ARGX vs. ZTS: argenx vs. Zoetis Stock Comparison
How do argenx (ARGX) and Zoetis (ZTS) 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 Zoetis (ZTS) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but ARGX is classified in Biotechnology while ZTS is classified in Pharmaceuticals.
Zoetis (ZTS) 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 | ZTS |
|---|---|---|
| Name | argenx SE American Depositary Receipt | Zoetis Inc. Class A Common Stock |
| 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 | 32.26 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | May 18, 2017 | February 1, 2013 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ZTS |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 11.91% | -30.10% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 25.68% | -20.42% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 24.22% | -16.87% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ZTS |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 37.87% | 38.23% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.45 | 0.66 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -38.20% | -70.45% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 359.84K | 4.65M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ZTS |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.20 | -0.90 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.31 | -1.10 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Zoetis (ZTS) earns 57.63% 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
- --
ZTS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
57.63%
- Max
- 109.18%
- ZTS
- 57.63%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both argenx (ARGX) at 31.73% and Zoetis (ZTS) at 26.41% 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%
ZTS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
26.41%
- ZTS
- 26.41%
- 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 Zoetis (ZTS) at 38.19% 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%
ZTS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
38.19%
- Max
- 83.12%
- ZTS
- 38.19%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ZTS |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -- | 57.63% |
| ROA (TTM) | -- | 14.87% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 31.73% | 26.41% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 36.27% | 38.19% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 59.84% | 71.65% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
argenx (ARGX) at 89.64% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Zoetis (ZTS) at 2.28% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for ARGX.
EPS Growth
Both argenx (ARGX) at 53.13% and Zoetis (ZTS) at 10.05% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ZTS |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 89.64% | 2.28% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 116.25% | 5.42% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 53.13% | 10.05% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 10.27% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Short-term liquidity can only be read on one side of this pairing: Zoetis (ZTS) shows current ratio of 2.35 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
- --
ZTS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.35
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- ZTS
- 2.35
- Min
- 0.10
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
argenx (ARGX) at 0.01 keeps leverage in the lower quartile, while Zoetis (ZTS) at 2.80 is above its industry debt-to-equity ratio range.
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
ZTS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.80
- ZTS
- 2.80
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ZTS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | 2.35 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.01 | 2.80 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -2.70 | 1.92 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
argenx (ARGX) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Zoetis (ZTS) reports a yield of 2.55%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
ZTS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.55%
- ZTS
- 2.55%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
argenx (ARGX) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Zoetis (ZTS) reports a payout of 35.24%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
ZTS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
35.24%
- ZTS
- 35.24%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ZTS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 2.55% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 35.24% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both argenx (ARGX) at 32.12 and Zoetis (ZTS) at 13.50 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
ZTS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
13.50
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- ZTS
- 13.50
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both argenx (ARGX) at 9.86 and Zoetis (ZTS) at 3.40 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
ZTS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
3.40
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- ZTS
- 3.40
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both look rich against book: Zoetis (ZTS) at 9.80 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
ZTS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
9.80
- Max
- 13.53
- ZTS
- 9.80
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | ZTS |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 32.12 | 13.50 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 9.86 | 3.40 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 172.23 | 9.80 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | 6.36% |