AZN vs. CNC: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AZN and CNC, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
AZN’s market capitalization of 430.65 billion USD is substantially larger than CNC’s 16.58 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
CNC carries a higher beta at 0.46, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AZN (beta: 0.17) exhibits greater stability.
AZN trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors a convenient way to access its foreign-listed shares. In contrast, CNC is a standard domestic listing.
| Symbol | AZN | CNC |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | AstraZeneca PLC | Centene Corporation |
| Country | GB | US |
| Sector | Healthcare | Healthcare |
| Industry | Drug Manufacturers - General | Medical - Healthcare Plans |
| CEO | Pascal Claude Roland Soriot | Sarah M. London |
| Price | 69.45 USD | 33.31 USD |
| Market Cap | 430.65 billion USD | 16.58 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.17 | 0.46 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NYSE |
| IPO Date | May 12, 1993 | December 13, 2001 |
| ADR | Yes | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AZN and CNC 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
AZN
19.18%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 95.59%
- Q3
- 76.92%
- Median
- 30.71%
- Q1
- 8.97%
- Min
- -14.85%
AZN’s Return on Equity of 19.18% is on par with the norm for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
CNC
12.67%
Medical - Healthcare Plans Industry
- Max
- 13.94%
- Q3
- 13.62%
- Median
- 11.42%
- Q1
- 7.74%
- Min
- 6.98%
CNC’s Return on Equity of 12.67% is on par with the norm for the Medical - Healthcare Plans industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Return on Invested Capital
AZN
10.93%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 25.72%
- Q3
- 17.89%
- Median
- 11.47%
- Q1
- 9.39%
- Min
- 2.87%
AZN’s Return on Invested Capital of 10.93% is in line with the norm for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
CNC
5.50%
Medical - Healthcare Plans Industry
- Max
- 15.50%
- Q3
- 7.12%
- Median
- 5.48%
- Q1
- -3.47%
- Min
- -15.02%
CNC’s Return on Invested Capital of 5.50% is in line with the norm for the Medical - Healthcare Plans industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
Net Profit Margin
AZN
14.14%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 34.51%
- Q3
- 23.04%
- Median
- 14.73%
- Q1
- 11.78%
- Min
- 2.18%
AZN’s Net Profit Margin of 14.14% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
CNC
2.04%
Medical - Healthcare Plans Industry
- Max
- 3.23%
- Q3
- 2.62%
- Median
- 1.70%
- Q1
- 1.27%
- Min
- 1.22%
CNC’s Net Profit Margin of 2.04% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Medical - Healthcare Plans industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin
AZN
19.21%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 40.70%
- Q3
- 28.90%
- Median
- 23.41%
- Q1
- 19.05%
- Min
- 16.13%
AZN’s Operating Profit Margin of 19.21% is around the midpoint for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
CNC
2.13%
Medical - Healthcare Plans Industry
- Max
- 4.30%
- Q3
- 3.77%
- Median
- 2.61%
- Q1
- 1.60%
- Min
- -1.64%
CNC’s Operating Profit Margin of 2.13% is around the midpoint for the Medical - Healthcare Plans industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AZN | CNC |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 19.18% | 12.67% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 7.31% | 3.97% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 10.93% | 5.50% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 14.14% | 2.04% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 19.21% | 2.13% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 81.41% | 15.47% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
AZN
0.90
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 1.67
- Q3
- 1.37
- Median
- 1.26
- Q1
- 0.87
- Min
- 0.39
AZN’s Current Ratio of 0.90 aligns with the median group of the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
CNC
1.11
Medical - Healthcare Plans Industry
- Max
- 1.91
- Q3
- 1.63
- Median
- 1.43
- Q1
- 0.85
- Min
- 0.78
CNC’s Current Ratio of 1.11 aligns with the median group of the Medical - Healthcare Plans industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
AZN
0.77
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 2.95
- Q3
- 2.44
- Median
- 0.86
- Q1
- 0.68
- Min
- 0.09
AZN’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.77 is typical for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
CNC
0.66
Medical - Healthcare Plans Industry
- Max
- 1.06
- Q3
- 0.86
- Median
- 0.75
- Q1
- 0.66
- Min
- 0.66
CNC’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.66 is typical for the Medical - Healthcare Plans 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
AZN
7.95
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 27.46
- Q3
- 14.40
- Median
- 7.80
- Q1
- 4.07
- Min
- 1.67
AZN’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 7.95 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
CNC
5.19
Medical - Healthcare Plans Industry
- Max
- 6.23
- Q3
- 6.23
- Median
- 5.19
- Q1
- 4.64
- Min
- 3.18
CNC’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 5.19 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Medical - Healthcare Plans industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AZN | CNC |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.90 | 1.11 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.70 | 1.11 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.77 | 0.66 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.30 | 0.21 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 1.49 | 0.57 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.95 | 5.19 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AZN and CNC. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
AZN
1.87%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 8.72%
- Q3
- 4.10%
- Median
- 3.34%
- Q1
- 1.89%
- Min
- 0.00%
AZN’s Dividend Yield of 1.87% is in the lower quartile for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
CNC
0.00%
Medical - Healthcare Plans Industry
- Max
- 3.88%
- Q3
- 1.78%
- Median
- 0.73%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
CNC 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.
Dividend Payout Ratio
AZN
63.60%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 266.46%
- Q3
- 78.91%
- Median
- 60.27%
- Q1
- 43.74%
- Min
- 0.00%
AZN’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 63.60% is within the typical range for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
CNC
0.00%
Medical - Healthcare Plans Industry
- Max
- 63.88%
- Q3
- 29.91%
- Median
- 12.57%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
CNC 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 | AZN | CNC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.87% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 63.60% | 0.00% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
AZN
28.12
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 27.96
- Q3
- 25.84
- Median
- 18.32
- Q1
- 16.65
- Min
- 3.39
At 28.12, AZN’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
CNC
4.79
Medical - Healthcare Plans Industry
- Max
- 18.17
- Q3
- 17.32
- Median
- 15.48
- Q1
- 13.55
- Min
- 12.84
CNC’s P/E Ratio of 4.79 is below the typical range for the Medical - Healthcare Plans industry. This may indicate that the stock is potentially undervalued, or it could reflect market concerns about the company’s future prospects.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
AZN
2.56
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 3.10
- Q3
- 3.09
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 2.18
- Min
- 1.02
AZN’s Forward PEG Ratio of 2.56 is within the middle range of its peers in the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
CNC
0.37
Medical - Healthcare Plans Industry
- Max
- 1.41
- Q3
- 1.09
- Median
- 0.85
- Q1
- 0.79
- Min
- 0.60
CNC’s Forward PEG Ratio of 0.37 is below the typical range for the Medical - Healthcare Plans industry. This is a strong indicator that the stock may be undervalued, as its price appears low given its future growth prospects.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
AZN
3.98
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 6.47
- Q3
- 4.47
- Median
- 3.53
- Q1
- 1.96
- Min
- 0.41
AZN’s P/S Ratio of 3.98 aligns with the market consensus for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
CNC
0.10
Medical - Healthcare Plans Industry
- Max
- 0.94
- Q3
- 0.64
- Median
- 0.43
- Q1
- 0.27
- Min
- 0.16
CNC’s P/S Ratio of 0.10 falls below the typical floor for the Medical - Healthcare Plans industry. This could suggest the stock is overlooked or deeply undervalued relative to its sales, but may also reflect significant market concerns about its future.
Price-to-Book Ratio
AZN
5.33
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 7.80
- Q3
- 7.80
- Median
- 5.30
- Q1
- 4.06
- Min
- 1.08
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry.
CNC
0.59
Medical - Healthcare Plans Industry
- Max
- 4.08
- Q3
- 3.83
- Median
- 2.63
- Q1
- 1.74
- Min
- 0.96
CNC’s P/B Ratio of 0.59 is below the established floor for the Medical - Healthcare Plans industry. This may signal that the market is deeply pessimistic or has overlooked the company, potentially offering its asset base at a significant discount.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AZN | CNC |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 28.12 | 4.79 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.56 | 0.37 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.98 | 0.10 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 5.33 | 0.59 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 22.59 | 11.11 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 13.82 | 3.26 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 4.46 | 0.12 |