TEM vs. VRTX: Tempus AI vs. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Comparison

Company Profile

Tempus AI (TEM) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but TEM is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services while VRTX is classified in Biotechnology.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) carries decades of public-market history since July 24, 1991, while Tempus AI (TEM) listed on June 14, 2024 — long-window comparisons have far more historical data on the VRTX side.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

Return Distribution

Risk Metrics

Tempus AI (TEM) has a highly aggressive beta of 3.34, indicating much higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) is defensive at 0.29 and tends to be less market-sensitive — a wide gap in beta profiles.

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

Tempus AI (TEM) reports a negative ROE of -37.55%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) reports 20.80%, ranking against industry peers normally.

Tempus AI (TEM) reports a negative net margin of -12.54%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) reports 30.70%, ranking against industry peers normally.

Tempus AI (TEM) reports a negative operating margin of -13.82%, usually indicating that operating costs exceeded revenue at the operating-income line. Meanwhile Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) reports 35.57%, ranking against industry peers normally.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Tempus AI (TEM) at 83.41% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 8.90% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for TEM.

Neither Tempus AI (TEM) nor Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) reports a EPS growth value for this period, so a direct comparison isn't possible.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

Tempus AI (TEM) at 2.61 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.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 0.31 is near its industry mid-range for debt-to-equity ratio, while Tempus AI (TEM) at 2.86 sits above its benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

Neither Tempus AI (TEM) nor Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.

Neither Tempus AI (TEM) nor Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) trades at 35.21 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Tempus AI (TEM) has no P/E ratio this period.

On P/S ratio, both Tempus AI (TEM) at 9.19 and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 10.71 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

Both look rich against book: Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 6.63 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Tempus AI (TEM) at 27.66 prices even higher, above its industry range.

Valuation Metrics