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HALO
Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. · Health Care - Drug Delivery Technology
$82.72
+4.12% this month
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ACAD
Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. · Health Care - CNS Pharmaceuticals
$25.77
-0.77% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
HALO
3
ACAD
1
Comparison scoreboard
HALO LEADS 3/5AI Score
HALO ✓57.4
ACAD 25.4
1Y Return
HALO ✓+37.89%
ACAD +7.20%
Fwd P/E
HALO ✓8.28
ACAD 30.15
Target Up.
HALO +5.04%
ACAD ✓+27.86%
Op. Margin
HALO N/A
ACAD N/A
Metrics last refreshed: 8/4/2026
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 8/4/2026
HALO holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. HALO leads on both 1-year return (+37.89%) and forward P/E quality (8.28x vs 30.15x for ACAD), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for ACAD (+27.86%) than for HALO (+5.04%).
Normalized 1Y performance
HALO
ACAD
Recent returns
HALO
ACAD
Analyst price targets & sentiment
HALO · 9 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (1.9/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$70.00
analyst high$96.00
analyst mean$86.89
current price$82.72
+5.0% upside to analyst mean
ACAD · 20 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (1.8/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$17.00
analyst high$45.00
analyst mean$32.95
current price$25.77
+27.9% 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 | 57.4 | 25.4 |
| AI rank | #210 | #2746 |
| Latest close | $82.72 | $25.77 |
| 1M return | +4.12% | -0.77% |
| 6M return | +11.11% | -1.38% |
| 1Y return | +37.89% | +7.20% |
$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 | $13.79K (+37.9%) started 2025-08-04 | $10.72K (+7.2%) started 2025-08-04 |
| 5Y ago | $20.61K (+106.1%) started 2021-08-04 | $12.24K (+22.4%) started 2021-08-04 |
| 10Y ago | $81.18K (+711.8%) started 2016-08-04 | $7.06K (-29.4%) started 2016-08-04 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | HALO | ACAD |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $9.81B | $4.41B |
| Trailing P/E | 29.13 | 11.77 |
| Forward P/E | 8.28 | 30.15 |
| Price/Sales | 6.50 | 4.03 |
| EV/Revenue | 7.70 | 3.27 |
| Analyst target | $86.89 | $32.95 |
| Target upside | +5.04% | +27.86% |
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 | 0.85 | 0.84 |
| 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 | +37.89% | +7.20% |
| CAGR | +37.92% | +7.20% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.06 | 0.25 | |
| Max drawdown | 24.13% | 27.58% | |
| Max daily drop | 9.01% | 9.92% | |
| Max wkly drop | 13.36% | 14.34% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +106.08% | +22.42% |
| CAGR | +15.56% | +4.13% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.45 | 0.27 | |
| Max drawdown | 49.06% | 57.87% | |
| Max daily drop | 24.56% | 33.32% | |
| Max wkly drop | 31.69% | 24.96% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +711.78% | -29.36% |
| CAGR | +23.30% | -3.42% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.60 | 0.18 | |
| 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
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