Tarsus Pharmaceuticals (TARS) vs Viking Therapeutics (VKTX)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals (TARS) has outperformed Viking Therapeutics (VKTX) over the past year, gaining 7.6% versus a loss of 9.5%. Over five years, VKTX leads with a +374.9% price change compared with +158.1% for TARS. Viking Therapeutics is the larger company by market cap ($3.50 billion vs $3.40 billion), about 1.0 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 | TARS | VKTX |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $72.64 | $27.55 |
| Market cap | $3.40B | $3.50B |
| 1-day change | -1.32% | -3.47% |
| YTD return | -10.10% | -18.87% |
| 1-year return | +7.59% | -9.50% |
| 5-year return | +158.10% | +374.88% |
| EPS (TTM) | $-1.08 | $-4.67 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $451.36M | $0 |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +146.71% | — |
| Net income (latest FY) | $-66.42M | $-359.64M |
| Operating margin | -15.72% | — |
| Net margin | -14.72% | — |
| 52-week high | $91.53 | $43.15 |
| 52-week low | $53.89 | $25.77 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -20.64% | -36.15% |
| Analyst consensus | strong_buy | strong_buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +36.98% | +243.77% |
| Average volume | 894.35K | 4.02M |
| Shares outstanding | 46.79M | 127.17M |
| Employees | 370 | 65 |
| Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| Industry | Biotechnology: Biological Products (No Diagnostic Substances) | 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
- TARS has outperformed VKTX by 17.1 percentage points over the past year.
About Tarsus Pharmaceuticals
TARS stock →Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development and commercialization of therapeutic candidates for eye care in the United States. The company offers XDEMVY, a lotilaner ophthalmic solution for the treatment of demodex blepharitis caused by the infestation of Demodex mites.
Health Care · Biotechnology: Biological Products (No Diagnostic Substances) · 370 employees
About Viking Therapeutics
VKTX stock →Viking Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development of novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders. Its lead drug candidate is VK2809, an orally available tissue and receptor-subtype selective agonist of the thyroid hormone receptor beta (TRß), which is in Phase IIb clinical trials to treat patients with biopsy-confirmed non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, as well as NAFLD.
Health Care · Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations · 65 employees
TARS vs VKTX FAQ
Which is bigger, Tarsus Pharmaceuticals or Viking Therapeutics?
Viking Therapeutics (VKTX) is larger, with a market capitalization of $3.50B compared with $3.40B for Tarsus Pharmaceuticals (TARS).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, TARS or VKTX?
TARS returned +7.59% over the past 12 months, compared with -9.50% for VKTX (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Are Tarsus Pharmaceuticals and Viking Therapeutics in the same industry?
Both are in the Health Care sector, but in different industries: Biotechnology: Biological Products (No Diagnostic Substances) for Tarsus Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations for Viking Therapeutics.