AZN vs. SHEL: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AZN and SHEL, 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 SHEL’s 217.79 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
SHEL carries a higher beta at 0.30, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AZN (beta: 0.17) exhibits greater stability.
AZN and SHEL are both American Depositary Receipts (ADRs). This provides U.S. investors with straightforward access to investing in these foreign-listed companies without directly engaging with overseas stock exchanges.
| Symbol | AZN | SHEL |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | AstraZeneca PLC | Shell plc |
| Country | GB | GB |
| Sector | Healthcare | Energy |
| Industry | Drug Manufacturers - General | Oil & Gas Integrated |
| CEO | Pascal Claude Roland Soriot | Wael Sawan |
| Price | 69.45 USD | 71.92 USD |
| Market Cap | 430.65 billion USD | 217.79 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.17 | 0.30 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NYSE |
| IPO Date | May 12, 1993 | October 31, 1994 |
| ADR | Yes | Yes |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AZN and SHEL 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.
SHEL
7.40%
Oil & Gas Integrated Industry
- Max
- 20.46%
- Q3
- 15.43%
- Median
- 12.48%
- Q1
- 8.43%
- Min
- -1.92%
SHEL’s Return on Equity of 7.40% is in the lower quartile for the Oil & Gas Integrated industry. This indicates a less efficient generation of profit from its equity base when compared to its competitors.
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.
SHEL
4.50%
Oil & Gas Integrated Industry
- Max
- 12.91%
- Q3
- 9.65%
- Median
- 7.06%
- Q1
- 3.79%
- Min
- -0.29%
SHEL’s Return on Invested Capital of 4.50% is in line with the norm for the Oil & Gas Integrated 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.
SHEL
4.81%
Oil & Gas Integrated Industry
- Max
- 11.33%
- Q3
- 9.89%
- Median
- 8.06%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -0.64%
Falling into the lower quartile for the Oil & Gas Integrated industry, SHEL’s Net Profit Margin of 4.81% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.
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.
SHEL
9.73%
Oil & Gas Integrated Industry
- Max
- 30.12%
- Q3
- 21.81%
- Median
- 9.73%
- Q1
- 7.69%
- Min
- 4.28%
SHEL’s Operating Profit Margin of 9.73% is around the midpoint for the Oil & Gas Integrated industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AZN | SHEL |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 19.18% | 7.40% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 7.31% | 3.47% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 10.93% | 4.50% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 14.14% | 4.81% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 19.21% | 9.73% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 81.41% | 15.15% |
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.
SHEL
1.32
Oil & Gas Integrated Industry
- Max
- 1.54
- Q3
- 1.42
- Median
- 1.24
- Q1
- 0.93
- Min
- 0.41
SHEL’s Current Ratio of 1.32 aligns with the median group of the Oil & Gas Integrated industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
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.
SHEL
0.43
Oil & Gas Integrated Industry
- Max
- 1.22
- Q3
- 0.83
- Median
- 0.46
- Q1
- 0.26
- Min
- 0.14
SHEL’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.43 is typical for the Oil & Gas Integrated 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
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.
SHEL
5.68
Oil & Gas Integrated Industry
- Max
- 33.34
- Q3
- 16.73
- Median
- 9.99
- Q1
- 4.43
- Min
- 1.03
SHEL’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 5.68 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Oil & Gas Integrated industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AZN | SHEL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.90 | 1.32 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.70 | 1.08 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.77 | 0.43 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.30 | 0.20 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 1.49 | 0.72 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.95 | 5.68 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AZN and SHEL. 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.
SHEL
4.10%
Oil & Gas Integrated Industry
- Max
- 18.27%
- Q3
- 6.79%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- 3.87%
- Min
- 0.00%
SHEL’s Dividend Yield of 4.10% is consistent with its peers in the Oil & Gas Integrated industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
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.
SHEL
63.90%
Oil & Gas Integrated Industry
- Max
- 470.85%
- Q3
- 105.45%
- Median
- 60.50%
- Q1
- 47.51%
- Min
- 0.00%
SHEL’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 63.90% is within the typical range for the Oil & Gas Integrated industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AZN | SHEL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.87% | 4.10% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 63.60% | 63.90% |
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.
SHEL
16.71
Oil & Gas Integrated Industry
- Max
- 16.54
- Q3
- 15.68
- Median
- 11.70
- Q1
- 10.25
- Min
- 5.34
At 16.71, SHEL’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Oil & Gas Integrated 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.
SHEL
1.82
Oil & Gas Integrated Industry
- Max
- 1.80
- Q3
- 1.60
- Median
- 1.23
- Q1
- 0.85
- Min
- 0.46
The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Oil & Gas Integrated industry.
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.
SHEL
0.75
Oil & Gas Integrated Industry
- Max
- 1.39
- Q3
- 1.23
- Median
- 0.82
- Q1
- 0.61
- Min
- 0.42
SHEL’s P/S Ratio of 0.75 aligns with the market consensus for the Oil & Gas Integrated industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
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.
SHEL
1.26
Oil & Gas Integrated Industry
- Max
- 2.27
- Q3
- 1.77
- Median
- 1.38
- Q1
- 1.17
- Min
- 0.71
SHEL’s P/B Ratio of 1.26 is within the conventional range for the Oil & Gas Integrated 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 | SHEL |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 28.12 | 16.71 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.56 | 1.82 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.98 | 0.75 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 5.33 | 1.26 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 22.59 | 6.77 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 13.82 | 4.47 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 4.46 | 0.90 |