EW vs. SNN: Edwards Lifesciences vs. Smith & Nephew Stock Comparison
How do Edwards Lifesciences (EW) and Smith & Nephew (SNN) 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
Edwards Lifesciences (EW) and Smith & Nephew (SNN) are both classified in the Health Care Equipment sub-industry within the broader Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
Edwards Lifesciences (EW) trades as ordinary local shares, while Smith & Nephew (SNN) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.
| Profile Item | EW | SNN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Edwards Lifesciences Corporation | Smith & Nephew plc Sponsored ADR |
| Country/Region | United States | United Kingdom |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Health Care Equipment & Services | Health Care Equipment & Services |
| GICS Industry | Health Care Equipment & Supplies | Health Care Equipment & Supplies |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Health Care Equipment | Health Care Equipment |
| Market Capitalization | 58.73 billion USD | 13.04 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | March 27, 2000 | November 16, 1999 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | ADR |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | EW | SNN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 25.08% | -4.20% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 17.28% | 11.34% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -2.77% | -0.34% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | EW | SNN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 25.58% | 27.31% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.78 | 0.49 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -54.32% | -38.80% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 3.69M | 1.49M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | EW | SNN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.81 | -0.31 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.23 | -0.46 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at 9.33% and Smith & Nephew (SNN) at 11.85% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
9.33%
- Max
- 47.61%
- Q3
- 14.36%
- EW
- 9.33%
- Median
- 5.45%
- Q1
- -10.67%
- Min
- -47.01%
SNN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
11.85%
- Max
- 47.61%
- Q3
- 14.36%
- SNN
- 11.85%
- Median
- 5.45%
- Q1
- -10.67%
- Min
- -47.01%
Net Margin (TTM)
For every dollar of sales, both Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at 15.30% and Smith & Nephew (SNN) at 10.08% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
15.30%
- Max
- 29.35%
- EW
- 15.30%
- Q3
- 9.33%
- Median
- 2.18%
- Q1
- -6.29%
- Min
- -28.46%
SNN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
10.08%
- Max
- 29.35%
- SNN
- 10.08%
- Q3
- 9.33%
- Median
- 2.18%
- Q1
- -6.29%
- Min
- -28.46%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at 30.15% and Smith & Nephew (SNN) at 14.47% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
30.15%
- Max
- 35.43%
- EW
- 30.15%
- Q3
- 14.14%
- Median
- 6.81%
- Q1
- -0.28%
- Min
- -16.29%
SNN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
14.47%
- Max
- 35.43%
- SNN
- 14.47%
- Q3
- 14.14%
- Median
- 6.81%
- Q1
- -0.28%
- Min
- -16.29%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | EW | SNN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 9.33% | 11.85% |
| ROA (TTM) | 8.77% | 5.16% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 15.30% | 10.08% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 30.15% | 14.47% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 78.02% | 68.44% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at 11.55% and Smith & Nephew (SNN) at 6.09% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Smith & Nephew (SNN) at 52.34% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at -73.74% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | EW | SNN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 11.55% | 6.09% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 10.77% | 5.73% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -73.74% | 52.34% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -9.14% | 42.01% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Smith & Nephew (SNN) at 2.14 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at 4.60 sits above its industry’s typical mid-range — comfortable liquidity, though possibly with more idle current assets relative to peers.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
4.60
- Max
- 7.59
- EW
- 4.60
- Q3
- 4.00
- Median
- 1.98
- Q1
- 1.37
- Min
- 0.30
SNN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
2.14
- Max
- 7.59
- Q3
- 4.00
- SNN
- 2.14
- Median
- 1.98
- Q1
- 1.37
- Min
- 0.30
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at 0.06 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while Smith & Nephew (SNN) at 0.73 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.06
- Max
- 1.88
- Q3
- 0.91
- Median
- 0.58
- Q1
- 0.16
- EW
- 0.06
- Min
- 0.00
SNN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.73
- Max
- 1.88
- Q3
- 0.91
- SNN
- 0.73
- Median
- 0.58
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | EW | SNN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 4.60 | 2.14 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.06 | 0.73 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -1.88 | 2.19 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Edwards Lifesciences (EW) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Smith & Nephew (SNN) reports a yield of 1.24%, ranking against industry peers normally.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.00%
- EW
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
SNN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
1.24%
- SNN
- 1.24%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Edwards Lifesciences (EW) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Smith & Nephew (SNN) reports a payout of 53.20%, ranking against industry peers normally.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.00%
- EW
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
SNN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
53.20%
- SNN
- 53.20%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | EW | SNN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.24% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 53.20% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Smith & Nephew (SNN) at 21.19 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at 59.38 sits in the richer quartile — EW needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
59.38
- Max
- 80.41
- EW
- 59.38
- Q3
- 47.62
- Median
- 29.93
- Q1
- 21.19
- Min
- 4.21
SNN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
21.19
- Max
- 80.41
- Q3
- 47.62
- Median
- 29.93
- SNN
- 21.19
- Q1
- 21.19
- Min
- 4.21
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Smith & Nephew (SNN) at 2.07 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at 8.80 sits in the pricier quartile — EW costs more per dollar of sales.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
8.80
- EW
- 8.80
- Max
- 8.80
- Q3
- 4.32
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.03
SNN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
2.07
- Max
- 8.80
- Q3
- 4.32
- Median
- 2.13
- SNN
- 2.07
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at 5.41 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Smith & Nephew (SNN) at 12.80 prices above its benchmark range — SNN looks rich relative to book.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
5.41
- Max
- 11.68
- Q3
- 6.12
- EW
- 5.41
- Median
- 3.00
- Q1
- 1.73
- Min
- -1.31
SNN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
12.80
- SNN
- 12.80
- Max
- 11.68
- Q3
- 6.12
- Median
- 3.00
- Q1
- 1.73
- Min
- -1.31
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | EW | SNN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 59.38 | 21.19 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 8.80 | 2.07 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 5.41 | 12.80 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.95% | 8.12% |