AZN vs. ICLR: AstraZeneca vs. ICON Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do AstraZeneca (AZN) and ICON (ICLR) 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

AstraZeneca (AZN) and ICON (ICLR) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but AZN is classified in Pharmaceuticals while ICLR is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.

ICON (ICLR) trades as ordinary local shares, while AstraZeneca (AZN) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Company profile comparison for AstraZeneca (AZN) and ICON (ICLR)
Profile Item	AZN	ICLR
Name	AstraZeneca PLC American Depositary Shares	ICON plc
Country/Region	United Kingdom	Ireland
GICS Sector	Health Care	Health Care
GICS Industry Group	Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences	Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences
GICS Industry	Pharmaceuticals	Life Sciences Tools & Services
GICS Sub-Industry	Pharmaceuticals	Life Sciences Tools & Services
Market Capitalization	289.14 billion USD	15.34 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	Nasdaq	Nasdaq
Listing Date	May 12, 1993	May 15, 1998
Security Type	ADR	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

AZN

ICLR

GSPC

AstraZeneca (AZN) vs. ICON (ICLR), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for AstraZeneca (AZN) and ICON (ICLR). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for AstraZeneca (AZN) and ICON (ICLR). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for AstraZeneca (AZN) and ICON (ICLR)
Metric	AZN	ICLR
Total Return (1Y)	12.64%	30.55%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	15.75%	-6.05%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	10.63%	-5.40%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

AZN

ICLR

GSPC

AstraZeneca (AZN) vs. ICON (ICLR), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for AstraZeneca (AZN) and ICON (ICLR). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for AstraZeneca (AZN) and ICON (ICLR)
Metric	AZN	ICLR
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	28.21%	68.62%
Beta (5Y)	0.22	1.17
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-27.87%	-76.87%
Avg. Volume (3M)	3.14M	943.50K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

AZN and ICLR are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for AstraZeneca (AZN) and ICON (ICLR)
Metric	AZN	ICLR
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.30	0.38
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.44	0.52

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

AstraZeneca (AZN) at 22.57% sits in the top ROE quartile, while ICON (ICLR) at 4.70% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for AZN.

AZN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

22.57%

Max: 109.18%
AZN: 22.57%
Q3: 6.23%
Median: -26.66%
Q1: -64.05%
Min: -167.77%

ICLR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

4.70%

Max: 109.18%
Q3: 6.23%
ICLR: 4.70%
Median: -26.66%
Q1: -64.05%
Min: -167.77%

AstraZeneca (AZN) vs. ICON (ICLR): A comparison of their ROE against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

For every dollar of sales, both AstraZeneca (AZN) at 17.68% and ICON (ICLR) at 5.26% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.

AZN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

17.68%

Max: 18.05%
AZN: 17.68%
Q3: 4.78%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -4.14%
Min: -17.05%

ICLR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

5.26%

Max: 18.05%
ICLR: 5.26%
Q3: 4.78%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -4.14%
Min: -17.05%

AstraZeneca (AZN) vs. ICON (ICLR): A comparison of their net margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

AstraZeneca (AZN) at 29.57% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of ICON (ICLR) at 10.73%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

AZN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

29.57%

Max: 83.12%
AZN: 29.57%
Q3: 14.77%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -78.82%
Min: -207.40%

ICLR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

10.73%

Max: 83.12%
Q3: 14.77%
ICLR: 10.73%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -78.82%
Min: -207.40%

AstraZeneca (AZN) vs. ICON (ICLR): A comparison of their operating margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for AstraZeneca (AZN) and ICON (ICLR)
Metric	AZN	ICLR
ROE (TTM)	22.57%	4.70%
ROA (TTM)	8.59%	0.85%
Net Margin (TTM)	17.68%	5.26%
Operating Margin (TTM)	29.57%	10.73%
Gross Margin (TTM)	81.78%	23.44%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both AstraZeneca (AZN) at 8.63% and ICON (ICLR) at 0.76% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

AstraZeneca (AZN) vs. ICON (ICLR): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

AstraZeneca (AZN) at 45.33% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while ICON (ICLR) at -71.56% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.

AstraZeneca (AZN) vs. ICON (ICLR): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for AstraZeneca (AZN) and ICON (ICLR)
Metric	AZN	ICLR
Revenue Growth (YoY)	8.63%	0.76%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	9.82%	2.15%
EPS Growth (YoY)	45.33%	-71.56%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	45.80%	-23.82%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both AstraZeneca (AZN) at 1.01 and ICON (ICLR) at 1.32 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

AZN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.01

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
Q1: 2.47
AZN: 1.01
Min: 0.10

ICLR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.32

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
Q1: 2.47
ICLR: 1.32
Min: 0.10

AstraZeneca (AZN) vs. ICON (ICLR): A comparison of their current ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

ICON (ICLR) at 0.38 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while AstraZeneca (AZN) at 0.66 uses more debt funding than most peers.

AZN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.66

Max: 1.42
AZN: 0.66
Q3: 0.65
Median: 0.15
Q1: 0.02
Min: 0.00

ICLR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.38

Max: 1.42
Q3: 0.65
ICLR: 0.38
Median: 0.15
Q1: 0.02
Min: 0.00

AstraZeneca (AZN) vs. ICON (ICLR): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for AstraZeneca (AZN) and ICON (ICLR)
Metric	AZN	ICLR
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.01	1.32
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.66	0.38
Net Debt / EBITDA	1.23	5.55

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

ICON (ICLR) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile AstraZeneca (AZN) reports a yield of 1.73%, ranking against industry peers normally.

AZN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.73%

AZN: 1.73%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ICLR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

ICLR: 0.00%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AstraZeneca (AZN) vs. ICON (ICLR): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

ICON (ICLR) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile AstraZeneca (AZN) reports a payout of 45.38%, ranking against industry peers normally.

AZN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

45.38%

AZN: 45.38%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ICLR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

ICLR: 0.00%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AstraZeneca (AZN) vs. ICON (ICLR): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for AstraZeneca (AZN) and ICON (ICLR)
Metric	AZN	ICLR
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.73%	0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	45.38%	0.00%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

AstraZeneca (AZN) at 26.37 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while ICON (ICLR) at 81.90 sits in the richer quartile — ICLR needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

AZN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

26.37

Max: 85.34
Q3: 43.46
Median: 26.69
AZN: 26.37
Q1: 13.30
Min: 0.07

ICLR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

81.90

Max: 85.34
ICLR: 81.90
Q3: 43.46
Median: 26.69
Q1: 13.30
Min: 0.07

AstraZeneca (AZN) vs. ICON (ICLR): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

ICON (ICLR) at 1.86 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while AstraZeneca (AZN) at 4.63 prices around its industry’s middle — ICLR costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.

AZN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

4.63

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
Median: 7.30
AZN: 4.63
Q1: 3.01
Min: 0.01

ICLR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.86

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
Median: 7.30
Q1: 3.01
ICLR: 1.86
Min: 0.01

AstraZeneca (AZN) vs. ICON (ICLR): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

ICON (ICLR) at 1.68 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while AstraZeneca (AZN) at 5.59 is valued near its industry’s middle — ICLR is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.

AZN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

5.59

Max: 13.53
Q3: 6.54
AZN: 5.59
Median: 3.25
Q1: 1.69
Min: -5.59

ICLR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.68

Max: 13.53
Q3: 6.54
Median: 3.25
Q1: 1.69
ICLR: 1.68
Min: -5.59

AstraZeneca (AZN) vs. ICON (ICLR): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for AstraZeneca (AZN) and ICON (ICLR)
Metric	AZN	ICLR
P/E Ratio (TTM)	26.37	81.90
P/S Ratio (TTM)	4.63	1.86
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	5.59	1.68
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	1.95%	3.51%