AMZN vs. HSBC: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AMZN and HSBC, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
AMZN’s market capitalization of 2,371.81 billion USD is substantially larger than HSBC’s 212.14 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
AMZN’s beta of 1.33 points to significantly higher volatility compared to HSBC (beta: 0.49), suggesting AMZN has greater potential for both gains and losses relative to market movements.
HSBC is an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), allowing U.S. investors direct exposure to its non-U.S. operations. AMZN, on the other hand, is a domestic entity.
| Symbol | AMZN | HSBC |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Amazon.com, Inc. | HSBC Holdings plc |
| Country | US | GB |
| Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Financial Services |
| Industry | Specialty Retail | Banks - Diversified |
| CEO | Andrew R. Jassy | Georges Bahjat Elhedery |
| Price | 223.41 USD | 60.67 USD |
| Market Cap | 2,371.81 billion USD | 212.14 billion USD |
| Beta | 1.33 | 0.49 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NYSE |
| IPO Date | May 15, 1997 | July 16, 1999 |
| ADR | No | Yes |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AMZN and HSBC 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
AMZN
24.26%
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 70.52%
- Q3
- 29.03%
- Median
- 10.90%
- Q1
- -7.86%
- Min
- -57.43%
AMZN’s Return on Equity of 24.26% is on par with the norm for the Specialty Retail industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
HSBC
11.02%
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 20.93%
- Q3
- 14.73%
- Median
- 12.33%
- Q1
- 9.14%
- Min
- 5.86%
HSBC’s Return on Equity of 11.02% is on par with the norm for the Banks - Diversified industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Return on Invested Capital
AMZN
13.10%
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 29.46%
- Q3
- 13.75%
- Median
- 8.05%
- Q1
- 0.80%
- Min
- -17.95%
AMZN’s Return on Invested Capital of 13.10% is in line with the norm for the Specialty Retail industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
HSBC
0.94%
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.
Net Profit Margin
AMZN
10.14%
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 19.78%
- Q3
- 8.49%
- Median
- 3.43%
- Q1
- -0.69%
- Min
- -9.88%
A Net Profit Margin of 10.14% places AMZN in the upper quartile for the Specialty Retail industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
HSBC
28.82%
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 33.40%
- Q3
- 26.40%
- Median
- 19.24%
- Q1
- 14.99%
- Min
- 7.95%
A Net Profit Margin of 28.82% places HSBC in the upper quartile for the Banks - Diversified industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin
AMZN
11.02%
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 24.47%
- Q3
- 11.10%
- Median
- 5.85%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- Min
- -12.62%
AMZN’s Operating Profit Margin of 11.02% is around the midpoint for the Specialty Retail industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
HSBC
50.51%
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 50.90%
- Q3
- 37.76%
- Median
- 28.44%
- Q1
- 15.73%
- Min
- 8.60%
An Operating Profit Margin of 50.51% places HSBC in the upper quartile for the Banks - Diversified 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 | AMZN | HSBC |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 24.26% | 11.02% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 10.25% | 0.68% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 13.10% | 0.94% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 10.14% | 28.82% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 11.02% | 50.51% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 49.16% | 94.33% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
AMZN
1.05
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 3.24
- Q3
- 1.99
- Median
- 1.42
- Q1
- 1.02
- Min
- 0.54
AMZN’s Current Ratio of 1.05 aligns with the median group of the Specialty Retail industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
HSBC
1.40
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.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
AMZN
0.44
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 2.72
- Q3
- 1.42
- Median
- 0.87
- Q1
- 0.35
- Min
- 0.01
AMZN’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.44 is typical for the Specialty Retail industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
HSBC
2.49
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 4.98
- Q3
- 3.65
- Median
- 3.13
- Q1
- 1.73
- Min
- 0.09
HSBC’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 2.49 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.
Interest Coverage Ratio
AMZN
31.13
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 37.34
- Q3
- 17.19
- Median
- 4.28
- Q1
- 0.11
- Min
- -23.60
AMZN’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 31.13 is in the upper quartile for the Specialty Retail industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
HSBC
0.97
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.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AMZN | HSBC |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.05 | 1.40 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.84 | 1.40 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.44 | 2.49 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.21 | 0.16 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.50 | -240.03 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 31.13 | 0.97 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AMZN and HSBC. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
AMZN
0.00%
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 5.54%
- Q3
- 1.52%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AMZN currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
HSBC
5.72%
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 7.73%
- Q3
- 4.16%
- Median
- 3.24%
- Q1
- 2.27%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 5.72%, HSBC offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Banks - Diversified industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
Dividend Payout Ratio
AMZN
0.00%
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 177.64%
- Q3
- 9.49%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AMZN has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
HSBC
0.00%
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 84.94%
- Q3
- 39.11%
- Median
- 26.91%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
HSBC has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AMZN | HSBC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 5.72% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
AMZN
35.92
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 81.45
- Q3
- 42.51
- Median
- 25.40
- Q1
- 12.72
- Min
- 1.88
AMZN’s P/E Ratio of 35.92 is within the middle range for the Specialty Retail industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
HSBC
10.37
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 14.13
- Q3
- 13.37
- Median
- 11.90
- Q1
- 9.29
- Min
- 7.43
HSBC’s P/E Ratio of 10.37 is within the middle range for the Banks - Diversified industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
AMZN
1.72
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 5.90
- Q3
- 2.79
- Median
- 1.76
- Q1
- 0.69
- Min
- 0.00
AMZN’s Forward PEG Ratio of 1.72 is within the middle range of its peers in the Specialty Retail industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
HSBC
1.32
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 1.41
- Median
- 1.15
- Q1
- 0.77
- Min
- 0.45
HSBC’s Forward PEG Ratio of 1.32 is within the middle range of its peers in the Banks - Diversified industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
AMZN
3.65
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 5.26
- Q3
- 2.60
- Median
- 1.29
- Q1
- 0.41
- Min
- 0.06
AMZN’s P/S Ratio of 3.65 is in the upper echelon for the Specialty Retail industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
HSBC
2.94
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.
Price-to-Book Ratio
AMZN
7.74
Specialty Retail Industry
- Max
- 12.73
- Q3
- 6.96
- Median
- 3.28
- Q1
- 1.42
- Min
- 0.24
AMZN’s P/B Ratio of 7.74 is in the upper tier for the Specialty Retail 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.
HSBC
1.13
Banks - Diversified Industry
- Max
- 1.89
- Q3
- 1.47
- Median
- 1.23
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.65
HSBC’s P/B Ratio of 1.13 is within the conventional range for the Banks - Diversified 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.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AMZN | HSBC |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 35.92 | 10.37 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 1.72 | 1.32 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.65 | 2.94 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 7.74 | 1.13 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 113.97 | -- |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 18.07 | -470.72 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.75 | 6.00 |