ARGX vs. RPRX: argenx vs. Royalty Pharma Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do argenx (ARGX) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

argenx (ARGX) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but ARGX is classified in Biotechnology while RPRX is classified in Pharmaceuticals.

Royalty Pharma (RPRX) trades as ordinary local shares, while argenx (ARGX) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Company profile comparison for argenx (ARGX) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX)
Profile Item	ARGX	RPRX
Name	argenx SE American Depositary Receipt	Royalty Pharma plc Class A Ordinary Shares
Country/Region	Netherlands	United States
GICS Sector	Health Care	Health Care
GICS Industry Group	Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences	Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences
GICS Industry	Biotechnology	Pharmaceuticals
GICS Sub-Industry	Biotechnology	Pharmaceuticals
Market Capitalization	58.31 billion USD	38.70 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	Nasdaq	Nasdaq
Listing Date	May 18, 2017	June 16, 2020
Security Type	ADR	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ARGX

RPRX

GSPC

argenx (ARGX) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for argenx (ARGX) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for argenx (ARGX) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for argenx (ARGX) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX)
Metric	ARGX	RPRX
Total Return (1Y)	11.91%	81.08%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	25.68%	39.21%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	24.22%	14.22%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ARGX

RPRX

GSPC

argenx (ARGX) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for argenx (ARGX) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for argenx (ARGX) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX)
Metric	ARGX	RPRX
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	37.87%	22.05%
Beta (5Y)	0.45	0.36
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-38.20%	-41.98%
Avg. Volume (3M)	359.84K	3.10M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

ARGX and RPRX are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for argenx (ARGX) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX)
Metric	ARGX	RPRX
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.20	3.48
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.31	5.72

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Royalty Pharma (RPRX) earns 12.09% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; argenx (ARGX) has no ROE this period.

ARGX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

Max: 109.18%
Q3: 6.23%
Median: -26.66%
Q1: -64.05%
Min: -167.77%
ARGX: --

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

12.09%

Max: 109.18%
RPRX: 12.09%
Q3: 6.23%
Median: -26.66%
Q1: -64.05%
Min: -167.77%

argenx (ARGX) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): ARGX does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; RPRX is benchmarked against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both argenx (ARGX) at 31.73% and Royalty Pharma (RPRX) at 25.70% keep an unusually large share of revenue as bottom-line profit — each net margin clears its industry’s benchmark range.

ARGX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

31.73%

ARGX: 31.73%
Max: 18.05%
Q3: 4.78%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -4.14%
Min: -17.05%

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

25.70%

RPRX: 25.70%
Max: 18.05%
Q3: 4.78%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -4.14%
Min: -17.05%

argenx (ARGX) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their net margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both argenx (ARGX) at 36.27% and Royalty Pharma (RPRX) at 81.32% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

ARGX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

36.27%

Max: 83.12%
ARGX: 36.27%
Q3: 14.77%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -78.82%
Min: -207.40%

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

81.32%

Max: 83.12%
RPRX: 81.32%
Q3: 14.77%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -78.82%
Min: -207.40%

argenx (ARGX) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their operating margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for argenx (ARGX) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX)
Metric	ARGX	RPRX
ROE (TTM)	--	12.09%
ROA (TTM)	--	5.43%
Net Margin (TTM)	31.73%	25.70%
Operating Margin (TTM)	36.27%	81.32%
Gross Margin (TTM)	59.84%	99.79%

Growth

Revenue Growth

argenx (ARGX) at 89.64% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Royalty Pharma (RPRX) at 5.06% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for ARGX.

argenx (ARGX) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both argenx (ARGX) at 53.13% and Royalty Pharma (RPRX) at 23.09% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

argenx (ARGX) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for argenx (ARGX) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX)
Metric	ARGX	RPRX
Revenue Growth (YoY)	89.64%	5.06%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	116.25%	2.06%
EPS Growth (YoY)	53.13%	23.09%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	161.10%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Short-term liquidity can only be read on one side of this pairing: Royalty Pharma (RPRX) shows current ratio of 1.29 against its industry benchmark, while argenx (ARGX) has no reading this period.

ARGX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
Q1: 2.47
Min: 0.10
ARGX: --

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.29

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
Q1: 2.47
RPRX: 1.29
Min: 0.10

argenx (ARGX) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): ARGX does not report current ratio, so it has no value marker; RPRX is benchmarked against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

argenx (ARGX) at 0.01 keeps leverage in the lower quartile, while Royalty Pharma (RPRX) at 0.88 sits in the higher-leverage quartile.

ARGX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.01

Max: 1.42
Q3: 0.65
Median: 0.15
Q1: 0.02
ARGX: 0.01
Min: 0.00

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.88

Max: 1.42
RPRX: 0.88
Q3: 0.65
Median: 0.15
Q1: 0.02
Min: 0.00

argenx (ARGX) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for argenx (ARGX) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX)
Metric	ARGX	RPRX
Current Ratio (MRQ)	--	1.29
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.01	0.88
Net Debt / EBITDA	-2.70	4.76

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

argenx (ARGX) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Royalty Pharma (RPRX) reports a yield of 1.37%, ranking against industry peers normally.

ARGX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

ARGX: 0.00%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.37%

RPRX: 1.37%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

argenx (ARGX) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

argenx (ARGX) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Royalty Pharma (RPRX) reports a payout of 60.46%, ranking against industry peers normally.

ARGX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

ARGX: 0.00%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

60.46%

RPRX: 60.46%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

argenx (ARGX) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for argenx (ARGX) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX)
Metric	ARGX	RPRX
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	1.37%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	60.46%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

argenx (ARGX) at 32.12 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Royalty Pharma (RPRX) at 43.99 sits in the richer quartile — RPRX needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

ARGX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

32.12

Max: 85.34
Q3: 43.46
ARGX: 32.12
Median: 26.69
Q1: 13.30
Min: 0.07

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

43.99

Max: 85.34
RPRX: 43.99
Q3: 43.46
Median: 26.69
Q1: 13.30
Min: 0.07

argenx (ARGX) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both argenx (ARGX) at 9.86 and Royalty Pharma (RPRX) at 14.79 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

ARGX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

9.86

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
ARGX: 9.86
Median: 7.30
Q1: 3.01
Min: 0.01

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

14.79

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
RPRX: 14.79
Median: 7.30
Q1: 3.01
Min: 0.01

argenx (ARGX) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Royalty Pharma (RPRX) at 4.39 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while argenx (ARGX) at 172.23 prices above its benchmark range — ARGX looks rich relative to book.

ARGX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

172.23

ARGX: 172.23
Max: 13.53
Q3: 6.54
Median: 3.25
Q1: 1.69
Min: -5.59

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

4.39

Max: 13.53
Q3: 6.54
RPRX: 4.39
Median: 3.25
Q1: 1.69
Min: -5.59

argenx (ARGX) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for argenx (ARGX) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX)
Metric	ARGX	RPRX
P/E Ratio (TTM)	32.12	43.99
P/S Ratio (TTM)	9.86	14.79
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	172.23	4.39
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	--	-1.16%