ALNY vs. WAT: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals vs. Waters Stock Comparison
How do Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) and Waters (WAT) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) and Waters (WAT) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but ALNY is classified in Biotechnology while WAT is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.
| Profile Item | ALNY | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Waters Corporation |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences |
| GICS Industry | Biotechnology | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Biotechnology | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| Market Capitalization | 20.89 billion USD | 44.93 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | June 1, 2004 | November 17, 1995 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ALNY | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -64.57% | 27.70% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -1.58% | 23.32% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -3.13% | 6.27% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ALNY | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 54.08% | 35.45% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.45 | 1.13 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -68.25% | -36.47% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 1.90M | 816.72K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ALNY | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -1.27 | 0.66 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -1.45 | 0.98 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) at 138.07% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Waters (WAT) at 1.12%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
ALNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
138.07%
- ALNY
- 138.07%
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.12%
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- WAT
- 1.12%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
Net Margin (TTM)
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) at 52.85% converts revenue to bottom-line profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while Waters (WAT) at 1.76% keeps roughly the typical share for its industry.
ALNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
52.85%
- ALNY
- 52.85%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.76%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- WAT
- 1.76%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) at 23.72% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Waters (WAT) at 11.38%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
ALNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
23.72%
- Max
- 83.12%
- ALNY
- 23.72%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
11.38%
- Max
- 83.12%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- WAT
- 11.38%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ALNY | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 138.07% | 1.12% |
| ROA (TTM) | 9.51% | 2.36% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 52.85% | 1.76% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 23.72% | 11.38% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 77.28% | 49.83% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) at 65.19% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Waters (WAT) at 6.99% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for ALNY.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Waters (WAT) reports EPS growth of 0.47%, ranked against its industry; Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ALNY | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 65.19% | 6.99% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 52.98% | 2.12% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | 0.47% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -2.84% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Short-term liquidity can only be read on one side of this pairing: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) shows current ratio of 2.48 against its industry benchmark, while Waters (WAT) has no reading this period.
ALNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.48
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- ALNY
- 2.48
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
- WAT
- --
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Waters (WAT) at 0.34 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) at 0.83 uses more debt funding than most peers.
ALNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.83
- Max
- 1.42
- ALNY
- 0.83
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.34
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- WAT
- 0.34
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ALNY | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.48 | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.83 | 0.34 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -0.57 | 3.23 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) nor Waters (WAT) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
ALNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- ALNY
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- WAT
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) nor Waters (WAT) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
ALNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- ALNY
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- WAT
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ALNY | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) at 7.88 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Waters (WAT) at 191.46 trades above its peer range — a wide earnings-valuation gap relative to industry peers.
ALNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
7.88
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- ALNY
- 7.88
- Min
- 0.07
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
191.46
- WAT
- 191.46
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) at 4.17 and Waters (WAT) at 8.01 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
ALNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
4.17
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- ALNY
- 4.17
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
8.01
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- WAT
- 8.01
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) at 5.79 and Waters (WAT) at 2.94 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
ALNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
5.79
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- ALNY
- 5.79
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.94
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- WAT
- 2.94
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ALNY | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 7.88 | 191.46 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 4.17 | 8.01 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 5.79 | 2.94 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.57% | -- |