Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. IONS scored 19.3, ADMA scored 86.3 — ADMA leads.
Compare another set
IONS
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Biotechnology · Quality-Growth
19.3
$45.28 · $7.5B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
67.0
ADMA leads
ADMA
ADMA Biologics, Inc.
Biotechnology · Quality-Growth
86.3
$10.36 · $2.3B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
Fastest growthIONS+33.8%
Strongest balance sheetADMA0.50
Highest qualityADMA87 / 100
Largest discount to fair valueADMA-28%
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
IONS
stronger →← stronger
ADMA
12
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
87
77
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
91
8
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
81
ADMA is stronger on 3 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
IONS
ADMA
-$568mF
FCF
$116mC
+33.8%A
Rev
+19.6%B+
4.98D
D/E
0.50B
8.6xC+
P/S
—
27.33D
PEG
0.80A-
—
P/E
14.8xA-
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
IONS
ADMA
—
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
28% below
—
Growth the price impliesyr-1 FCF growth, fading to 4% · lower = less priced in
~4%/yr
—
1-yr DCF upside
+13%
—
5-yr DCF upside
+38%
—
10-yr DCF upside
+88%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
IONS
Why this score
Diluting shareholders
ADMA
Why this score
Buying back stock
Durable high returns
Earnings outpace cash
The companies
IONSIonis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Biotechnology · $45.28 · beta 0.38
Why now
Biotechnology · market cap $7.5b. Down 48% from 52-week high of $86.74 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +34% — in hypergrowth territory. 22 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $83.64 (implying +85% upside).
Moat
Pharma moat is patent runway + pipeline depth — a single approved molecule funds the next generation of bets. Late-stage trials carry binary readouts that swing valuation 30%+.
Risk
D/E 4.98 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Free cash flow is negative (-$568m) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk. Currently unprofitable (margin -64.7%) — path to GAAP profitability is the core thesis risk.
ADMAADMA Biologics, Inc.
Biotechnology · $10.36 · beta 0.69
Why now
Biotechnology · market cap $2.3b. Down 49% from 52-week high of $20.46 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +20%, comfortably above the S&P median. PEG 0.80 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 4 sell-side analysts publish a mean 1-yr target of $17.00 (implying +64% upside).
Moat
Net margin 33% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. ROE 42% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. Pharma moat is patent runway + pipeline depth — a single approved molecule funds the next generation of bets. Late-stage trials carry binary readouts that swing valuation 30%+.
Risk
Down 49% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up. Trial-readout binary — late-stage clinical trials carry approve/reject outcomes that swing valuation 30%+; the equity is effectively a portfolio of these binary events, not a steady cash-flow business.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where IONS and ADMA diverge
On the headline score the gap is 67.0 points in favor of ADMA. The widest single difference is Quality, where ADMA leads by 74.8 points.
QualityIONS 12.3 · ADMA 87.1ADMA +74.8
ValueIONS 7.6 · ADMA 80.8ADMA +73.2
GrowthIONS 77.2 · ADMA 91.4ADMA +14.2
Pillars run 0–100. Value is judged against each company's own sector, so a Value score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.
Common questions
Is ADMA or IONS the better stock?
ADMA scores higher: ADMA 86.3, IONS 19.3 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
Where do ADMA and IONS differ most?
The widest gap is quality, where ADMA leads by 75 points on the 0–100 pillar scale. ADMA leads all three pillars, so the gap is broad rather than a single-measure difference.
How are ADMA and IONS scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.