ARGX vs. ELAN: argenx vs. Elanco Animal Health Stock Comparison
How do argenx (ARGX) and Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) 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
argenx (ARGX) and Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but ARGX is classified in Biotechnology while ELAN is classified in Pharmaceuticals.
Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) trades as ordinary local shares, while argenx (ARGX) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.
| Profile Item | ARGX | ELAN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | argenx SE American Depositary Receipt | Elanco Animal Health Incorporated |
| Country/Region | Netherlands | United States |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences |
| GICS Industry | Biotechnology | Pharmaceuticals |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Biotechnology | Pharmaceuticals |
| Market Capitalization | 58.31 billion USD | 12.86 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | May 18, 2017 | September 20, 2018 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ELAN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 11.91% | 24.03% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 25.68% | 37.47% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 24.22% | -4.24% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) has an aggressive beta of 1.65, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while argenx (ARGX) is defensive at 0.45 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | ARGX | ELAN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 37.87% | 43.57% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.45 | 1.65 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -38.20% | -75.59% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 359.84K | 5.65M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ELAN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.20 | 0.45 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.31 | 0.66 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Neither argenx (ARGX) nor Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) reports a ROE value for this period, so a direct comparison isn’t possible.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
- ARGX
- --
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
- ELAN
- --
Net Margin (TTM)
Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) reports a negative net margin of -2.86%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile argenx (ARGX) reports 31.73%, ranking against industry peers normally.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
31.73%
- ARGX
- 31.73%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
-2.86%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- ELAN
- -2.86%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
Operating Margin (TTM)
argenx (ARGX) at 36.27% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) at 6.64%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
36.27%
- Max
- 83.12%
- ARGX
- 36.27%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
6.64%
- Max
- 83.12%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- ELAN
- 6.64%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ELAN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -- | -- |
| ROA (TTM) | -- | -- |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 31.73% | -2.86% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 36.27% | 6.64% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 59.84% | 56.18% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
argenx (ARGX) at 89.64% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) at 6.22% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for ARGX.
EPS Growth
argenx (ARGX) at 53.13% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) at -169.12% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ELAN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 89.64% | 6.22% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 116.25% | 2.25% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 53.13% | -169.12% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Neither argenx (ARGX) nor Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) reports a current ratio value for this period, so a direct comparison isn’t possible.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
- ARGX
- --
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
- ELAN
- --
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
argenx (ARGX) at 0.01 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) at 0.64 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.01
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- ARGX
- 0.01
- Min
- 0.00
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.64
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- ELAN
- 0.64
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ELAN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.01 | 0.64 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -2.70 | 3.49 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither argenx (ARGX) nor Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- ARGX
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- ELAN
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither argenx (ARGX) nor Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- ARGX
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- ELAN
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ELAN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: argenx (ARGX) trades at 32.12 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) has no P/E ratio this period.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
32.12
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- ARGX
- 32.12
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
- ELAN
- --
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) at 2.50 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while argenx (ARGX) at 9.86 prices around its industry’s middle — ELAN costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
9.86
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- ARGX
- 9.86
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.50
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- ELAN
- 2.50
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) at 1.95 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while argenx (ARGX) at 172.23 prices above its benchmark range — ARGX looks rich relative to book.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
172.23
- ARGX
- 172.23
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.95
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- ELAN
- 1.95
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ELAN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 32.12 | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 9.86 | 2.50 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 172.23 | 1.95 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |