AZN vs. LH: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AZN and LH, 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, LH is a standard domestic listing.
| Symbol | AZN | LH |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | AstraZeneca PLC | Labcorp Holdings Inc. |
| Country | United Kingdom | United States |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry | Pharmaceuticals | Health Care Providers & Services |
| Market Capitalization | 278.06 billion USD | 22.18 billion USD |
| Exchange | NasdaqGS | NYSE |
| Listing Date | May 12, 1993 | March 29, 1990 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AZN and LH 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.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | AZN | LH |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 3.09% | 2.21% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 16.74% | -1.29% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 31.00% | 6.75% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 35.00% | 8.39% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 8.52% | 5.09% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 29.27% | 16.38% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 1.31M | 1.27M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 1.24M | 0.72M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 28.04% | 24.68% |
| Beta | 0.97 | 0.98 |
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.
LH
10.20%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 24.67%
- Q3
- 15.54%
- Median
- 8.37%
- Q1
- 5.49%
- Min
- -2.09%
LH’s Return on Equity of 10.20% is on par with the norm for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
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.
LH
6.21%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 9.33%
- Q3
- 4.80%
- Median
- 2.90%
- Q1
- 0.93%
- Min
- -3.28%
A Net Profit Margin of 6.21% places LH in the upper quartile for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
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.
LH
9.69%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 18.35%
- Q3
- 8.71%
- Median
- 5.10%
- Q1
- 2.10%
- Min
- -3.07%
An Operating Profit Margin of 9.69% places LH in the upper quartile for the Health Care Providers & 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 | LH |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 21.80% | 10.20% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 8.60% | 4.73% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 16.17% | 6.21% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 22.02% | 9.69% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 81.90% | 28.45% |
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.
LH
1.55
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 2.00
- Q3
- 1.56
- Median
- 1.28
- Q1
- 0.92
- Min
- 0.01
LH’s Current Ratio of 1.55 aligns with the median group of the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
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.
LH
0.65
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 2.41
- Q3
- 1.39
- Median
- 0.74
- Q1
- 0.46
- Min
- 0.00
LH’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.65 is typical for the Health Care Providers & Services 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 (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.
LH
5.73
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 14.47
- Q3
- 7.46
- Median
- 4.52
- Q1
- 2.04
- Min
- -4.44
LH’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 5.73 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AZN | LH |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.88 | 1.55 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.69 | 1.09 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.71 | 0.65 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 9.51 | 5.73 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
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.
LH
1.11%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 5.51%
- Q3
- 2.66%
- Median
- 1.06%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
LH’s Dividend Yield of 1.11% is consistent with its peers in the Health Care Providers & Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
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.
LH
28.24%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 187.56%
- Q3
- 81.14%
- Median
- 33.42%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
LH’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 28.24% is within the typical range for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AZN | LH |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.80% | 1.11% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 52.89% | 28.24% |
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.
LH
25.34
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 48.86
- Q3
- 32.22
- Median
- 21.78
- Q1
- 13.97
- Min
- 8.01
LH’s P/E Ratio of 25.34 is within the middle range for the Health Care Providers & Services industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
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.
LH
1.57
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 3.66
- Q3
- 1.64
- Median
- 0.72
- Q1
- 0.27
- Min
- 0.10
LH’s P/S Ratio of 1.57 aligns with the market consensus for the Health Care Providers & Services industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
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.
LH
2.74
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 7.33
- Q3
- 4.33
- Median
- 2.48
- Q1
- 1.31
- Min
- 0.65
LH’s P/B Ratio of 2.74 is within the conventional range for the Health Care Providers & Services 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.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AZN | LH |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 29.38 | 25.34 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 4.75 | 1.57 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 4.97 | 2.74 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 28.86 | 14.56 |