AZN vs. TECH: AstraZeneca vs. Bio-Techne Stock Comparison
How do AstraZeneca (AZN) and Bio-Techne (TECH) 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 Bio-Techne (TECH) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but AZN is classified in Pharmaceuticals while TECH is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.
Bio-Techne (TECH) 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 | TECH |
|---|---|---|
| Name | AstraZeneca PLC American Depositary Shares | Bio-Techne Corp. |
| 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 | 11.43 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | May 12, 1993 | February 9, 1989 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | AZN | TECH |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 12.64% | 27.56% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 15.75% | 9.11% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 10.63% | -9.91% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | AZN | TECH |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 28.21% | 43.08% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.22 | 1.26 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -27.87% | -65.87% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 3.14M | 2.81M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AZN | TECH |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.30 | 0.54 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.44 | 0.82 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both AstraZeneca (AZN) at 22.57% and Bio-Techne (TECH) at 8.33% 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%
TECH
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
8.33%
- Max
- 109.18%
- TECH
- 8.33%
- 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 Bio-Techne (TECH) at 14.00% 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%
TECH
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
14.00%
- Max
- 18.05%
- TECH
- 14.00%
- 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 Bio-Techne (TECH) at 12.21%, 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%
TECH
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
12.21%
- Max
- 83.12%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- TECH
- 12.21%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AZN | TECH |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 22.57% | 8.33% |
| ROA (TTM) | 8.59% | 6.38% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 17.68% | 14.00% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 29.57% | 12.21% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 81.78% | 66.23% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both AstraZeneca (AZN) at 8.63% and Bio-Techne (TECH) at -0.38% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Bio-Techne (TECH) at 152.17% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while AstraZeneca (AZN) at 45.33% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for TECH.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | AZN | TECH |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 8.63% | -0.38% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 9.82% | 2.25% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 45.33% | 152.17% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 45.80% | -12.97% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both AstraZeneca (AZN) at 1.01 and Bio-Techne (TECH) at 2.28 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
TECH
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.28
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- TECH
- 2.28
- Min
- 0.10
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Bio-Techne (TECH) at 0.13 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
TECH
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.13
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- TECH
- 0.13
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | AZN | TECH |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.01 | 2.28 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.66 | 0.13 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.23 | -0.20 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both AstraZeneca (AZN) at 1.73% and Bio-Techne (TECH) at 0.44% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.
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%
TECH
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.44%
- TECH
- 0.44%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both AstraZeneca (AZN) at 45.38% and Bio-Techne (TECH) at 27.59% pay out more of their earnings than any of their industry peers — the thinnest cover in their groups, so dividend headroom deserves attention.
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%
TECH
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
27.59%
- TECH
- 27.59%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AZN | TECH |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.73% | 0.44% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 45.38% | 27.59% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
AstraZeneca (AZN) at 26.37 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Bio-Techne (TECH) at 62.74 sits in the richer quartile — TECH 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
TECH
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
62.74
- Max
- 85.34
- TECH
- 62.74
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both AstraZeneca (AZN) at 4.63 and Bio-Techne (TECH) at 9.31 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
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
TECH
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
9.31
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- TECH
- 9.31
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both AstraZeneca (AZN) at 5.59 and Bio-Techne (TECH) at 5.28 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
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
TECH
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
5.28
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- TECH
- 5.28
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AZN | TECH |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 26.37 | 62.74 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 4.63 | 9.31 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 5.59 | 5.28 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.95% | 2.39% |