ASML vs. HSBC: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ASML and HSBC, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
ASML’s market capitalization stands at 312.40 billion USD, while HSBC’s is 212.14 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.
ASML’s beta of 1.22 points to significantly higher volatility compared to HSBC (beta: 0.49), suggesting ASML has greater potential for both gains and losses relative to market movements.
ASML and HSBC are both American Depositary Receipts (ADRs). This provides U.S. investors with straightforward access to investing in these foreign-listed companies without directly engaging with overseas stock exchanges.
| Symbol | ASML | HSBC |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | ASML Holding N.V. | HSBC Holdings plc |
| Country | NL | GB |
| Sector | Technology | Financial Services |
| Industry | Semiconductors | Banks - Diversified |
| CEO | Christophe D. Fouquet | Georges Bahjat Elhedery |
| Price | 794.5 USD | 60.67 USD |
| Market Cap | 312.40 billion USD | 212.14 billion USD |
| Beta | 1.22 | 0.49 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NYSE |
| IPO Date | March 15, 1995 | July 16, 1999 |
| ADR | Yes | Yes |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ASML 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
ASML
52.08%
Semiconductors Industry
- Max
- 41.84%
- Q3
- 15.81%
- Median
- 6.31%
- Q1
- -5.54%
- Min
- -30.12%
ASML’s Return on Equity of 52.08% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Semiconductors industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
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
ASML
30.91%
Semiconductors Industry
- Max
- 30.91%
- Q3
- 11.34%
- Median
- 4.08%
- Q1
- -2.17%
- Min
- -19.59%
In the upper quartile for the Semiconductors industry, ASML’s Return on Invested Capital of 30.91% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
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
ASML
28.33%
Semiconductors Industry
- Max
- 51.69%
- Q3
- 19.67%
- Median
- 8.56%
- Q1
- -5.44%
- Min
- -38.60%
A Net Profit Margin of 28.33% places ASML in the upper quartile for the Semiconductors 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
ASML
33.76%
Semiconductors Industry
- Max
- 58.03%
- Q3
- 22.12%
- Median
- 8.40%
- Q1
- -3.73%
- Min
- -36.14%
An Operating Profit Margin of 33.76% places ASML in the upper quartile for the Semiconductors industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
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 | ASML | HSBC |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 52.08% | 11.02% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 19.14% | 0.68% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 30.91% | 0.94% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 28.33% | 28.82% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 33.76% | 50.51% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 52.01% | 94.33% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
ASML
1.52
Semiconductors Industry
- Max
- 9.10
- Q3
- 5.23
- Median
- 3.09
- Q1
- 2.49
- Min
- 1.02
ASML’s Current Ratio of 1.52 falls into the lower quartile for the Semiconductors industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
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
ASML
0.21
Semiconductors Industry
- Max
- 0.97
- Q3
- 0.46
- Median
- 0.21
- Q1
- 0.05
- Min
- 0.00
ASML’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.21 is typical for the Semiconductors 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
ASML
--
Semiconductors Industry
- Max
- 36.25
- Q3
- 29.12
- Median
- 7.01
- Q1
- -1.22
- Min
- -18.18
Interest Coverage Ratio data for ASML is currently unavailable.
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 | ASML | HSBC |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.52 | 1.40 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.91 | 1.40 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.21 | 2.49 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.08 | 0.16 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | -0.47 | -240.03 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | -- | 0.97 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ASML 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
ASML
0.85%
Semiconductors Industry
- Max
- 6.48%
- Q3
- 0.93%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ASML’s Dividend Yield of 0.85% is consistent with its peers in the Semiconductors industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
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
ASML
28.49%
Semiconductors Industry
- Max
- 204.29%
- Q3
- 31.85%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ASML’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 28.49% is within the typical range for the Semiconductors industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
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 | ASML | HSBC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.85% | 5.72% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 28.49% | 0.00% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
ASML
29.72
Semiconductors Industry
- Max
- 86.15
- Q3
- 47.38
- Median
- 27.87
- Q1
- 18.89
- Min
- 4.73
ASML’s P/E Ratio of 29.72 is within the middle range for the Semiconductors 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
ASML
1.90
Semiconductors Industry
- Max
- 4.73
- Q3
- 2.80
- Median
- 1.11
- Q1
- 0.68
- Min
- 0.01
The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Semiconductors industry.
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
ASML
8.44
Semiconductors Industry
- Max
- 21.96
- Q3
- 10.21
- Median
- 4.45
- Q1
- 2.32
- Min
- 0.48
ASML’s P/S Ratio of 8.44 aligns with the market consensus for the Semiconductors industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
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
ASML
14.78
Semiconductors Industry
- Max
- 13.12
- Q3
- 6.49
- Median
- 3.31
- Q1
- 1.74
- Min
- 0.23
At 14.78, ASML’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Semiconductors industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
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 | ASML | HSBC |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 29.72 | 10.37 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 1.90 | 1.32 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 8.44 | 2.94 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 14.78 | 1.13 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 27.93 | -- |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 22.09 | -470.72 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 8.27 | 6.00 |