Sifting through countless of stocks in the Biotechnology industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. or Alkermes plc because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Alkermes plc compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Alkermes plc

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel therapeutic compounds to treat diseases with high unmet needs. It offers EMPAVELI for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria; and SYFOVRE for treating geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration and geographic atrophy (GA). The company also develops EMPAVELI to treat C3 glomerulopathy and immune complex membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, and delayed graft function; and APL-3007, a small interfering RNA, or siRNA for the treatment of GA. In addition, it conducts preclinical studies for APL-9099, a treatment targeting the neonatal Fc receptor, or FcRn, which has the potential to be a first-in-class gene editing treatment for future target indications with one-time dosing; and developing other programs with its proprietary in-house capabilities and under its Beam collaboration. It has a collaboration and license agreement with Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (publ) for development and commercialization of pegcetacoplan; and a collaboration with Beam Therapeutics, Inc. focused on the use of Beam’s base editing technology to discover new treatments for complement-driven diseases. Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Alkermes plc, a biopharmaceutical company, researches, develops, and commercializes pharmaceutical products to address unmet medical needs of patients in therapeutic areas in the United States, Ireland, and internationally. It has a portfolio of proprietary commercial products for the treatment of alcohol dependence, opioid dependence, schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder and a pipeline of clinical and preclinical product candidates in development for neurological disorders. Its marketed products include ARISTADA, an intramuscular injectable suspension for the treatment of schizophrenia; ARISTADA INITIO for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults; VIVITROL for the treatment of alcohol and prevention of opioid dependence; and LYBALVI, an oral atypical antipsychotic drug candidate for the treatment of adults with schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder. The company also offers proprietary technology platforms to third parties to enable them to develop, commercialize, and manufacture products. It has collaboration agreements primarily with Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Janssen Pharmaceutica Inc, and Janssen Pharmaceutica International. Alkermes plc was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

Latest Biotechnology and Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Alkermes plc Stock News

As of February 25, 2026, Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. had a $2.7 billion market capitalization, compared to the Biotechnology median of $283.1 million. Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s stock is NA in 2026, NA in the previous five trading days and down 21.85% in the past year.

Currently, Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 124.5. Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $1.0 billion with a 2.2% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was -5.9%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $-1.139 per share for the current fiscal year. Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

Currently, Alkermes plc’s price-earnings ratio is 21.7. Alkermes plc’s trailing 12-month revenue is $1.5 billion with a 16.4% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was -10.6%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $1.929 per share for the current fiscal year. Alkermes plc does not currently pay a dividend.

How We Compare Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Alkermes plc Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Alkermes plc’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

Learn more about A+ Investor here!

Sign Up to Receive a Free Special Report Showing How A+ Grades Can Help You Make Smarter Investment Decisions

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Alkermes plc’s Quality Grades

Company	Ticker	Quality
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.	APLS	C
Alkermes plc	ALKS	A

Like the Value Grade, AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the percentile rank of key metrics. Specifically, the Quality Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and the F-Score.

The score is variable, meaning it can consider all eight measures or, should any of the eight measures not be valid, the remaining measures that are valid. To be assigned a Quality Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) measure and corresponding ranking for at least four of the eight quality measures.

The Quality Score is used to assess the underlying “quality” of a particular stock. A higher-quality stock possesses traits associated with upside potential and reduced downside risk. Backtesting of the Quality Grade shows that stocks with higher grades, on average, outperformed stocks with lower grades over the period of 1998 through 2019.

Stocks receive better grades (higher scores) for having higher scores for the quality subcomponents and worse grades (lower scores) for lower scores for the subcomponents.

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a Quality Score of 53, which is Average. Alkermes plc has a Quality Score of 92, which is Very Strong.

The Quality Grade Winner: Alkermes plc

As you can clearly see from the Quality Grade breakdown above, Alkermes plc has a better overall quality grade than Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.. For investors who are looking for companies with higher quality than others in the same industry, Alkermes plc could be a good stock to add to their portfolios. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Alkermes plc’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.	APLS	C
Alkermes plc	ALKS	D

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 41, which is Average. Alkermes plc has a Momentum Score of 35, which is Weak.

The Momentum Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. or Alkermes plc has a strong enough Momentum Grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. or Alkermes plc is the better investment when it comes to momentum.

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Alkermes plc’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.	APLS	C
Alkermes plc	ALKS	B

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 55, which is Neutral. Alkermes plc has a Earnings Estimate Score of 63, which is Positive.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: Alkermes plc

As you can clearly see from the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, Alkermes plc has a better Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade than Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.. For those who are specifically looking for companies with better short-term prospects when compared to other companies in the same industry, Alkermes plc could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Other Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Alkermes plc Grades

In addition to Estimate Revisions, Momentum and Quality, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Growth.

Growth investing builds on the idea that stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth outperform those of slower-growth companies. AAII measures growth through consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Alkermes plc pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. or Alkermes plc Stock?

Overall, Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. stock has a Momentum Score of 41, Estimate Revisions Score of 55 and Quality Score of 53.

Alkermes plc stock has a Momentum Score of 35, Estimate Revisions Score of 63 and Quality Score of 92.

Comparing Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Alkermes plc’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.