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ABT vs. WFC: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

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Here’s a clear look at ABT and WFC, 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 WFC’s is 272.05 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.

WFC carries a higher beta at 1.16, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while ABT (beta: 0.74) exhibits greater stability.

SymbolABTWFC
Company NameAbbott LaboratoriesWells Fargo & Company
CountryUSUS
SectorHealthcareFinancial Services
IndustryMedical - DevicesBanks - Diversified
CEORobert B. FordCharles W. Scharf
Price134.44 USD83.6 USD
Market Cap233.90 billion USD272.05 billion USD
Beta0.741.16
ExchangeNYSENYSE
IPO DateMarch 17, 1980June 1, 1972
ADRNoNo

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of ABT and WFC 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.

ABT vs. WFC: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

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.

WFC

11.11%

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max
20.93%
Q3
14.73%
Median
12.33%
Q1
9.14%
Min
5.86%

WFC’s Return on Equity of 11.11% is on par with the norm for the Banks - Diversified industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

ABT vs. WFC: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Medical - Devices and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

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.

WFC

3.42%

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max
4.52%
Q3
2.95%
Median
1.89%
Q1
0.86%
Min
0.18%

Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Banks - Diversified industry.

ABT vs. WFC: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Medical - Devices and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

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.

WFC

16.19%

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max
33.40%
Q3
26.40%
Median
19.24%
Q1
14.99%
Min
7.95%

WFC’s Net Profit Margin of 16.19% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Banks - Diversified industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

ABT vs. WFC: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Medical - Devices and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

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.

WFC

18.70%

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max
50.90%
Q3
37.76%
Median
28.44%
Q1
15.73%
Min
8.60%

WFC’s Operating Profit Margin of 18.70% is around the midpoint for the Banks - Diversified industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

ABT vs. WFC: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Medical - Devices and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

SymbolABTWFC
Return on Equity (TTM)30.76%11.11%
Return on Assets (TTM)16.58%1.03%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)19.13%3.42%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)31.89%16.19%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)16.97%18.70%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)55.89%62.53%

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.

WFC

0.27

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max
0.67
Q3
0.49
Median
0.39
Q1
0.28
Min
0.06

For the Banks - Diversified industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.

ABT vs. WFC: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

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.

WFC

1.73

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max
4.98
Q3
3.65
Median
3.13
Q1
1.73
Min
0.09

WFC’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.73 is typical for the Banks - Diversified industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

ABT vs. WFC: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

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.

WFC

0.55

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max
0.98
Q3
0.78
Median
0.55
Q1
0.31
Min
0.09

The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Banks - Diversified industry.

ABT vs. WFC: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Medical - Devices and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

SymbolABTWFC
Current Ratio (TTM)1.780.27
Quick Ratio (TTM)1.270.27
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)0.271.73
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)0.160.16
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)0.604.43
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)15.390.55

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ABT and WFC. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth

ABT vs. WFC: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

ABT vs. WFC: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth

ABT vs. WFC: A comparison of their annual year-over-year 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.

WFC

1.91%

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max
7.73%
Q3
4.16%
Median
3.24%
Q1
2.27%
Min
0.00%

WFC’s Dividend Yield of 1.91% is in the lower quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.

ABT vs. WFC: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Medical - Devices and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

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.

WFC

31.63%

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max
84.94%
Q3
39.11%
Median
26.91%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

WFC’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 31.63% is within the typical range for the Banks - Diversified industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

ABT vs. WFC: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

SymbolABTWFC
Dividend Yield (TTM)1.70%1.91%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)28.92%31.63%

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.

WFC

13.71

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max
14.13
Q3
13.37
Median
11.90
Q1
9.29
Min
7.43

A P/E Ratio of 13.71 places WFC in the upper quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.

ABT vs. WFC: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

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.

WFC

0.72

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max
1.98
Q3
1.41
Median
1.15
Q1
0.77
Min
0.45

In the lower quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry, WFC’s Forward PEG Ratio of 0.72 is a positive indicator. It suggests that the stock may be attractively valued relative to its expected earnings growth.

ABT vs. WFC: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

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.

WFC

2.20

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max
4.15
Q3
2.92
Median
2.29
Q1
1.83
Min
0.94

The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Banks - Diversified industry.

ABT vs. WFC: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

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.

WFC

1.51

Banks - Diversified Industry

Max
1.89
Q3
1.47
Median
1.23
Q1
1.10
Min
0.65

WFC’s P/B Ratio of 1.51 is in the upper tier for the Banks - Diversified industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.

ABT vs. WFC: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Banks - Diversified industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

SymbolABTWFC
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)17.4013.71
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)1.730.72
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)5.522.20
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)4.811.51
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)35.1465.98
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)21.4913.29
EV-to-Sales (TTM)5.683.30