Is Lantheus a Better Buy Than Align Technology?
Align Technology surged 17% during the past Month. You may be tempted to buy more, or may want to reduce your exposure. But there is an entirely different perspective you might be missing. Is there a better alternative? Turns out, its peer Lantheus gives you more. Lantheus (LNTH) stock offers superior revenue growth across key periods, better profitability, and relatively lower valuation vs Align Technology (ALGN) stock, suggesting you may be better off investing in LNTH
- LNTH’s Last 12 Months revenue growth was 1.9%, vs. ALGN’s 0.6%.
- In addition, its Last 3-Year Average revenue growth came in at 25.5%, ahead of ALGN’s 1.0%.
- LNTH leads on profitability over both periods – LTM margin of 22.9% and 3-year average of 19.7%.
These differences become even clearer when you look at the financials side by side. The table highlights how ALGN’s fundamentals stack up against those of LNTH on growth, margins, momentum, and valuation multiples.
Valuation & Performance Overview
| ALGN | LNTH | Preferred | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valuation | |||
| P/EBIT Ratio | 19.5 | 12.8 | LNTH |
| Revenue Growth | |||
| Last Quarter | 1.8% | 1.4% | ALGN |
| Last 12 Months | 0.6% | 1.9% | LNTH |
| Last 3 Year Average | 1.0% | 25.5% | LNTH |
| Operating Margins | |||
| Last 12 Months | 15.2% | 22.9% | LNTH |
| Last 3 Year Average | 16.0% | 19.7% | LNTH |
| Momentum | |||
| Last 3 Year Return | -19.4% | 26.3% | LNTH |
Note: For “Last 3 Year Return” metric, preferred stock is one with higher returns unless the returns are too high (>300%) which creates risk of sell off.
See more revenue details: ALGN Revenue Comparison | LNTH Revenue Comparison
See more margin details: ALGN Operating Income Comparison | LNTH Operating Income Comparison
See detailed fundamentals on Buy or Sell LNTH Stock and Buy or Sell ALGN Stock. Below we compare market return and related metrics across years.
Historical Market Performance
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Total [1] | Avg | Best | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Returns | |||||||||
| ALGN Return | 92% | 23% | -68% | 30% | -24% | -21% | -41% | ||
| LNTH Return | -34% | 114% | 76% | 22% | 44% | -26% | 225% | <=== | |
| S&P 500 Return | 16% | 27% | -19% | 24% | 23% | 16% | 111% | ||
| Monthly Win Rates [3] | |||||||||
| ALGN Win Rate | 75% | 50% | 33% | 58% | 42% | 67% | 54% | ||
| LNTH Win Rate | 42% | 75% | 58% | 67% | 67% | 67% | 62% | ||
| S&P 500 Win Rate | 58% | 75% | 42% | 67% | 75% | 73% | 65% | <=== | |
| Max Drawdowns [4] | |||||||||
| ALGN Max Drawdown | -51% | -7% | -73% | -13% | -26% | -40% | -35% | ||
| LNTH Max Drawdown | -56% | 0% | -16% | -6% | -18% | -44% | -23% | ||
| S&P 500 Max Drawdown | -31% | -1% | -25% | -1% | -2% | -15% | -12% | <=== | |
[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2020
[2] 2025 data is for the year up to 12/15/2025 (YTD)
[3] Win Rate = % of calendar months in which monthly returns were positive
[4] Max drawdown represents maximum peak-to-trough decline within a year
No matter how good the numbers, stock investment is never a smooth ride. There is a risk you must factor in. Read LNTH Dip Buyer Analyses and ALGN Dip Buyer Analyses to see how these stocks have fallen and recovered in the past.
Still not sure about ALGN or LNTH? Consider portfolio approach.
Smart Investing Begins With Portfolios
Stocks can jump or crash but long term success comes from staying invested. The right portfolio helps you ride gains and cushion single stock drops
The Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio, with a collection of 30 stocks, has a track record of comfortably outperforming its benchmark that includes all 3 – the S&P 500, S&P mid-cap, and Russell 2000 indices. Why is that? As a group, HQ Portfolio stocks provided better returns with less risk versus the benchmark index; less of a roller-coaster ride, as evident in HQ Portfolio performance metrics.