EXEL vs. QGEN: Exelixis vs. Qiagen Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Exelixis (EXEL) and Qiagen (QGEN) 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 Qiagen (QGEN) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but EXEL is classified in Biotechnology while QGEN is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.

Company profile comparison for Exelixis (EXEL) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Profile Item	EXEL	QGEN
Name	Exelixis Inc.	Qiagen N.V.
Country/Region	United States	Netherlands
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	10.39 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	Nasdaq	NYSE
Listing Date	April 17, 2000	June 28, 1996
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

EXEL

QGEN

GSPC

Exelixis (EXEL) vs. Qiagen (QGEN), 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 Exelixis (EXEL) and Qiagen (QGEN). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Exelixis (EXEL) and Qiagen (QGEN). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Exelixis (EXEL) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	EXEL	QGEN
Total Return (1Y)	74.98%	17.09%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	50.33%	10.44%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	31.10%	-0.72%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

EXEL

QGEN

GSPC

Exelixis (EXEL) vs. Qiagen (QGEN), 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 Exelixis (EXEL) and Qiagen (QGEN). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Exelixis (EXEL) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	EXEL	QGEN
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	34.17%	35.52%
Beta (5Y)	0.41	0.56
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-35.41%	-41.97%
Avg. Volume (3M)	2.33M	3.68M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

EXEL and QGEN 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 Exelixis (EXEL) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	EXEL	QGEN
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	2.07	0.36
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	3.23	0.60

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 44.32% and Qiagen (QGEN) at 10.81% 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%

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

10.81%

Max: 109.18%
QGEN: 10.81%
Q3: 6.23%
Median: -26.66%
Q1: -64.05%
Min: -167.77%

Exelixis (EXEL) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their ROE against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 35.45% and Qiagen (QGEN) at 18.20% 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%

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

18.20%

QGEN: 18.20%
Max: 18.05%
Q3: 4.78%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -4.14%
Min: -17.05%

Exelixis (EXEL) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their net margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 40.75% and Qiagen (QGEN) at 27.75% 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%

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

27.75%

Max: 83.12%
QGEN: 27.75%
Q3: 14.77%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -78.82%
Min: -207.40%

Exelixis (EXEL) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their operating margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Exelixis (EXEL) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	EXEL	QGEN
ROE (TTM)	44.32%	10.81%
ROA (TTM)	23.52%	5.68%
Net Margin (TTM)	35.45%	18.20%
Operating Margin (TTM)	40.75%	27.75%
Gross Margin (TTM)	96.26%	67.06%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 6.98% and Qiagen (QGEN) at 5.65% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Exelixis (EXEL) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Qiagen (QGEN) at 409.76% clears its industry range for EPS growth, a much stronger earnings trajectory than Exelixis (EXEL) at 57.95%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

Exelixis (EXEL) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Exelixis (EXEL) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	EXEL	QGEN
Revenue Growth (YoY)	6.98%	5.65%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	12.93%	-0.81%
EPS Growth (YoY)	57.95%	409.76%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	70.59%	-0.19%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 3.21 and Qiagen (QGEN) 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

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.63

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

Exelixis (EXEL) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their current ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 0.09 and Qiagen (QGEN) at 0.47 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

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

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.47

Max: 1.42
Q3: 0.65
QGEN: 0.47
Median: 0.15
Q1: 0.02
Min: 0.00

Exelixis (EXEL) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Exelixis (EXEL) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	EXEL	QGEN
Current Ratio (MRQ)	3.21	2.63
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.09	0.47
Net Debt / EBITDA	-0.71	1.08

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Exelixis (EXEL) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Qiagen (QGEN) reports a yield of 0.71%, ranking against industry peers normally.

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%

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.71%

QGEN: 0.71%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Exelixis (EXEL) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Exelixis (EXEL) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Qiagen (QGEN) reports a payout of 18.21%, ranking against industry peers normally.

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%

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

18.21%

QGEN: 18.21%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Exelixis (EXEL) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Exelixis (EXEL) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	EXEL	QGEN
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	0.71%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	18.21%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 20.83 and Qiagen (QGEN) at 27.21 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

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

27.21

Max: 85.34
Q3: 43.46
QGEN: 27.21
Median: 26.69
Q1: 13.30
Min: 0.07

Exelixis (EXEL) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Exelixis (EXEL) at 6.80 and Qiagen (QGEN) at 4.91 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

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

4.91

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
Median: 7.30
QGEN: 4.91
Q1: 3.01
Min: 0.01

Exelixis (EXEL) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Qiagen (QGEN) at 2.99 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Exelixis (EXEL) at 9.28 carries an above-peer premium to book — EXEL is pricier on assets.

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

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.99

Max: 13.53
Q3: 6.54
Median: 3.25
QGEN: 2.99
Q1: 1.69
Min: -5.59

Exelixis (EXEL) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Exelixis (EXEL) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	EXEL	QGEN
P/E Ratio (TTM)	20.83	27.21
P/S Ratio (TTM)	6.80	4.91
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	9.28	2.99
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	4.47%	3.62%