GILD vs. WAT: Gilead Sciences vs. Waters Stock Comparison
How do Gilead Sciences (GILD) 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
Gilead Sciences (GILD) and Waters (WAT) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but GILD is classified in Biotechnology while WAT is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.
| Profile Item | GILD | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Gilead Sciences 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 | Biotechnology | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Biotechnology | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| Market Capitalization | 207.00 billion USD | 44.93 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | January 22, 1992 | November 17, 1995 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | GILD | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 45.69% | 27.70% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 35.30% | 23.32% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 25.00% | 6.27% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | GILD | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 27.57% | 35.45% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.36 | 1.13 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -26.59% | -36.47% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 5.98M | 816.72K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | GILD | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.50 | 0.66 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 2.48 | 0.98 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Gilead Sciences (GILD) reports a negative ROE of -22.45%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Waters (WAT) reports 1.12%, ranking against industry peers normally.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
-22.45%
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- GILD
- -22.45%
- 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)
Gilead Sciences (GILD) reports a negative net margin of -12.46%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Waters (WAT) reports 1.76%, ranking against industry peers normally.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
-12.46%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- GILD
- -12.46%
- 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)
Gilead Sciences (GILD) at 42.43% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Waters (WAT) at 11.38%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
42.43%
- Max
- 83.12%
- GILD
- 42.43%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- 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 | GILD | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -22.45% | 1.12% |
| ROA (TTM) | 13.47% | 2.36% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | -12.46% | 1.76% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 42.43% | 11.38% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 79.95% | 49.83% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Gilead Sciences (GILD) at 2.39% 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
Gilead Sciences (GILD) at 1,684.21% clears its industry range for EPS growth, a much stronger earnings trajectory than Waters (WAT) at 0.47%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | GILD | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 2.39% | 6.99% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 2.57% | 2.12% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 1,684.21% | 0.47% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 23.04% | -2.84% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Short-term liquidity can only be read on one side of this pairing: Gilead Sciences (GILD) shows current ratio of 1.38 against its industry benchmark, while Waters (WAT) has no reading this period.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.38
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- GILD
- 1.38
- 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)
Waters (WAT) at 0.34 is near its industry mid-range for debt-to-equity ratio, while Gilead Sciences (GILD) at 2.02 sits above its benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.02
- GILD
- 2.02
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- 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 | GILD | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.38 | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 2.02 | 0.34 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.25 | 3.23 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Waters (WAT) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Gilead Sciences (GILD) reports a yield of 1.94%, ranking against industry peers normally.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.94%
- GILD
- 1.94%
- 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)
Waters (WAT) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Gilead Sciences (GILD) reports a payout of 43.46%, ranking against industry peers normally.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
43.46%
- GILD
- 43.46%
- 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 | GILD | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.94% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 43.46% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Waters (WAT) trades at 191.46 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Gilead Sciences (GILD) has no P/E ratio this period.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
- GILD
- --
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 Gilead Sciences (GILD) at 6.68 and Waters (WAT) at 8.01 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
6.68
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- GILD
- 6.68
- 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)
Waters (WAT) at 2.94 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Gilead Sciences (GILD) at 15.88 prices above its benchmark range — GILD looks rich relative to book.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
15.88
- GILD
- 15.88
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- 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 | GILD | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | -- | 191.46 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 6.68 | 8.01 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 15.88 | 2.94 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 5.16% | -- |