APLS vs. VRTX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APLS) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX).

Performance

APLS vs. VRTX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APLS) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

APLS vs. VRTX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
APLS Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.	60.15%	-21.28%	-46.69%	15.76%	9.37%	-17.34%	86.81%	132.15%	-39.22%	54.67%
VRTX Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated	-1.50%	12.58%	-1.03%	40.90%	31.50%	-7.08%	7.94%	32.13%	10.58%	1.14%

Fundamentals

EPS APLS : $0.27 VRTX : $15.35
PE Ratio APLS : 150.97 VRTX : 29.09
PS Ratio APLS : 4.90 VRTX : 9.58
Total Revenue (TTM) APLS : $689.38M VRTX : $12.00B
Gross Profit (TTM) APLS : $587.15M VRTX : $10.35B
EBITDA (TTM) APLS : $55.43M VRTX : $4.74B

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, APLS achieves a 60.15% return, which is significantly higher than VRTX's -1.50% return.

APLS

• 1D: 135.40%
• 1M: 91.94%
• YTD: 60.15%
• 6M: 77.77%
• 1Y: 83.95%
• 3Y*: -15.19%
• 5Y*: -1.46%
• 10Y*: —

VRTX

• 1D: 0.76%
• 1M: -10.12%
• YTD: -1.50%
• 6M: 14.02%
• 1Y: -7.90%
• 3Y*: 12.33%
• 5Y*: 15.95%
• 10Y*: 18.89%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

APLS vs. VRTX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

APLS

APLS Risk / Return Rank: 76
APLS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 62
APLS Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
APLS Omega Ratio Rank: 90
APLS Calmar Ratio Rank: 72
APLS Martin Ratio Rank: 67

VRTX

VRTX Risk / Return Rank: 31
VRTX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 32
VRTX Sortino Ratio Rank: 29
VRTX Omega Ratio Rank: 29
VRTX Calmar Ratio Rank: 32
VRTX Martin Ratio Rank: 31

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

APLS vs. VRTX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APLS) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	APLS	VRTX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.56	-0.22	+0.79
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.83	-0.05	+2.88
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.40	0.99	+0.41
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.51	-0.33	+1.84
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	2.92	-0.65	+3.58
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

APLS vs. VRTX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current APLS Sharpe Ratio is 0.56, which is higher than the VRTX Sharpe Ratio of -0.22. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of APLS and VRTX, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	APLS	VRTX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.56	-0.22	+0.79
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.02	0.56	-0.57
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.57	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.16	0.26	-0.10

Correlation

The correlation between APLS and VRTX is 0.27, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

APLS vs. VRTX - Dividend Comparison

Neither APLS nor VRTX has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

APLS vs. VRTX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum APLS drawdown since its inception was -82.47%, smaller than the maximum VRTX drawdown of -91.77%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for APLS and VRTX.

Drawdown Indicators

	APLS	VRTX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-82.47%	-91.77%	+9.30%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-43.53%	-28.06%	-15.47%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-82.47%	-29.07%	-53.40%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-41.60%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-56.89%	-13.59%	-43.30%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-36.84%	-37.81%	+0.97%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	22.49%	14.33%	+8.16%

Volatility

APLS vs. VRTX - Volatility Comparison

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APLS) has a higher volatility of 87.24% compared to Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) at 11.93%. This indicates that APLS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VRTX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	APLS	VRTX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	87.24%	11.93%	+75.31%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	100.75%	21.67%	+79.08%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	149.78%	35.83%	+113.95%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	91.24%	28.77%	+62.47%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	84.22%	33.24%	+50.98%

Financials