Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Xencor, Inc. (XNCR) vs Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (CLDX) 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 | CLDX | -78.6% revenue growth vs XNCR's -100.0% |
| Stability / Safety | CLDX | Beta 1.14 vs XNCR's 1.44, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | CLDX | +46.3% vs XNCR's -16.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | XNCR | -10.5% ROA vs CLDX's -44.4% |
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
Xencor is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that engineers monoclonal antibodies and cytokines to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases. It generates revenue primarily through collaboration agreements and milestone payments from partners — like Amgen and Novartis — who license its antibody engineering platforms and drug candidates. Its key advantage is proprietary XmAb technology platforms that enable precise antibody engineering with enhanced therapeutic properties.
Celldex Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing targeted antibody therapies for cancer and inflammatory diseases. It generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing agreements — with future income dependent on successful clinical development and commercialization of its pipeline candidates. The company's competitive advantage lies in its proprietary antibody platform technology and focused expertise in developing monoclonal and bispecific antibodies against validated targets.
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
CLDX leads in 3 of 6 categories (Profitability & Efficiency, Total Returns). XNCR leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
CLDX and XNCR operate at a comparable scale, with $2M and $0 in trailing revenue. On growth, CLDX holds the edge at -93.6% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | XNCRXencor, Inc. | CLDXCelldex Therapeut… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $0 | $2M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $0 | -$284M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$92M | -$259M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$138M | -$213M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | — | +100.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | — | -191.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | — | -172.5% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | — | -142.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -2.4% | -93.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +87.7% | -73.2% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | XNCRXencor, Inc. | CLDXCelldex Therapeut… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $918M | $2.0B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $932M | $2.0B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -10.30x | -7.72x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | — | 1334.98x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.75x | 3.80x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
XNCR delivers a -7.2% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-7 in annual profit, vs $-49 for CLDX. CLDX carries lower financial leverage with a 0.00x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to XNCR's 0.05x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), CLDX scores 3/9 vs XNCR's 2/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | XNCRXencor, Inc. | CLDXCelldex Therapeut… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -7.2% | -49.1% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -10.5% | -44.4% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | — | -35.2% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | — | -44.7% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 2 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.05x | 0.00x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $14M | -$27M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $54M | $29M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $68M | $2M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in CLDX five years ago would be worth $10,674 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $2,642 for XNCR. Over the past 12 months, CLDX leads with a +46.3% total return vs XNCR's -16.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors CLDX at -11.1% vs XNCR's -26.5% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | XNCRXencor, Inc. | CLDXCelldex Therapeut… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -14.4% | +11.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -16.9% | +46.3% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -60.3% | -29.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -73.6% | +6.7% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +16.1% | -70.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -26.5% | -11.1% |
Risk & Volatility
CLDX is the less volatile stock with a 1.14 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than XNCR's 1.44 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. CLDX currently trades 96.2% from its 52-week high vs XNCR's 68.3% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | XNCRXencor, Inc. | CLDXCelldex Therapeut… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.44x | 1.14x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $18.69 | $31.29 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $6.92 | $14.40 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +68.3% | +96.2% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 61.5 | 71.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 531K | 547K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates XNCR as "Buy" and CLDX as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 125.1% upside for XNCR (target: $29) vs -20.2% for CLDX (target: $24).
| Metric | XNCRXencor, Inc. | CLDXCelldex Therapeut… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $28.75 | $24.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 27 | 19 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.1% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xencor, Inc. (XNCR) | 100 | 37.52 | -62.5% |
| Celldex Therapeutic… (CLDX) | 100 | 952.12 | +852.1% |
Celldex Therapeutic… (CLDX) returned +7% over 5 years vs Xencor, Inc. (XNCR)'s -74%. A $10,000 investment in CLDX 5 years ago would be worth $10,674 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xencor, Inc. (XNCR) | $88M | $0.00 | -100.0% |
| Celldex Therapeutic… (CLDX) | $7M | $2M | -77.9% |
Xencor, Inc.'s revenue grew from $88M (2016) to $0M (2025) — a -100.0% CAGR. Celldex Therapeutics, Inc.'s revenue grew from $7M (2016) to $2M (2025) — a -15.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xencor, Inc. (XNCR) | 27.0% | -2.1% | -107.8% |
| Celldex Therapeutic… (CLDX) | -18.9% | -172.5% | -810.9% |
Celldex Therapeutics, Inc.'s net margin went from -19% (2016) to -173% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xencor, Inc. (XNCR) | 0.56 | -1.24 | -321.4% |
| Celldex Therapeutic… (CLDX) | -18.99 | -3.9 | +79.5% |
Xencor, Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.56 (2016) to $-1.24 (2025) — a NaN% CAGR. Celldex Therapeutics, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-18.99 (2016) to $-3.90 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Xencor, Inc. generated $-138M FCF in 2025 (-321% vs 2021). Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. generated $-211M FCF in 2025 (-239% vs 2021).
XNCR vs CLDX: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is XNCR or CLDX a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Xencor, Inc. (XNCR) a "Buy" — based on 27 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 — XNCR or CLDX?
Over the past 5 years, Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (CLDX) delivered a total return of +6.7%, compared to -73.6% for Xencor, Inc. (XNCR). A $10,000 investment in CLDX five years ago would be worth approximately $11K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: XNCR returned +16.1% versus CLDX's -70.5%. 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 — XNCR or CLDX?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (CLDX) is the lower-risk stock at 1.14β versus Xencor, Inc.'s 1.44β — meaning XNCR is approximately 27% more volatile than CLDX relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (CLDX) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 0% versus 5% for Xencor, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — XNCR or CLDX?
Xencor, Inc. (XNCR) is the more profitable company, earning 0.0% net margin versus -172.5% for Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. — meaning it keeps 0.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: XNCR leads at 0.0% versus -191.6% for CLDX. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CLDX 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 — XNCR or CLDX?
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 XNCR or CLDX better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (CLDX) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.14)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (CLDX: -70.5%, XNCR: +16.1%), 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 XNCR and CLDX?
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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