ABT vs. BABA: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ABT and BABA, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
ABT’s market capitalization stands at 233.90 billion USD, while BABA’s is 259.33 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.
ABT’s beta of 0.74 points to significantly higher volatility compared to BABA (beta: 0.21), suggesting ABT has greater potential for both gains and losses relative to market movements.
BABA is an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), allowing U.S. investors direct exposure to its non-U.S. operations. ABT, on the other hand, is a domestic entity.
| Symbol | ABT | BABA |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Abbott Laboratories | Alibaba Group Holding Limited |
| Country | US | CN |
| Sector | Healthcare | Consumer Cyclical |
| Industry | Medical - Devices | Specialty Retail |
| CEO | Robert B. Ford | Yongming Wu |
| Price | 134.44 USD | 108.7 USD |
| Market Cap | 233.90 billion USD | 259.33 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.74 | 0.21 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | March 17, 1980 | September 19, 2014 |
| ADR | No | Yes |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ABT and BABA by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
ABT
30.76%
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 49.04%
- Q3
- 9.53%
- Median
- -7.46%
- Q1
- -32.83%
- Min
- -82.64%
In the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, ABT’s Return on Equity of 30.76% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
BABA
13.33%
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 70.52%
- Q3
- 29.03%
- Median
- 10.90%
- Q1
- -7.86%
- Min
- -57.43%
BABA’s Return on Equity of 13.33% is on par with the norm for the Specialty Retail industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Return on Invested Capital
ABT
19.13%
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 21.88%
- Q3
- 6.63%
- Median
- -1.11%
- Q1
- -21.08%
- Min
- -51.95%
In the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, ABT’s Return on Invested Capital of 19.13% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
BABA
7.90%
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 29.46%
- Q3
- 13.75%
- Median
- 8.05%
- Q1
- 0.80%
- Min
- -17.95%
BABA’s Return on Invested Capital of 7.90% is in line with the norm for the Specialty Retail industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
Net Profit Margin
ABT
31.89%
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 44.80%
- Q3
- 9.77%
- Median
- -5.53%
- Q1
- -29.37%
- Min
- -87.68%
A Net Profit Margin of 31.89% places ABT in the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
BABA
13.06%
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 19.78%
- Q3
- 8.49%
- Median
- 3.43%
- Q1
- -0.69%
- Min
- -9.88%
A Net Profit Margin of 13.06% places BABA in the upper quartile for the Specialty Retail industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin
ABT
16.97%
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 30.13%
- Q3
- 13.12%
- Median
- 3.47%
- Q1
- -24.42%
- Min
- -80.56%
An Operating Profit Margin of 16.97% places ABT in the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
BABA
14.14%
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 24.47%
- Q3
- 11.10%
- Median
- 5.85%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- Min
- -12.62%
An Operating Profit Margin of 14.14% places BABA in the upper quartile for the Specialty Retail industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ABT | BABA |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 30.76% | 13.33% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 16.58% | 7.21% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 19.13% | 7.90% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 31.89% | 13.06% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 16.97% | 14.14% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 55.89% | 39.95% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
ABT
1.78
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 12.68
- Q3
- 6.30
- Median
- 4.05
- Q1
- 1.85
- Min
- 0.01
ABT’s Current Ratio of 1.78 falls into the lower quartile for the Medical - Devices industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
BABA
1.55
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 3.24
- Q3
- 1.99
- Median
- 1.42
- Q1
- 1.02
- Min
- 0.54
BABA’s Current Ratio of 1.55 aligns with the median group of the Specialty Retail industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
ABT
0.27
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 2.34
- Q3
- 1.09
- Median
- 0.37
- Q1
- 0.08
- Min
- 0.00
ABT’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.27 is typical for the Medical - Devices industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
BABA
0.25
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 2.72
- Q3
- 1.42
- Median
- 0.87
- Q1
- 0.35
- Min
- 0.01
Falling into the lower quartile for the Specialty Retail industry, BABA’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.25 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
Interest Coverage Ratio
ABT
15.39
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 18.18
- Q3
- 7.53
- Median
- 0.85
- Q1
- -9.80
- Min
- -33.94
ABT’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 15.39 is in the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
BABA
19.85
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 37.34
- Q3
- 17.19
- Median
- 4.28
- Q1
- 0.11
- Min
- -23.60
BABA’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 19.85 is in the upper quartile for the Specialty Retail industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ABT | BABA |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.78 | 1.55 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.27 | 1.55 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.27 | 0.25 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.16 | 0.14 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.60 | 0.55 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 15.39 | 19.85 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ABT and BABA. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
ABT
1.70%
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 3.57%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 1.70%, ABT offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Medical - Devices industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
BABA
1.87%
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 5.54%
- Q3
- 1.52%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 1.87%, BABA offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Specialty Retail industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
Dividend Payout Ratio
ABT
28.92%
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 102.12%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ABT’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 28.92% is in the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
BABA
22.23%
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 177.64%
- Q3
- 9.49%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BABA’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 22.23% is in the upper quartile for the Specialty Retail industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ABT | BABA |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.70% | 1.87% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 28.92% | 22.23% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
ABT
17.40
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 90.56
- Q3
- 56.92
- Median
- 43.19
- Q1
- 21.79
- Min
- 5.55
In the lower quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, ABT’s P/E Ratio of 17.40 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.
BABA
1.79
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 81.45
- Q3
- 42.51
- Median
- 25.40
- Q1
- 12.72
- Min
- 1.88
BABA’s P/E Ratio of 1.79 is below the typical range for the Specialty Retail industry. This may indicate that the stock is potentially undervalued, or it could reflect market concerns about the company’s future prospects.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
ABT
1.73
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 6.56
- Q3
- 3.52
- Median
- 2.22
- Q1
- 0.55
- Min
- 0.03
ABT’s Forward PEG Ratio of 1.73 is within the middle range of its peers in the Medical - Devices industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
BABA
0.17
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 5.90
- Q3
- 2.79
- Median
- 1.76
- Q1
- 0.69
- Min
- 0.00
In the lower quartile for the Specialty Retail industry, BABA’s Forward PEG Ratio of 0.17 is a positive indicator. It suggests that the stock may be attractively valued relative to its expected earnings growth.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
ABT
5.52
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 15.74
- Q3
- 8.12
- Median
- 3.40
- Q1
- 2.37
- Min
- 0.42
ABT’s P/S Ratio of 5.52 aligns with the market consensus for the Medical - Devices industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
BABA
1.84
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 5.26
- Q3
- 2.60
- Median
- 1.29
- Q1
- 0.41
- Min
- 0.06
BABA’s P/S Ratio of 1.84 aligns with the market consensus for the Specialty Retail industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio
ABT
4.81
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 16.65
- Q3
- 8.03
- Median
- 3.73
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- 0.65
ABT’s P/B Ratio of 4.81 is within the conventional range for the Medical - Devices industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
BABA
0.23
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 12.73
- Q3
- 6.96
- Median
- 3.28
- Q1
- 1.42
- Min
- 0.24
BABA’s P/B Ratio of 0.23 is below the established floor for the Specialty Retail industry. This may signal that the market is deeply pessimistic or has overlooked the company, potentially offering its asset base at a significant discount.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ABT | BABA |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 17.40 | 1.79 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 1.73 | 0.17 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 5.52 | 1.84 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 4.81 | 0.23 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 35.14 | 28.06 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 21.49 | 10.31 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 5.68 | 1.95 |