LGND vs. EXEL

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

LGND (Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated) and EXEL (Exelixis, Inc.) are both stocks. Both operate in the Biotechnology industry within the Healthcare sector. Over the past 10 years, LGND returned 7.10%/yr vs 22.85%/yr for EXEL. At a 0.37 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

LGND vs. EXEL - Performance Comparison

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, LGND achieves a 23.98% return, which is significantly higher than EXEL's 17.73% return. Over the past 10 years, LGND has underperformed EXEL with an annualized return of 7.10%, while EXEL has yielded a comparatively higher 22.85% annualized return.

LGND

• 1D: 0.70%
• 1M: 2.64%
• YTD: 23.98%
• 6M: 21.43%
• 1Y: 129.02%
• 3Y*: 46.01%
• 5Y*: 15.23%
• 10Y*: 7.10%

EXEL

• 1D: 6.30%
• 1M: 16.82%
• YTD: 17.73%
• 6M: 17.25%
• 1Y: 20.93%
• 3Y*: 39.06%
• 5Y*: 18.19%
• 10Y*: 22.85%

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

LGND vs. EXEL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
LGND Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated	23.98%	76.45%	50.03%	6.92%	-56.75%	55.31%	-4.64%	-23.15%	-0.90%	34.76%
EXEL Exelixis, Inc.	17.73%	31.62%	38.81%	49.56%	-12.25%	-8.92%	13.90%	-10.42%	-35.30%	103.89%

Correlation

The correlation between LGND and EXEL is 0.30, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.30
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.28
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.34
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.35
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 18, 2000	0.37

Fundamentals

Market Cap LGND : $4.66B EXEL : $13.79B
EPS LGND : $7.57 EXEL : $3.00
PE Ratio LGND : 30.96 EXEL : 17.21
PEG Ratio LGND : 0.27 EXEL : 0.30
PS Ratio LGND : 17.32 EXEL : 6.04
PB Ratio LGND : 4.67 EXEL : 7.13
Total Revenue (TTM) LGND : $274.48M EXEL : $2.38B
Gross Profit (TTM) LGND : $221.02M EXEL : $1.70B
EBITDA (TTM) LGND : $253.90M EXEL : $991.79M

Return for Risk

LGND vs. EXEL — Risk / Return Rank

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

LGND

LGND Risk / Return Rank: 95
LGND Sharpe Ratio Rank: 96
LGND Sortino Ratio Rank: 94
LGND Omega Ratio Rank: 93
LGND Calmar Ratio Rank: 97
LGND Martin Ratio Rank: 96

EXEL

EXEL Risk / Return Rank: 56
EXEL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 58
EXEL Sortino Ratio Rank: 52
EXEL Omega Ratio Rank: 54
EXEL Calmar Ratio Rank: 59
EXEL Martin Ratio Rank: 59

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.

LGND vs. EXEL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (LGND) and Exelixis, Inc. (EXEL). 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.

	LGND	EXEL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	3.53	0.52	+3.01
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.92	0.94	+2.98
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.52	1.14	+0.38
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	9.23	0.84	+8.39
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	23.23	2.01	+21.22
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

LGND vs. EXEL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current LGND Sharpe Ratio is 3.53, which is higher than the EXEL Sharpe Ratio of 0.52. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of LGND and EXEL, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	LGND	EXEL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.53	0.52	+3.01
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.35	0.49	-0.14
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.16	0.51	-0.36
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.11	0.08	+0.03

Drawdowns

LGND vs. EXEL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum LGND drawdown since its inception was -93.34%, roughly equal to the maximum EXEL drawdown of -97.38%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LGND and EXEL.

Drawdown Indicators

	LGND	EXEL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-93.34%	-97.38%	+4.04%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.07%	-25.16%	+11.09%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-37.25%	-25.34%	-11.91%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-70.11%	-36.12%	-33.99%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-81.94%	-57.20%	-24.74%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-14.61%	0.00%	-14.61%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-44.57%	-71.11%	+26.54%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.57%	10.44%	-4.87%

Volatility

LGND vs. EXEL - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (LGND) is 14.22%, while Exelixis, Inc. (EXEL) has a volatility of 15.21%. This indicates that LGND experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than EXEL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	LGND	EXEL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	14.22%	15.21%	-0.99%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	27.82%	25.87%	+1.95%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	36.72%	40.23%	-3.51%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	44.07%	37.16%	+6.91%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	45.38%	44.61%	+0.77%

Dividends

LGND vs. EXEL - Dividend Comparison

Neither LGND nor EXEL has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Financials

LGND vs. EXEL - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated and Exelixis, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

LGND - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 51.72M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

EXEL - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Exelixis, Inc. reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 610.81M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

LGND - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated reported an operating income of 17.37M and revenue of 51.72M, resulting in an operating margin of 33.6%.

EXEL - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Exelixis, Inc. reported an operating income of 251.34M and revenue of 610.81M, resulting in an operating margin of 41.2%.

LGND - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated reported a net income of -13.35M and revenue of 51.72M, resulting in a net margin of -25.8%.

EXEL - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Exelixis, Inc. reported a net income of 210.47M and revenue of 610.81M, resulting in a net margin of 34.5%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both LGND and EXEL in my portfolio?

LGND and EXEL have a correlation of 0.30, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, LGND or EXEL?

EXEL has higher volatility (15.21%) compared to LGND (14.22%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LGND dropped -93.34% vs EXEL's -97.38%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

LGND currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.53 vs 0.52), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.