LEGN vs VCEL vs NWBO Stock Comparison

Legend Biotech, Vericel and Northwest Biotherapeutics Prices as of Nov 2, 2026 Peers: Industry group
1 more company in this comparison (BEAM) Create a free account to keep reading and compare up to 10 companies.
LEGN Legend Biotech Corp
$21.10 +13.6% 1M -34.9% 1Y
Market cap
$3.89B
P/E
–
Revenue (TTM)
$1.27B
Div. yield
–
Gene and Cell Therapy Healthcare
2 wins
VCEL Vericel Corp
$40.51 +0.9% 1M +15.5% 1Y
Market cap
$2.07B
P/E
85.4x
Revenue (TTM)
$306.30M
Div. yield
–
Gene and Cell Therapy Healthcare
5 wins

Head to Head

8 decided of 12

Vericel leads on 5 of the 12 questions below (Vericel 5, Legend Biotech 2, Northwest Biotherapeutics 1). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionLEGNVCELNWBOLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $3.89B $2.07B $283.78M LEGN
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only -42.4x 85.4x -7.2x –
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS — 79.4x — –
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +59.5% +23.0% +98.6% NWBO
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months -7.2% 7.9% -1,789.4% VCEL
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital -4.2% — — –
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA -130.2x — -0.5x LEGN
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield — — — –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -34.9% +15.5% -32.0% VCEL
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -16.4%/yr -4.1%/yr -31.6%/yr VCEL
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 72.5% 41.3% 67.7% VCEL
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 74/100 81/100 39/100 VCEL

Percentile Scorecard

LEGNVCELNWBO

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisLEGNVCELNWBO
Valuation 89 #71 of 623 82 #115 of 623 43 #353 of 623
Growth 97 #20 of 601 94 #36 of 601 76 #143 of 601
Profitability 80 #112 of 553 88 #65 of 553 21 #439 of 553
Financial Health 60 #263 of 654 68 #208 of 654 7 #606 of 654
Shareholder Returns 44 #207 of 367 72 #103 of 367 49 #189 of 367
Overall 74 81 39
  • LEGN ranked among 671 companies in Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
  • VCEL ranked among 671 companies in Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
  • NWBO ranked among 671 companies in Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodLEGNVCELNWBOSPY
1 month +13.6%+0.9%+13.3% -2.3%
3 months +11.0%-12.0%+6.3% -0.7%
6 months -20.4%+11.0%-19.0% +4.8%
Year to date -2.9%+12.5%-26.1% +10.3%
1 year -34.9%+15.5%-32.0% +10.3%
3 years -68.0%+9.9%-78.5% +73.0%
3 years, per year -31.6%+3.2%-40.1% +20.1%
5 years -59.2%-19.0%-85.0% +61.9%
5 years, per year -16.4%-4.1%-31.6% +10.1%
10 years —+1,741.4%-61.4% +258.6%
10 years, per year —+33.8%-9.1% +13.6%

Risk

MeasureLEGNVCELNWBOSPY
Volatility, 1Y 72.5%41.3%67.7% 12.8%
Downside volatility, 1Y 62.7%41.1%95.2% 12.8%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.480.760.93 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.480.38-0.47 0.80
Max drawdown, 5Y -78.2%-64.7%-92.7% -25.4%
From 52-week high -41.8%-16.1%-46.9% -3.5%
52-week high $36.28$48.31$0.32 $779.14
52-week low $16.65$29.34$0.14 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleLEGNVCELNWBO
P/E now vs peer median -42.4xmedian 17.4x 85.4xmedian 17.4x -7.2xmedian 17.4x
P/S now vs peer median 3.1xmedian 8.9x 6.8xmedian 8.9x 130.6xmedian 8.9x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 850.2xmedian 17.0x 60.9xmedian 17.0x -6.6xmedian 17.0x
P/FCF now vs peer median -60.2xmedian 21.4x 33.6xmedian 21.4x -5.7xmedian 21.4x
P/B now vs peer median 3.2xmedian 2.1x 5.6xmedian 2.1x -6.3xmedian 2.1x
PEG now vs peer median -0.90median 0.35 1.57median 0.35 -0.08median 0.35

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsLEGNVCELNWBO
Revenue $1.27B $306.30M $2.17M
Gross profit $727.10M $228.38M –
Operating income -$55.25M $18.24M -$50.33M
Net income -$80.39M $24.22M -$37.73M
Free cash flow -$64.60M $61.66M -$49.77M
R&D $396.15M $29.17M $23.57M
EPS (diluted) $-0.50 $0.46 $-0.02
Cash & equivalents $672.90M $125.40M $595.00K
Total debt $156.40M – $22.48M
Shares (diluted) 184.32M 52.31M 1.64B
Enterprise value $1.39B $1.49B $273.80M

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricLEGNVCELNWBO
P/E -42.4x 85.4x -7.2x
P/FCF -60.2x 33.6x -5.7x
P/Operating cash flow -43.5x 29.8x -5.9x
P/S 3.1x 6.8x 130.6x
P/B 3.2x 5.6x -6.3x
P/Tangible book 3.2x 5.7x -2.9x
EV/EBITDA 850.2x 60.9x -6.6x
EV/EBIT -61.0x 104.8x -6.1x
EV/Revenue 2.7x 6.2x 140.7x
EV/FCF -52.2x 31.0x -6.1x
EV/Operating cash flow -37.7x 27.4x -6.3x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) -0.90 1.57 -0.08

Growth

14 metrics
MetricLEGNVCELNWBO
Revenue growth (1Y) 59.5% 23.0% 98.6%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 97.6% 19.8% 4.9%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 42.4% 24.8% –
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 147.5% 23.9% –
Operating income growth (1Y) 75.3% 1,428% 23.0%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 49.1% 47.8% 5.9%
Net income growth (1Y) 75.3% 240.8% 54.2%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 46.7% 56.6% 24.1%
EPS growth (1Y) 72.0% 228.1% 59.2%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 47.0% 54.3% 93.3%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 67.5% 47.5% -8.6%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 37.1% 33.7% -0.4%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 77.8% 842.9% -10.2%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 44.5% 43.2% 1.9%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricLEGNVCELNWBO
Gross margin 57.2% 74.6% –
EBITDA margin 0.3% 10.2% -2,125%
Operating margin -4.3% 6.0% -2,316%
Pretax margin -4.4% 8.2% -2,750%
Net margin -7.2% 7.9% -1,789%
FCF margin -5.1% 20.1% -2,290%
Operating cash flow margin -7.0% 22.7% -2,224%
Return on equity -8.3% 6.9% –
Return on assets -5.5% 5.1% -76.6%
Return on invested capital -4.2% – –
Return on capital employed -4.3% 4.1% -1,084%
Asset turnover 0.8x 0.6x 0.0x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 1.1x 2.9x 1.3x
Stock comp / revenue 5.2% 12.2% 42.7%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricLEGNVCELNWBO
Debt / assets 8.9% – 29.6%
Debt / equity 0.1x – -0.5x
Net debt / EBITDA -130.2x – -0.5x
Debt / FCF -2.4x – -0.5x
Liabilities / assets 29.8% 26.4% 159.5%
Equity / assets 70.2% 73.6% -59.5%
Interest coverage -4.8x 28.5x -5.3x
Current ratio 3.0x 5.0x 0.0x
Quick ratio 1.7x 4.5x 0.0x
Cash ratio 1.7x 3.1x 0.0x
Altman Z-score 6.65 9.54 -29.82

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricLEGNVCELNWBO
Dividend yield – – –
Net buyback yield -5.5% -0.3% -3.5%
Shareholder yield -5.5% -0.3% -3.5%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – –
Payout ratio (FCF) – – –
Dividend growth (1Y) – – –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusLEGNVCELNWBO
Forward P/E – 79.4xFY2026 –
EPS, next fiscal year $-0.04FY2026 $0.51FY2026 $-0.05FY2026
EPS growth, next FY – +59.4%FY2026 –
EPS growth, the year after – +74.5% –
Revenue, next fiscal year $1.37BFY2026 $324.56MFY2026 $0.00FY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +32.9%FY2026 +17.5%FY2026 –
Revenue growth, the year after +35.9% +16.1% –

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersLEGNVCELNWBO
Held by institutions 55.9% 100.0% 0.1%
Institutions holding 218 318 9
Change in shares held, QoQ +7.3% +0.4% +446.3%
Institutions buying 117 188 3
Institutions selling 78 98 0
Buyers to sellers 1.50 1.92 –

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

LEGNVCELNWBO
LEGN 1.00 0.14 -0.10
VCEL 0.14 1.00 -0.09
NWBO -0.10 -0.09 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, LEGN, VCEL and NWBO?

Legend Biotech (LEGN) is the largest by market capitalisation: Legend Biotech (LEGN) $3.89B, Vericel (VCEL) $2.07B, Northwest Biotherapeutics (NWBO) $283.78M.

Which company is growing faster?

Northwest Biotherapeutics (NWBO) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Legend Biotech (LEGN) +59.5%, Vericel (VCEL) +23.0%, Northwest Biotherapeutics (NWBO) +98.6%.

Which company is more profitable?

Vericel (VCEL) has the highest net margin (Legend Biotech (LEGN) -7.2%, Vericel (VCEL) 7.9%, Northwest Biotherapeutics (NWBO) -1,789.4%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Vericel (VCEL) returned the most: Legend Biotech (LEGN) -34.9%, Vericel (VCEL) +15.5%, Northwest Biotherapeutics (NWBO) -32.0%. Over five years, Vericel (VCEL) compounded fastest (Legend Biotech (LEGN) -16.4%/yr, Vericel (VCEL) -4.1%/yr, Northwest Biotherapeutics (NWBO) -31.6%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Vericel (VCEL) has been the steadiest (Legend Biotech (LEGN) 72.5%, Vericel (VCEL) 41.3%, Northwest Biotherapeutics (NWBO) 67.7%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, LEGN, VCEL and NWBO?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Vericel (VCEL) leads on 5. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.