BIO vs. WAT: Bio-Rad Laboratories vs. Waters Stock Comparison
How do Bio-Rad Laboratories (BIO) and Waters (WAT) 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
Bio-Rad Laboratories (BIO) and Waters (WAT) are both classified in the Life Sciences Tools & Services sub-industry within the broader Life Sciences Tools & Services industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | BIO | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. | Waters Corporation |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences |
| GICS Industry | Life Sciences Tools & Services | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Life Sciences Tools & Services | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| Market Capitalization | 10.26 billion USD | 44.93 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | February 27, 1980 | November 17, 1995 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | BIO | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 28.31% | 27.70% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 8.52% | 23.32% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -11.74% | 6.27% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | BIO | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 36.50% | 35.45% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.03 | 1.13 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -72.24% | -36.47% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 250.78K | 816.72K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | BIO | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.66 | 0.66 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.98 | 0.98 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Bio-Rad Laboratories (BIO) at 14.27% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Waters (WAT) at 1.12% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for BIO.
BIO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
14.27%
- Max
- 109.18%
- BIO
- 14.27%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.12%
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- WAT
- 1.12%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
Net Margin (TTM)
Bio-Rad Laboratories (BIO) at 39.45% converts revenue to bottom-line profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while Waters (WAT) at 1.76% keeps roughly the typical share for its industry.
BIO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
39.45%
- BIO
- 39.45%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.76%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- WAT
- 1.76%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Bio-Rad Laboratories (BIO) at 11.82% and Waters (WAT) at 11.38% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
BIO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
11.82%
- Max
- 83.12%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- BIO
- 11.82%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
11.38%
- Max
- 83.12%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- WAT
- 11.38%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | BIO | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 14.27% | 1.12% |
| ROA (TTM) | 1.50% | 2.36% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 39.45% | 1.76% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 11.82% | 11.38% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 52.19% | 49.83% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Bio-Rad Laboratories (BIO) at 0.65% and Waters (WAT) at 6.99% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Waters (WAT) reports EPS growth of 0.47%, ranked against its industry; Bio-Rad Laboratories (BIO) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | BIO | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 0.65% | 6.99% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -2.68% | 2.12% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | 0.47% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -2.84% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Short-term liquidity can only be read on one side of this pairing: Bio-Rad Laboratories (BIO) shows current ratio of 3.18 against its industry benchmark, while Waters (WAT) has no reading this period.
BIO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
3.18
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- BIO
- 3.18
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
- WAT
- --
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Bio-Rad Laboratories (BIO) at 0.18 and Waters (WAT) at 0.34 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
BIO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.18
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- BIO
- 0.18
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.34
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- WAT
- 0.34
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | BIO | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 3.18 | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.18 | 0.34 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -0.73 | 3.23 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Bio-Rad Laboratories (BIO) nor Waters (WAT) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
BIO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- BIO
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- WAT
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Bio-Rad Laboratories (BIO) nor Waters (WAT) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
BIO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- BIO
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- WAT
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | BIO | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Bio-Rad Laboratories (BIO) at 10.14 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Waters (WAT) at 191.46 trades above its peer range — a wide earnings-valuation gap relative to industry peers.
BIO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
10.14
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- BIO
- 10.14
- Min
- 0.07
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
191.46
- WAT
- 191.46
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Bio-Rad Laboratories (BIO) at 3.96 and Waters (WAT) at 8.01 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
BIO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
3.96
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- BIO
- 3.96
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
8.01
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- WAT
- 8.01
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Bio-Rad Laboratories (BIO) at 1.35 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while Waters (WAT) at 2.94 is valued near its industry’s middle — BIO is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.
BIO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.35
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- BIO
- 1.35
- Min
- -5.59
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.94
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- WAT
- 2.94
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | BIO | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 10.14 | 191.46 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.96 | 8.01 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.35 | 2.94 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 2.65% | -- |