LIVE
HALO
Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. · Health Care - Drug Delivery Technology
$68.55
-0.26% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
ACAD
Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. · Health Care - CNS Pharmaceuticals
$21.62
+5.57% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
HALO
3
ACAD
1
Comparison scoreboard
HALO LEADS 3/5AI Score
HALO ✓56.8
ACAD 25.2
1Y Return
HALO ✓+28.97%
ACAD -5.80%
Fwd P/E
HALO ✓6.93
ACAD 24.21
Target Up.
HALO +22.39%
ACAD ✓+46.39%
Op. Margin
HALO N/A
ACAD N/A
Metrics last refreshed: 6/20/2026
Quick take
HALO vs ACAD Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
HALO operates a capital-light drug delivery technology licensing business with growing, high-margin royalty streams from partner drugs, while ACAD is a direct drug developer with two approved CNS drugs facing commercial challenges and ongoing pipeline investment. Both are mid-cap biotechs but with fundamentally different business models and risk profiles.
HALO vs ACAD compares a capital-light drug delivery technology licensor with growing royalty streams against a direct CNS drug developer with approved products navigating commercial execution challenges.
Live analysis · updated 6/20/2026
HALO holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. HALO leads on both 1-year return (+28.97%) and forward P/E (6.93x vs 24.21x for ACAD), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for ACAD (+46.39%) than for HALO (+22.39%).
Normalized 1Y performance
HALO
ACAD
Recent returns
HALO
ACAD
Analyst price targets & sentiment
HALO · 10 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (2.2/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$57.00
analyst high$96.00
analyst mean$83.90
current price$68.55
+22.4% upside to analyst mean
ACAD · 20 analysts
Price target range
analyst low$17.00
analyst high$45.00
analyst mean$31.65
current price$21.62
+46.4% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
HALO may suit investors who:
- →Want exposure to a capital-light, high-margin drug delivery technology royalty business
- →Value the diversification from multiple approved partner drugs generating Halozyme royalties
- →Appreciate the lower clinical risk profile versus direct drug development
ACAD may suit investors who:
- →Want exposure to a CNS drug developer with two approved commercial products
- →Believe Daybue adoption in Rett syndrome will improve as physician and patient experience grows
- →See value in Acadia's pipeline potential beyond its current approved drugs
Performance & AI score
| Metric | HALO | ACAD |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 56.8 | 25.2 |
| AI rank | #227 | #2836 |
| Latest close | $68.55 | $21.62 |
| 1M return | -0.26% | +5.57% |
| 6M return | +4.23% | -19.72% |
| 1Y return | +28.97% | -5.80% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | HALO | ACAD |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $12.9K (+29.0%) started 2025-06-18 | $9.42K (-5.8%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $16.55K (+65.5%) started 2021-06-18 | $8.31K (-16.9%) started 2021-06-18 |
| 10Y ago | $78.79K (+687.9%) started 2016-06-20 | $5.78K (-42.2%) started 2016-06-20 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | HALO | ACAD |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $8.13B | $3.7B |
| Trailing P/E | 24.05 | 9.78 |
| Forward P/E | 6.93 | 24.21 |
| Price/Sales | 5.39 | 3.38 |
| EV/Revenue | 6.71 | 2.54 |
| Analyst target | $83.90 | $31.65 |
| Target upside | +22.39% | +46.39% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | HALO | ACAD |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 42.20% | 9.70% |
| Earnings growth | 31.20% | -81.80% |
| EPS growth | +31.20% | -81.80% |
| FCF margin | +15.12% | +14.07% |
| Operating margin | N/A | N/A |
| Profit margin | 23.13% | 34.30% |
| ROIC proxy | 99.40% | 37.32% |
| Return on equity | 99.40% | 37.32% |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Beta | 0.87 | 0.83 |
| Debt/equity | 991.21 | 4.07 |
| Current ratio | 2.76 | 3.59 |
| Quick ratio | 2.14 | 3.27 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
HALO max drawdown24.13%
ACAD max drawdown27.58%
HALO max wkly drop13.36%
ACAD max wkly drop14.34%
5Y risk snapshot
HALO max drawdown49.06%
ACAD max drawdown57.87%
HALO max wkly drop31.69%
ACAD max wkly drop24.96%
10Y risk snapshot
HALO max drawdown49.06%
ACAD max drawdown77.18%
HALO max wkly drop31.69%
ACAD max wkly drop46.70%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | HALO | ACAD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +28.97% | -5.80% |
| CAGR | +29.00% | -5.80% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.85 | -0.10 | |
| Max drawdown | 24.13% | 27.58% | |
| Max daily drop | 9.01% | 9.92% | |
| Max wkly drop | 13.36% | 14.34% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +65.54% | -16.94% |
| CAGR | +10.61% | -3.65% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.34 | 0.13 | |
| Max drawdown | 49.06% | 57.87% | |
| Max daily drop | 24.56% | 33.32% | |
| Max wkly drop | 31.69% | 24.96% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +687.93% | -42.19% |
| CAGR | +22.94% | -5.34% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.59 | 0.15 | |
| Max drawdown | 49.06% | 77.18% | |
| Max daily drop | 24.56% | 45.35% | |
| Max wkly drop | 31.69% | 46.70% |
Business comparison
| Category | HALO | ACAD |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. | Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. |
| Sector | Health Care - Drug Delivery Technology | Health Care - CNS Pharmaceuticals |
| Industry | N/A | N/A |
| Core business | Halozyme develops and licenses its ENHANZE drug delivery technology — using recombinant human hyaluronidase (rHuPH20) — enabling large-molecule drugs to be delivered subcutaneously (under the skin) instead of intravenously, offering convenience benefits for patients with existing biologics. | Acadia Pharmaceuticals develops drugs for central nervous system (CNS) conditions, with approved products including Nuplazid (pimavanserin) for Parkinson's disease psychosis and Daybue (trofinetide) for Rett syndrome, a rare pediatric neurological disorder. |
| Investor focus | Investors track Halozyme's ENHANZE royalty revenue growth as partner drugs launch subcutaneous formulations, the number of approved and pipeline ENHANZE-partnered drugs, and Halozyme's capital return program. | Investors track Daybue's Rett syndrome patient uptake and revenue growth, Nuplazid's commercial trajectory, and Acadia's pipeline including additional CNS indications. |
HALO strengths
- →Capital-light royalty business model generates high-margin, recurring revenue from partner drug sales without Halozyme needing to own or market drugs directly
- →ENHANZE has been adopted by major pharma companies including Roche, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, and others
- →Growing royalty streams from multiple approved partner drugs provide revenue diversification
ACAD strengths
- →Nuplazid is the only FDA-approved drug specifically for Parkinson's disease psychosis, providing a defined and durable niche
- →Daybue is the first-ever approved treatment for Rett syndrome, establishing Acadia in the rare neurological disease space
- →CNS disease focus provides potential for additional orphan designations and pipeline leverage
Risks to watch — HALO
- →Royalty revenue is dependent on partner drug commercial success — if a partnered drug fails or underperforms, royalty streams disappoint
- →Technology licensing model provides less upside than owning drug franchises directly
- →Competition from other subcutaneous delivery technologies could reduce future partner uptake
Risks to watch — ACAD
- →Daybue tolerability concerns (particularly gastrointestinal side effects) have limited patient uptake versus initial expectations
- →Nuplazid has faced persistent safety scrutiny and limited prescription growth due to the challenging Parkinson's disease patient management context
- →High operating expenses relative to revenue keep Acadia loss-making
Frequently asked questions
Free public comparison
Want deeper AI forecasts?
This comparison page is public and free forever. Subscribers can unlock saved watchlists, full AI rankings, detailed forecasts, and interactive analysis tools.
Related comparisons
More comparisons
Browse all 1,000 comparisons →