EXEL vs. VRTX: Exelixis vs. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Comparison
How do Exelixis (EXEL) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) 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
Exelixis (EXEL) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) are both classified in the Biotechnology sub-industry within the broader Biotechnology industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | EXEL | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Exelixis Inc. | Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated Common Stock |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences |
| GICS Industry | Biotechnology | Biotechnology |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Biotechnology | Biotechnology |
| Market Capitalization | 16.98 billion USD | 138.71 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | April 17, 2000 | July 24, 1991 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 74.98% | 34.89% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 50.33% | 14.44% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 31.10% | 23.65% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 34.17% | 29.73% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.41 | 0.29 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -35.41% | -29.07% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.33M | 1.25M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 2.07 | 1.03 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 3.23 | 1.68 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 44.32% and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 20.80% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
44.32%
- Max
- 109.18%
- EXEL
- 44.32%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
VRTX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
20.80%
- Max
- 109.18%
- VRTX
- 20.80%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 35.45% and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 30.70% keep an unusually large share of revenue as bottom-line profit — each net margin clears its industry’s benchmark range.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
35.45%
- EXEL
- 35.45%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
VRTX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
30.70%
- VRTX
- 30.70%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 40.75% and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 35.57% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
40.75%
- Max
- 83.12%
- EXEL
- 40.75%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
VRTX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
35.57%
- Max
- 83.12%
- VRTX
- 35.57%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 44.32% | 20.80% |
| ROA (TTM) | 23.52% | 10.62% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 35.45% | 30.70% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 40.75% | 35.57% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 96.26% | 54.81% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 6.98% and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 8.90% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Exelixis (EXEL) reports EPS growth of 57.95%, ranked against its industry; Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 6.98% | 8.90% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 12.93% | 10.35% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 57.95% | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 70.59% | 6.12% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Exelixis (EXEL) at 3.21 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 2.34 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for VRTX.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
3.21
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- EXEL
- 3.21
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
VRTX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.34
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- VRTX
- 2.34
- Min
- 0.10
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 0.09 and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 0.31 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.09
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- EXEL
- 0.09
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
VRTX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.31
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- VRTX
- 0.31
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 3.21 | 2.34 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.09 | 0.31 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -0.71 | 0.03 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Exelixis (EXEL) nor Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- EXEL
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
VRTX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- VRTX
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Exelixis (EXEL) nor Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- EXEL
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
VRTX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- VRTX
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 20.83 and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 35.21 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
20.83
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- EXEL
- 20.83
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
VRTX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
35.21
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- VRTX
- 35.21
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Exelixis (EXEL) at 6.80 and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 10.71 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
6.80
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- EXEL
- 6.80
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
VRTX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
10.71
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- VRTX
- 10.71
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 9.28 and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 6.63 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
9.28
- Max
- 13.53
- EXEL
- 9.28
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
VRTX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
6.63
- Max
- 13.53
- VRTX
- 6.63
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 20.83 | 35.21 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 6.80 | 10.71 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 9.28 | 6.63 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 4.47% | 1.69% |