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Side-by-side financial comparison of ACACIA RESEARCH CORP (ACTG) and ARDELYX, INC. (ARDX). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

ARDELYX, INC. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($94.5M vs $50.1M, roughly 1.9× ACACIA RESEARCH CORP). ACACIA RESEARCH CORP runs the higher net margin — 6.8% vs -39.8%, a 46.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, ARDELYX, INC. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (27.5% vs 2.6%). Over the past eight quarters, ACACIA RESEARCH CORP's revenue compounded faster (43.6% CAGR vs 13.6%).

Acacia Research Corporation is a publicly traded American company based in New York City. It acquires and operates businesses in industries including the technology, energy, and industrial/manufacturing sectors. Acacia has a strategic relationship with Starboard Value, LP, the company's controlling shareholder. The company has been characterized as a patent troll.

Ardelyx, Inc. is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical firm developing and commercializing innovative therapies for gastrointestinal, cardiorenal and metabolic diseases with high unmet medical needs. Its lead product is approved in the US for irritable bowel syndrome with constipation, and it holds a robust pipeline of early and late-stage drug candidates.

ACTG vs ARDX — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
ARDX
ARDX
1.9× larger
ARDX
$94.5M
$50.1M
ACTG
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
ARDX
ARDX
+24.8% gap
ARDX
27.5%
2.6%
ACTG
Higher net margin
ACTG
ACTG
46.6% more per $
ACTG
6.8%
-39.8%
ARDX
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
ACTG
ACTG
Annualised
ACTG
43.6%
13.6%
ARDX

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Revenue
$50.1M
$94.5M
Net Profit
$3.4M
$-37.6M
Gross Margin
12.8%
Operating Margin
-26.1%
Net Margin
6.8%
-39.8%
Revenue YoY
2.6%
27.5%
Net Profit YoY
125.5%
EPS (diluted)
$0.03
$-0.15

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Q1 26
$94.5M
Q4 25
$50.1M
$125.2M
Q3 25
$59.4M
$110.3M
Q2 25
$51.2M
$97.7M
Q1 25
$124.4M
$74.1M
Q4 24
$48.8M
$116.1M
Q3 24
$23.3M
$98.2M
Q2 24
$25.8M
$73.2M
Net Profit
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Q1 26
$-37.6M
Q4 25
$3.4M
$-407.0K
Q3 25
$-2.7M
$-969.0K
Q2 25
$-3.3M
$-19.1M
Q1 25
$24.3M
$-41.1M
Q4 24
$-13.4M
$4.6M
Q3 24
$-14.0M
$-809.0K
Q2 24
$-8.4M
$-16.5M
Gross Margin
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Q1 26
Q4 25
12.8%
91.3%
Q3 25
21.2%
96.4%
Q2 25
12.8%
87.3%
Q1 25
47.4%
83.4%
Q4 24
17.6%
84.3%
Q3 24
10.1%
84.0%
Q2 24
26.2%
87.1%
Operating Margin
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Q1 26
Q4 25
-26.1%
4.1%
Q3 25
-10.8%
4.2%
Q2 25
-24.2%
-14.7%
Q1 25
30.8%
-49.0%
Q4 24
-32.4%
7.0%
Q3 24
-44.1%
2.3%
Q2 24
-18.4%
-18.6%
Net Margin
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Q1 26
-39.8%
Q4 25
6.8%
-0.3%
Q3 25
-4.6%
-0.9%
Q2 25
-6.4%
-19.5%
Q1 25
19.5%
-55.5%
Q4 24
-27.5%
4.0%
Q3 24
-60.0%
-0.8%
Q2 24
-32.7%
-22.5%
EPS (diluted)
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Q1 26
$-0.15
Q4 25
$0.03
$-0.01
Q3 25
$-0.03
$0.00
Q2 25
$-0.03
$-0.08
Q1 25
$0.25
$-0.17
Q4 24
$-0.14
$0.01
Q3 24
$-0.14
$0.00
Q2 24
$-0.08
$-0.07

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$306.7M
$238.1M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$91.9M
$203.5M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$543.5M
$148.6M
Total Assets
$771.0M
$504.5M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.17×
1.37×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Q1 26
$238.1M
Q4 25
$306.7M
$68.0M
Q3 25
$301.8M
$42.7M
Q2 25
$316.7M
$90.0M
Q1 25
$272.0M
$30.8M
Q4 24
$273.9M
$64.9M
Q3 24
$410.9M
$47.4M
Q2 24
$441.9M
$41.9M
Total Debt
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Q1 26
$203.5M
Q4 25
$91.9M
$202.8M
Q3 25
$202.1M
Q2 25
$201.4M
Q1 25
$151.3M
Q4 24
$150.9M
Q3 24
$100.7M
Q2 24
$100.2M
Stockholders' Equity
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Q1 26
$148.6M
Q4 25
$543.5M
$166.9M
Q3 25
$537.6M
$154.3M
Q2 25
$538.6M
$139.5M
Q1 25
$540.2M
$145.7M
Q4 24
$514.8M
$173.3M
Q3 24
$540.2M
$158.3M
Q2 24
$560.7M
$147.0M
Total Assets
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Q1 26
$504.5M
Q4 25
$771.0M
$501.6M
Q3 25
$768.9M
$486.2M
Q2 25
$775.5M
$466.8M
Q1 25
$801.6M
$410.2M
Q4 24
$756.4M
$435.8M
Q3 24
$707.6M
$367.9M
Q2 24
$753.6M
$343.5M
Debt / Equity
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Q1 26
1.37×
Q4 25
0.17×
1.21×
Q3 25
1.31×
Q2 25
1.44×
Q1 25
1.04×
Q4 24
0.87×
Q3 24
0.64×
Q2 24
0.68×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$75.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
22.01×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Q1 26
Q4 25
$75.2M
$21.0M
Q3 25
$9.5M
$365.0K
Q2 25
$50.1M
$-25.3M
Q1 25
$2.4M
$-38.5M
Q4 24
$50.1M
$9.8M
Q3 24
$-593.0K
$501.0K
Q2 24
$16.1M
$-19.4M
Free Cash Flow
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Q1 26
Q4 25
$20.6M
Q3 25
$209.0K
Q2 25
$-26.0M
Q1 25
$335.0K
$-38.8M
Q4 24
$-98.5M
$9.2M
Q3 24
$-2.8M
$364.0K
Q2 24
$-126.7M
$-19.5M
FCF Margin
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Q1 26
Q4 25
16.4%
Q3 25
0.2%
Q2 25
-26.6%
Q1 25
0.3%
-52.3%
Q4 24
-201.8%
7.9%
Q3 24
-12.1%
0.4%
Q2 24
-490.5%
-26.7%
Capex Intensity
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.3%
Q3 25
0.1%
Q2 25
0.7%
Q1 25
1.7%
0.4%
Q4 24
304.4%
0.5%
Q3 24
9.6%
0.1%
Q2 24
553.0%
0.2%
Cash Conversion
ACTG
ACTG
ARDX
ARDX
Q1 26
Q4 25
22.01×
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
0.10×
Q4 24
2.11×
Q3 24
Q2 24

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

ACTG
ACTG

Energy Operations$16.0M32%
Transportation Safety$10.4M21%
Office Storage And Display Solutions$8.4M17%
Printers Consumables And Parts$6.5M13%
Natural Gas Reserves$5.1M10%
Natural Gas Liquids Reserves$3.3M7%

ARDX
ARDX

IBSRELA$70.1M74%
XPHOZAH$23.3M25%
Non-cash royalty revenue related to the sale of future royalties$695.0K1%
Product supply revenue$354.0K0%

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