Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (IRWD) vs Wave Life Sciences (WVE)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 10, 2026.
Summary
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (IRWD) has outperformed Wave Life Sciences (WVE) over the past year, gaining 115.8% versus a loss of 52.8%. Over five years, WVE leads with a -32.6% price change compared with -72.0% for IRWD. Wave Life Sciences is the larger company by market cap ($681.8 million vs $631.2 million), about 1.1 times the size.
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 | IRWD | WVE |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $3.82 | $3.46 |
| Market cap | $631.22M | $681.79M |
| 1-day change | -1.29% | -0.29% |
| YTD return | +13.35% | -79.59% |
| 1-year return | +115.82% | -52.79% |
| 5-year return | -72.04% | -32.62% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 5.03 | — |
| Forward P/E | 2.55 | — |
| EPS (TTM) | $0.76 | $-1.08 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 52-week high | $5.78 | $21.73 |
| 52-week low | $1.41 | $3.37 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -33.91% | -84.08% |
| Analyst consensus | none | strong_buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +59.69% | +421.97% |
| Average volume | 2.00M | 3.09M |
| Shares outstanding | 165.24M | 197.05M |
| Employees | 100 | 317 |
| Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| Industry | Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations | Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations |
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
- IRWD has outperformed WVE by 168.6 percentage points over the past year.
About Ironwood Pharmaceuticals
IRWD stock →Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company, focuses on the development and commercialization of therapies for gastrointestinal (GI) and rare diseases in the United States and internationally. It sells linaclotide, a guanylate cyclase type-C (GC-C) agonist for the treatment of adults suffering from irritable bowel syndrome with constipation or chronic idiopathic constipation, as well as for pediatric patients suffering from functional constipation under the LINZESS and CONSTELLA names.
Health Care · Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations · 100 employees
About Wave Life Sciences
WVE stock →Wave Life Sciences, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, focuses on unlocking the potential of ribonucleic acid (RNA) medicines to transform human health. Its RNA medicines platform, PRISM, combines RNA medicine modalities, chemistry innovation, and deep insights in human genetics to deliver scientific breakthroughs that treat rare and common disorders.
Health Care · Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations · 317 employees
IRWD vs WVE FAQ
Which is bigger, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals or Wave Life Sciences?
Wave Life Sciences (WVE) is larger, with a market capitalization of $681.79M compared with $631.22M for Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (IRWD).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, IRWD or WVE?
IRWD returned +115.82% over the past 12 months, compared with -52.79% for WVE (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Are Ironwood Pharmaceuticals and Wave Life Sciences in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations industry within the Health Care sector.