — meaning UNCY is approximately 33% more volatile than ALKS relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Alkermes plc (ALKS) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 4% versus 10% for Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — UNCY or ALKS?
Alkermes plc (ALKS) is the more profitable company, earning 16.4% net margin versus 0.0% for Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc. — meaning it keeps 16.4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: ALKS leads at 17.2% versus 0.0% for UNCY. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ALKS leads at 86.3%, 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 UNCY or ALKS more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc. (UNCY) trades at 1.0x forward P/E versus 32.0x for Alkermes plc — 31.0x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis.
07Which pays a better dividend — UNCY or ALKS?
In this comparison, UNCY (2.4% yield) pays a dividend. ALKS does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is UNCY or ALKS better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc. (UNCY) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.81), 2.4% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (UNCY: -86.1%, ALKS: -6.7%), 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 UNCY and ALKS?
Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. UNCY pays a dividend while ALKS 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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