AZN vs. IBM: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AZN and IBM, 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 IBM’s 271.36 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
IBM carries a higher beta at 0.65, 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, IBM is a standard domestic listing.
| Symbol | AZN | IBM |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | AstraZeneca PLC | International Business Machines Corporation |
| Country | GB | US |
| Sector | Healthcare | Technology |
| Industry | Drug Manufacturers - General | Information Technology Services |
| CEO | Pascal Claude Roland Soriot | Arvind Krishna |
| Price | 69.45 USD | 291.97 USD |
| Market Cap | 430.65 billion USD | 271.36 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.17 | 0.65 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NYSE |
| IPO Date | May 12, 1993 | September 24, 1915 |
| ADR | Yes | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AZN and IBM 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.
IBM
21.32%
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 47.24%
- Q3
- 23.27%
- Median
- 12.85%
- Q1
- 2.22%
- Min
- -26.63%
IBM’s Return on Equity of 21.32% is on par with the norm for the Information Technology Services 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.
IBM
8.48%
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 28.29%
- Q3
- 13.19%
- Median
- 7.24%
- Q1
- 0.23%
- Min
- -18.82%
IBM’s Return on Invested Capital of 8.48% is in line with the norm for the Information Technology Services 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.
IBM
8.71%
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 20.47%
- Q3
- 11.62%
- Median
- 5.97%
- Q1
- 1.89%
- Min
- -4.62%
IBM’s Net Profit Margin of 8.71% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Information Technology Services 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.
IBM
16.36%
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 29.42%
- Q3
- 14.75%
- Median
- 8.92%
- Q1
- 2.62%
- Min
- -11.92%
An Operating Profit Margin of 16.36% places IBM in the upper quartile for the Information Technology Services 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 | AZN | IBM |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 19.18% | 21.32% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 7.31% | 3.76% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 10.93% | 8.48% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 14.14% | 8.71% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 19.21% | 16.36% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 81.41% | 57.04% |
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.
IBM
1.01
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 3.41
- Q3
- 2.37
- Median
- 1.58
- Q1
- 1.20
- Min
- 0.00
IBM’s Current Ratio of 1.01 falls into the lower quartile for the Information Technology Services industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
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.
IBM
2.49
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.16
- Median
- 0.48
- Q1
- 0.09
- Min
- 0.01
IBM’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Information Technology Services industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 2.49. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.
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.
IBM
5.92
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 17.52
- Q3
- 10.04
- Median
- 4.66
- Q1
- 0.80
- Min
- -10.50
IBM’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 5.92 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Information Technology Services industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AZN | IBM |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.90 | 1.01 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.70 | 0.97 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.77 | 2.49 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.30 | 0.46 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 1.49 | 4.53 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.95 | 5.92 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AZN and IBM. 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.
IBM
2.29%
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 16.57%
- Q3
- 1.39%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 2.29%, IBM offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Information Technology Services industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
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.
IBM
112.81%
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 112.81%
- Q3
- 20.98%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
IBM’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 112.81% is above 100%. This means the company is paying out more in dividends than it earned, a practice that is often unsustainable and could indicate a risk to future dividend stability.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AZN | IBM |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.87% | 2.29% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 63.60% | 112.81% |
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.
IBM
49.51
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 49.12
- Q3
- 36.91
- Median
- 24.84
- Q1
- 15.88
- Min
- 1.55
At 49.51, IBM’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Information Technology Services industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
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.
IBM
9.51
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 5.35
- Q3
- 3.79
- Median
- 2.23
- Q1
- 1.19
- Min
- 0.03
IBM’s Forward PEG Ratio of 9.51 is exceptionally high for the Information Technology Services industry. This suggests its stock price is very high relative to its expected earnings growth, signaling significant overvaluation risk.
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.
IBM
4.32
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 8.15
- Q3
- 4.17
- Median
- 2.14
- Q1
- 1.00
- Min
- 0.10
IBM’s P/S Ratio of 4.32 is in the upper echelon for the Information Technology Services industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
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.
IBM
10.08
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 11.78
- Q3
- 6.14
- Median
- 3.23
- Q1
- 1.97
- Min
- 0.42
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Information Technology Services industry.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AZN | IBM |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 28.12 | 49.51 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.56 | 9.51 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.98 | 4.32 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 5.33 | 10.08 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 22.59 | 22.73 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 13.82 | 26.54 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 4.46 | 5.21 |