ARGX vs. ILMN: argenx vs. Illumina Stock Comparison
How do argenx (ARGX) and Illumina (ILMN) 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 Illumina (ILMN) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but ARGX is classified in Biotechnology while ILMN is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.
Illumina (ILMN) 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 | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | argenx SE American Depositary Receipt | Illumina Inc. |
| 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 | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Biotechnology | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| Market Capitalization | 58.31 billion USD | 32.23 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | May 18, 2017 | July 28, 2000 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 11.91% | 79.70% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 25.68% | 28.16% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 24.22% | -10.65% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Illumina (ILMN) has an aggressive beta of 1.46, 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 | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 37.87% | 48.47% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.45 | 1.46 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -38.20% | -82.95% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 359.84K | 2.77M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.20 | 1.56 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.31 | 2.25 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Illumina (ILMN) earns 32.39% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; argenx (ARGX) has no ROE this period.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
- ARGX
- --
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
32.39%
- Max
- 109.18%
- ILMN
- 32.39%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both argenx (ARGX) at 31.73% and Illumina (ILMN) at 19.72% keep an unusually large share of revenue as bottom-line profit — each net margin clears its industry’s benchmark range.
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%
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
19.72%
- ILMN
- 19.72%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both argenx (ARGX) at 36.27% and Illumina (ILMN) at 20.02% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.
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%
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
20.02%
- Max
- 83.12%
- ILMN
- 20.02%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -- | 32.39% |
| ROA (TTM) | -- | 8.32% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 31.73% | 19.72% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 36.27% | 20.02% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 59.84% | 67.68% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
argenx (ARGX) at 89.64% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Illumina (ILMN) at -0.66% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in revenue momentum.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: argenx (ARGX) reports EPS growth of 53.13%, ranked against its industry; Illumina (ILMN) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 89.64% | -0.66% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 116.25% | -1.78% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 53.13% | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Short-term liquidity can only be read on one side of this pairing: Illumina (ILMN) shows current ratio of 2.63 against its industry benchmark, while argenx (ARGX) has no reading this period.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
- ARGX
- --
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.63
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- ILMN
- 2.63
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
argenx (ARGX) at 0.01 keeps leverage in the lower quartile, while Illumina (ILMN) at 0.74 sits in the higher-leverage quartile.
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
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.74
- Max
- 1.42
- ILMN
- 0.74
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | 2.63 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.01 | 0.74 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -2.70 | 0.85 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither argenx (ARGX) nor Illumina (ILMN) 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%
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- ILMN
- 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 Illumina (ILMN) 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%
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- ILMN
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both argenx (ARGX) at 32.12 and Illumina (ILMN) at 36.68 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
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
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
36.68
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- ILMN
- 36.68
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both argenx (ARGX) at 9.86 and Illumina (ILMN) at 7.10 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
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
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
7.10
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- ILMN
- 7.10
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both look rich against book: Illumina (ILMN) at 10.30 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and argenx (ARGX) at 172.23 prices even higher, above its industry range.
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
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
10.30
- Max
- 13.53
- ILMN
- 10.30
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 32.12 | 36.68 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 9.86 | 7.10 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 172.23 | 10.30 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | 2.67% |