ELAN vs. ILMN: Elanco Animal Health vs. Illumina Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) and Illumina (ILMN) 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

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) and Illumina (ILMN) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but ELAN is classified in Pharmaceuticals while ILMN is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.

Company profile comparison for Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) and Illumina (ILMN)
Profile Item	ELAN	ILMN
Name	Elanco Animal Health Incorporated	Illumina Inc.
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	Pharmaceuticals	Life Sciences Tools & Services
GICS Sub-Industry	Pharmaceuticals	Life Sciences Tools & Services
Market Capitalization	12.86 billion USD	32.23 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	Nasdaq
Listing Date	September 20, 2018	July 28, 2000
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ELAN

ILMN

GSPC

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) vs. Illumina (ILMN), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) and Illumina (ILMN). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) and Illumina (ILMN). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) and Illumina (ILMN)
Metric	ELAN	ILMN
Total Return (1Y)	24.03%	79.70%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	37.47%	28.16%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	-4.24%	-10.65%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ELAN

ILMN

GSPC

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) vs. Illumina (ILMN), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) and Illumina (ILMN). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) and Illumina (ILMN)
Metric	ELAN	ILMN
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	43.57%	48.47%
Beta (5Y)	1.65	1.46
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-75.59%	-82.95%
Avg. Volume (3M)	5.65M	2.77M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

ELAN and ILMN are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) and Illumina (ILMN)
Metric	ELAN	ILMN
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.45	1.56
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.66	2.25

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Illumina (ILMN) earns 32.39% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) has no ROE this period.

ELAN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

Max: 109.18%
Q3: 6.23%
Median: -26.66%
Q1: -64.05%
Min: -167.77%
ELAN: --

ILMN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

32.39%

Max: 109.18%
ILMN: 32.39%
Q3: 6.23%
Median: -26.66%
Q1: -64.05%
Min: -167.77%

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) vs. Illumina (ILMN): ELAN does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; ILMN is benchmarked against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) reports a negative net margin of -2.86%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Illumina (ILMN) reports 19.72%, ranking against industry peers normally.

ELAN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

-2.86%

Max: 18.05%
Q3: 4.78%
Median: 0.00%
ELAN: -2.86%
Q1: -4.14%
Min: -17.05%

ILMN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

19.72%

ILMN: 19.72%
Max: 18.05%
Q3: 4.78%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -4.14%
Min: -17.05%

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) vs. Illumina (ILMN): A comparison of their net margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Illumina (ILMN) at 20.02% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) at 6.64%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

ELAN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

6.64%

Max: 83.12%
Q3: 14.77%
ELAN: 6.64%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -78.82%
Min: -207.40%

ILMN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

20.02%

Max: 83.12%
ILMN: 20.02%
Q3: 14.77%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -78.82%
Min: -207.40%

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) vs. Illumina (ILMN): A comparison of their operating margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) and Illumina (ILMN)
Metric	ELAN	ILMN
ROE (TTM)	--	32.39%
ROA (TTM)	--	8.32%
Net Margin (TTM)	-2.86%	19.72%
Operating Margin (TTM)	6.64%	20.02%
Gross Margin (TTM)	56.18%	67.68%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) at 6.22% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Illumina (ILMN) at -0.66% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) vs. Illumina (ILMN): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) reports EPS growth of -169.12%, ranked against its industry; Illumina (ILMN) has no EPS growth figure this period.

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) vs. Illumina (ILMN): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) and Illumina (ILMN)
Metric	ELAN	ILMN
Revenue Growth (YoY)	6.22%	-0.66%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	2.25%	-1.78%
EPS Growth (YoY)	-169.12%	--
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	--

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Short-term liquidity can only be read on one side of this pairing: Illumina (ILMN) shows current ratio of 2.63 against its industry benchmark, while Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) has no reading this period.

ELAN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
Q1: 2.47
Min: 0.10
ELAN: --

ILMN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.63

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
ILMN: 2.63
Q1: 2.47
Min: 0.10

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) vs. Illumina (ILMN): ELAN does not report current ratio, so it has no value marker; ILMN is benchmarked against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) at 0.64 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Illumina (ILMN) at 0.74 uses more debt funding than most peers.

ELAN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.64

Max: 1.42
Q3: 0.65
ELAN: 0.64
Median: 0.15
Q1: 0.02
Min: 0.00

ILMN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.74

Max: 1.42
ILMN: 0.74
Q3: 0.65
Median: 0.15
Q1: 0.02
Min: 0.00

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) vs. Illumina (ILMN): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) and Illumina (ILMN)
Metric	ELAN	ILMN
Current Ratio (MRQ)	--	2.63
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.64	0.74
Net Debt / EBITDA	3.49	0.85

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Neither Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) nor Illumina (ILMN) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.

ELAN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

ELAN: 0.00%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ILMN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

ILMN: 0.00%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) vs. Illumina (ILMN): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Neither Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) nor Illumina (ILMN) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.

ELAN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

ELAN: 0.00%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ILMN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

ILMN: 0.00%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) vs. Illumina (ILMN): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) and Illumina (ILMN)
Metric	ELAN	ILMN
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	0.00%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Illumina (ILMN) trades at 36.68 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) has no P/E ratio this period.

ELAN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

Max: 85.34
Q3: 43.46
Median: 26.69
Q1: 13.30
Min: 0.07
ELAN: --

ILMN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

36.68

Max: 85.34
Q3: 43.46
ILMN: 36.68
Median: 26.69
Q1: 13.30
Min: 0.07

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) vs. Illumina (ILMN): ELAN does not report P/E ratio, so it has no value marker; ILMN is benchmarked against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) at 2.50 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Illumina (ILMN) at 7.10 prices around its industry’s middle — ELAN costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.

ELAN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.50

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
Median: 7.30
Q1: 3.01
ELAN: 2.50
Min: 0.01

ILMN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

7.10

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
Median: 7.30
ILMN: 7.10
Q1: 3.01
Min: 0.01

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) vs. Illumina (ILMN): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) at 1.95 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Illumina (ILMN) at 10.30 carries an above-peer premium to book — ILMN is pricier on assets.

ELAN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.95

Max: 13.53
Q3: 6.54
Median: 3.25
ELAN: 1.95
Q1: 1.69
Min: -5.59

ILMN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

10.30

Max: 13.53
ILMN: 10.30
Q3: 6.54
Median: 3.25
Q1: 1.69
Min: -5.59

Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) vs. Illumina (ILMN): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) and Illumina (ILMN)
Metric	ELAN	ILMN
P/E Ratio (TTM)	--	36.68
P/S Ratio (TTM)	2.50	7.10
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	1.95	10.30
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	--	2.67%