AZN vs. KO: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on November 21, 2025

Here’s a clear look at AZN and KO, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

AZN trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors a convenient way to access its foreign-listed shares. In contrast, KO is a standard domestic listing.

Symbol	AZN	KO
Company Name	AstraZeneca PLC	The Coca-Cola Company
Country	United Kingdom	United States
GICS Sector	Health Care	Consumer Staples
GICS Industry	Pharmaceuticals	Beverages
Market Capitalization	278.06 billion USD	305.65 billion USD
Exchange	NasdaqGS	NYSE
Listing Date	May 12, 1993	January 2, 1962
Security Type	ADR	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of AZN and KO 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.

AZN vs. KO: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	AZN	KO
5-Day Price Return	3.09%	0.91%
13-Week Price Return	16.74%	1.77%
26-Week Price Return	31.00%	3.19%
52-Week Price Return	35.00%	12.95%
Month-to-Date Return	8.52%	3.28%
Year-to-Date Return	29.27%	14.29%
10-Day Avg. Volume	1.31M	15.45M
3-Month Avg. Volume	1.24M	15.64M
3-Month Volatility	28.04%	16.03%
Beta	0.97	0.39

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

AZN

21.80%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 38.95%
Q3: 20.34%
Median: 11.59%
Q1: 3.32%
Min: -10.91%

In the upper quartile for the Pharmaceuticals industry, AZN’s Return on Equity of 21.80% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

KO

47.01%

Beverages Industry

Max: 47.01%
Q3: 22.97%
Median: 10.24%
Q1: 6.33%
Min: -16.74%

In the upper quartile for the Beverages industry, KO’s Return on Equity of 47.01% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

AZN vs. KO: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

AZN

16.17%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 39.07%
Q3: 19.28%
Median: 13.48%
Q1: 5.73%
Min: -8.86%

AZN’s Net Profit Margin of 16.17% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Pharmaceuticals industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

KO

27.34%

Beverages Industry

Max: 21.65%
Q3: 12.41%
Median: 8.66%
Q1: 5.10%
Min: -5.72%

KO’s Net Profit Margin of 27.34% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Beverages industry. This demonstrates outstanding operational efficiency and a strong competitive advantage in converting revenue into profit.

AZN vs. KO: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

AZN

22.02%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 45.58%
Q3: 24.35%
Median: 18.05%
Q1: 7.58%
Min: -11.88%

AZN’s Operating Profit Margin of 22.02% is around the midpoint for the Pharmaceuticals industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

KO

31.42%

Beverages Industry

Max: 31.42%
Q3: 20.65%
Median: 13.47%
Q1: 9.66%
Min: 2.33%

An Operating Profit Margin of 31.42% places KO in the upper quartile for the Beverages industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

AZN vs. KO: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	AZN	KO
Return on Equity (TTM)	21.80%	47.01%
Return on Assets (TTM)	8.60%	12.63%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	16.17%	27.34%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	22.02%	31.42%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	81.90%	61.63%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

AZN

0.88

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 5.45
Q3: 2.99
Median: 1.98
Q1: 1.29
Min: 0.78

AZN’s Current Ratio of 0.88 falls into the lower quartile for the Pharmaceuticals industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

KO

1.21

Beverages Industry

Max: 3.43
Q3: 1.91
Median: 1.22
Q1: 0.83
Min: 0.55

KO’s Current Ratio of 1.21 aligns with the median group of the Beverages industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

AZN vs. KO: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

AZN

0.71

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 1.79
Q3: 0.78
Median: 0.31
Q1: 0.08
Min: 0.00

AZN’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.71 is typical for the Pharmaceuticals industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

KO

1.52

Beverages Industry

Max: 2.14
Q3: 1.09
Median: 0.73
Q1: 0.35
Min: 0.00

KO’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Beverages industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.52. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.

AZN vs. KO: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

AZN

9.51

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 103.95
Q3: 43.60
Median: 10.15
Q1: 2.37
Min: -42.71

AZN’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 9.51 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Pharmaceuticals industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

KO

67.13

Beverages Industry

Max: 78.96
Q3: 42.68
Median: 10.96
Q1: 3.86
Min: 0.81

KO’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 67.13 is in the upper quartile for the Beverages industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.

AZN vs. KO: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	AZN	KO
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.88	1.21
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.69	0.88
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	0.71	1.52
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	9.51	67.13

Growth

Revenue Growth

AZN vs. KO: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

AZN vs. KO: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

AZN

1.80%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 6.72%
Q3: 3.48%
Median: 1.90%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AZN’s Dividend Yield of 1.80% is consistent with its peers in the Pharmaceuticals industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

KO

2.77%

Beverages Industry

Max: 7.61%
Q3: 4.81%
Median: 3.32%
Q1: 2.18%
Min: 0.00%

KO’s Dividend Yield of 2.77% is consistent with its peers in the Beverages industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

AZN vs. KO: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

AZN

52.89%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 199.58%
Q3: 85.87%
Median: 49.36%
Q1: 1.12%
Min: 0.00%

AZN’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 52.89% is within the typical range for the Pharmaceuticals industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

KO

65.04%

Beverages Industry

Max: 193.57%
Q3: 102.38%
Median: 72.98%
Q1: 39.04%
Min: 0.00%

KO’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 65.04% is within the typical range for the Beverages industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

AZN vs. KO: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	AZN	KO
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.80%	2.77%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	52.89%	65.04%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

AZN

29.38

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 52.64
Q3: 29.89
Median: 20.77
Q1: 13.37
Min: 5.71

AZN’s P/E Ratio of 29.38 is within the middle range for the Pharmaceuticals industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

KO

23.49

Beverages Industry

Max: 36.07
Q3: 23.27
Median: 18.39
Q1: 14.57
Min: 6.38

A P/E Ratio of 23.49 places KO in the upper quartile for the Beverages industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.

AZN vs. KO: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

AZN

4.75

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 8.74
Q3: 4.66
Median: 2.37
Q1: 1.67
Min: 0.11

AZN’s P/S Ratio of 4.75 is in the upper echelon for the Pharmaceuticals 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.

KO

6.42

Beverages Industry

Max: 4.25
Q3: 2.29
Median: 1.56
Q1: 0.91
Min: 0.38

With a P/S Ratio of 6.42, KO trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Beverages industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

AZN vs. KO: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

AZN

4.97

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 9.86
Q3: 5.28
Median: 2.48
Q1: 1.57
Min: 0.59

AZN’s P/B Ratio of 4.97 is within the conventional range for the Pharmaceuticals 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.

KO

9.04

Beverages Industry

Max: 7.45
Q3: 4.03
Median: 2.20
Q1: 1.39
Min: 0.83

At 9.04, KO’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Beverages 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.

AZN vs. KO: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	AZN	KO
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	29.38	23.49
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	4.75	6.42
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	4.97	9.04
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	28.86	27.62