EXEL vs. ILMN: Exelixis vs. Illumina Stock Comparison
How do Exelixis (EXEL) 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
Exelixis (EXEL) and Illumina (ILMN) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but EXEL is classified in Biotechnology while ILMN is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.
| Profile Item | EXEL | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Exelixis Inc. | 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 | Biotechnology | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Biotechnology | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| Market Capitalization | 16.98 billion USD | 32.23 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | April 17, 2000 | July 28, 2000 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 74.98% | 79.70% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 50.33% | 28.16% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 31.10% | -10.65% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Illumina (ILMN) has an aggressive beta of 1.46, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Exelixis (EXEL) is defensive at 0.41 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | EXEL | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 34.17% | 48.47% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.41 | 1.46 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -35.41% | -82.95% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.33M | 2.77M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 2.07 | 1.56 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 3.23 | 2.25 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 44.32% and Illumina (ILMN) at 32.39% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
44.32%
- Max
- 109.18%
- EXEL
- 44.32%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
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%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 35.45% and Illumina (ILMN) at 19.72% keep an unusually large share of revenue as bottom-line profit — each net margin clears its industry’s benchmark range.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
35.45%
- EXEL
- 35.45%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- 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%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 40.75% and Illumina (ILMN) at 20.02% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
40.75%
- Max
- 83.12%
- EXEL
- 40.75%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- 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%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 44.32% | 32.39% |
| ROA (TTM) | 23.52% | 8.32% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 35.45% | 19.72% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 40.75% | 20.02% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 96.26% | 67.68% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Exelixis (EXEL) at 6.98% 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.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Exelixis (EXEL) reports EPS growth of 57.95%, ranked against its industry; Illumina (ILMN) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 6.98% | -0.66% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 12.93% | -1.78% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 57.95% | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 70.59% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 3.21 and Illumina (ILMN) at 2.63 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
3.21
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- EXEL
- 3.21
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
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
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Exelixis (EXEL) at 0.09 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Illumina (ILMN) at 0.74 uses more debt funding than most peers.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.09
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- EXEL
- 0.09
- 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
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 3.21 | 2.63 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.09 | 0.74 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -0.71 | 0.85 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Exelixis (EXEL) nor Illumina (ILMN) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- EXEL
- 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%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Exelixis (EXEL) nor Illumina (ILMN) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- EXEL
- 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%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 20.83 and Illumina (ILMN) at 36.68 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
20.83
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- EXEL
- 20.83
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
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
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Exelixis (EXEL) at 6.80 and Illumina (ILMN) at 7.10 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
6.80
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- EXEL
- 6.80
- Q1
- 3.01
- 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
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 9.28 and Illumina (ILMN) at 10.30 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
9.28
- Max
- 13.53
- EXEL
- 9.28
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- 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
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 20.83 | 36.68 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 6.80 | 7.10 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 9.28 | 10.30 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 4.47% | 2.67% |