AZN vs. IQV: AstraZeneca vs. IQVIA Stock Comparison
How do AstraZeneca (AZN) and IQVIA (IQV) 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 IQVIA (IQV) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but AZN is classified in Pharmaceuticals while IQV is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.
IQVIA (IQV) 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.
| Profile Item | AZN | IQV |
|---|---|---|
| Name | AstraZeneca PLC American Depositary Shares | IQVIA Holdings Inc. |
| Country/Region | United Kingdom | United States |
| 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 | 44.80 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | May 12, 1993 | May 9, 2013 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | AZN | IQV |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 12.64% | 32.11% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 15.75% | 13.15% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 10.63% | 2.00% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | AZN | IQV |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 28.21% | 40.77% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.22 | 1.14 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -27.87% | -51.52% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 3.14M | 1.40M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AZN | IQV |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.30 | 0.68 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.44 | 1.03 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both AstraZeneca (AZN) at 22.57% and IQVIA (IQV) at 21.39% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.
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%
IQV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
21.39%
- Max
- 109.18%
- IQV
- 21.39%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
Net Margin (TTM)
For every dollar of sales, both AstraZeneca (AZN) at 17.68% and IQVIA (IQV) at 8.05% 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%
IQV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
8.05%
- Max
- 18.05%
- IQV
- 8.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
Operating Margin (TTM)
AstraZeneca (AZN) at 29.57% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of IQVIA (IQV) at 13.73%, 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%
IQV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
13.73%
- Max
- 83.12%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- IQV
- 13.73%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AZN | IQV |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 22.57% | 21.39% |
| ROA (TTM) | 8.59% | 5.08% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 17.68% | 8.05% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 29.57% | 13.73% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 81.78% | 33.07% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both AstraZeneca (AZN) at 8.63% and IQVIA (IQV) at 5.87% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Both AstraZeneca (AZN) at 45.33% and IQVIA (IQV) at 4.67% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | AZN | IQV |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 8.63% | 5.87% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 9.82% | 4.21% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 45.33% | 4.67% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 45.80% | 11.08% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both AstraZeneca (AZN) at 1.01 and IQVIA (IQV) at 0.83 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
IQV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.83
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- IQV
- 0.83
- Min
- 0.10
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both balance sheets lean debt-heavy versus peers, but IQV is more stretched: AstraZeneca (AZN) at 0.66 sits in the higher-leverage quartile and IQVIA (IQV) at 2.40 is above its industry benchmark range.
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
IQV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.40
- IQV
- 2.40
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | AZN | IQV |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.01 | 0.83 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.66 | 2.40 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.23 | 4.46 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
IQVIA (IQV) 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%
IQV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- IQV
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
IQVIA (IQV) 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%
IQV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- IQV
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AZN | IQV |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.73% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 45.38% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both AstraZeneca (AZN) at 26.37 and IQVIA (IQV) at 33.07 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
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
IQV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
33.07
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- IQV
- 33.07
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
IQVIA (IQV) at 2.59 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while AstraZeneca (AZN) at 4.63 prices around its industry’s middle — IQV 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
IQV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.59
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- IQV
- 2.59
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
AstraZeneca (AZN) at 5.59 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while IQVIA (IQV) at 6.73 carries an above-peer premium to book — IQV is pricier on assets.
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
IQV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
6.73
- Max
- 13.53
- IQV
- 6.73
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AZN | IQV |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 26.37 | 33.07 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 4.63 | 2.59 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 5.59 | 6.73 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.95% | 4.72% |