Alkermes (ALKS) vs Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
Alkermes (ALKS) has outperformed Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) over the past year, gaining 33.9% versus a loss of 35.9%. Over five years, ALKS leads with a +30.9% price change compared with +25.8% for IONS. Ionis Pharmaceuticals is the larger company by market cap ($7.34 billion vs $6.95 billion), about 1.1 times the size.
Alkermes converts more of its revenue into profit, with a net margin of 16.4% versus -40.4%.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | ALKS | IONS |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $41.45 | $44.16 |
| Market cap | $6.95B | $7.34B |
| 1-day change | -0.49% | +0.36% |
| YTD return | +48.12% | -44.18% |
| 1-year return | +33.91% | -35.94% |
| 5-year return | +30.87% | +25.81% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 109.07 | — |
| Forward P/E | 22.92 | — |
| EPS (TTM) | $0.38 | $-3.49 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $1.48B | $943.71M |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -5.25% | +33.83% |
| Net income (latest FY) | $241.66M | $-381.39M |
| Gross margin | 86.69% | 98.31% |
| Operating margin | 17.21% | -40.45% |
| Net margin | 16.37% | -40.41% |
| 52-week high | $55.67 | $86.74 |
| 52-week low | $27.00 | $42.63 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -25.55% | -49.09% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +36.47% | +89.40% |
| Average volume | 1.83M | 3.79M |
| Shares outstanding | 167.76M | 166.18M |
| Employees | 2,050 | 1,480 |
| Sector | Health Care | Healthcare |
| Industry | Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations | Biotechnology |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- ALKS has outperformed IONS by 69.9 percentage points over the past year.
- Alkermes is more profitable, keeping 16.4 cents of every revenue dollar as net income versus -40.4 cents for Ionis Pharmaceuticals.
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals grew revenue faster in its latest fiscal year (+33.83% vs -5.25%).
- The two companies sit in different sectors: Alkermes in Health Care and Ionis Pharmaceuticals in Healthcare.
About Alkermes
ALKS stock →Alkermes plc, a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the research, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical products to address unmet medical needs of patients in therapeutic areas in the United States, Ireland, and internationally. The company has a portfolio of proprietary commercial products for the treatment of opioid dependence, alcohol dependence, schizophrenia, bipolar I, and a pipeline of clinical and preclinical product candidates in development for neurological disorders.
Health Care · Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations · 2,050 employees
About Ionis Pharmaceuticals
IONS stock →Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a commercial-stage biotechnology company, provides RNA-targeted medicines in the United States. The company offers TRYNGOLZA reduces triglyceride levels in adults with familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS) and acute pancreatitis; DAWNZERA for prophylaxis to prevent attacks of hereditary angioedema in adults; WAINUA for the treatment of the polyneuropathy of hereditary transthyretin-medicated amyloidosis (ATTRv-PN) in adults; and SPINRAZA for pediatric and adult patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
Healthcare · Biotechnology · 1,480 employees
ALKS vs IONS FAQ
Which is bigger, Alkermes or Ionis Pharmaceuticals?
Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) is larger, with a market capitalization of $7.34B compared with $6.95B for Alkermes (ALKS).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, ALKS or IONS?
ALKS returned +33.91% over the past 12 months, compared with -35.94% for IONS (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Are Alkermes and Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the same industry?
No. Alkermes is in the Health Care sector, while Ionis Pharmaceuticals is in Healthcare.