HLN vs. WAT: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at HLN and WAT, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
HLN trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors a convenient way to access its foreign-listed shares. In contrast, WAT is a standard domestic listing.
| Symbol | HLN | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Haleon plc | Waters Corporation |
| Country | United Kingdom | United States |
| GICS Sector | Consumer Staples | Health Care |
| GICS Industry | Personal Care Products | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| Market Capitalization | 44.59 billion USD | 17.66 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | July 25, 2022 | November 17, 1995 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of HLN and WAT by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | HLN | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 0.47% | 1.09% |
| 13-Week Price Return | -11.81% | -17.24% |
| 26-Week Price Return | -7.82% | -21.73% |
| 52-Week Price Return | -3.01% | -12.79% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 0.33% | 2.76% |
| Year-to-Date Return | -4.43% | -20.01% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 13.07M | 0.62M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 17.31M | 0.68M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 15.67% | 38.48% |
| Beta | 0.38 | 1.06 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
HLN
3.26%
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 31.59%
- Q3
- 20.42%
- Median
- 11.01%
- Q1
- 3.26%
- Min
- -18.42%
HLN’s Return on Equity of 3.26% is on par with the norm for the Personal Care Products industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
WAT
35.02%
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 19.96%
- Q3
- 11.55%
- Median
- 6.22%
- Q1
- 3.86%
- Min
- -6.95%
WAT’s Return on Equity of 35.02% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Life Sciences Tools & Services industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
HLN
12.84%
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 15.12%
- Q3
- 12.06%
- Median
- 9.26%
- Q1
- 5.50%
- Min
- -0.40%
A Net Profit Margin of 12.84% places HLN in the upper quartile for the Personal Care Products industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
WAT
21.71%
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 27.28%
- Q3
- 16.17%
- Median
- 7.24%
- Q1
- 3.00%
- Min
- -3.05%
A Net Profit Margin of 21.71% places WAT in the upper quartile for the Life Sciences Tools & Services industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
HLN
19.64%
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 19.80%
- Q3
- 17.96%
- Median
- 13.14%
- Q1
- 7.58%
- Min
- -4.25%
An Operating Profit Margin of 19.64% places HLN in the upper quartile for the Personal Care Products industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
WAT
27.69%
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 33.15%
- Q3
- 19.34%
- Median
- 13.02%
- Q1
- 8.05%
- Min
- -4.38%
An Operating Profit Margin of 27.69% places WAT in the upper quartile for the Life Sciences Tools & Services industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | HLN | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 3.26% | 35.02% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 1.58% | 14.40% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 12.84% | 21.71% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 19.64% | 27.69% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 60.75% | 59.02% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
HLN
0.87
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 4.26
- Q3
- 2.61
- Median
- 1.74
- Q1
- 1.13
- Min
- 0.76
HLN’s Current Ratio of 0.87 falls into the lower quartile for the Personal Care Products industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
WAT
1.75
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 4.76
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.85
- Q1
- 1.40
- Min
- 0.43
WAT’s Current Ratio of 1.75 aligns with the median group of the Life Sciences Tools & Services industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
HLN
0.53
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 1.13
- Q3
- 0.63
- Median
- 0.26
- Q1
- 0.04
- Min
- 0.00
HLN’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.53 is typical for the Personal Care Products industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
WAT
0.67
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 1.75
- Q3
- 0.83
- Median
- 0.41
- Q1
- 0.18
- Min
- 0.00
WAT’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.67 is typical for the Life Sciences Tools & Services industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
HLN
8.00
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 96.53
- Q3
- 59.91
- Median
- 22.25
- Q1
- 7.85
- Min
- -1.93
HLN’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 8.00 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Personal Care Products industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
WAT
11.29
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 29.61
- Q3
- 23.24
- Median
- 6.07
- Q1
- 2.18
- Min
- -14.08
WAT’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 11.29 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Life Sciences Tools & Services industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | HLN | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.87 | 1.75 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.63 | 1.22 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.53 | 0.67 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 8.00 | 11.29 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
HLN
0.72%
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 4.08%
- Q3
- 2.46%
- Median
- 1.82%
- Q1
- 0.83%
- Min
- 0.00%
HLN’s Dividend Yield of 0.72% is in the lower quartile for the Personal Care Products industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
WAT
0.00%
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 1.80%
- Q3
- 0.78%
- Median
- 0.37%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
WAT currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
HLN
954.40%
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 207.61%
- Q3
- 115.17%
- Median
- 69.37%
- Q1
- 47.71%
- Min
- 0.00%
At 954.40%, HLN’s Dividend Payout Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical range for the Personal Care Products industry. While this provides a significant return to shareholders, it may limit funds for reinvestment and could be difficult to sustain.
WAT
0.00%
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 156.00%
- Q3
- 65.73%
- Median
- 23.81%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
WAT has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | HLN | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.72% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 954.40% | 0.00% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
HLN
22.43
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 55.49
- Q3
- 36.75
- Median
- 26.49
- Q1
- 22.40
- Min
- 11.12
HLN’s P/E Ratio of 22.43 is within the middle range for the Personal Care Products industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
WAT
26.76
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 117.96
- Q3
- 65.59
- Median
- 37.26
- Q1
- 27.51
- Min
- 1.73
In the lower quartile for the Life Sciences Tools & Services industry, WAT’s P/E Ratio of 26.76 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
HLN
2.88
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 5.35
- Q3
- 2.83
- Median
- 2.07
- Q1
- 1.13
- Min
- 0.00
HLN’s P/S Ratio of 2.88 is in the upper echelon for the Personal Care Products industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
WAT
5.81
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 12.46
- Q3
- 6.70
- Median
- 4.24
- Q1
- 2.68
- Min
- 0.73
WAT’s P/S Ratio of 5.81 aligns with the market consensus for the Life Sciences Tools & Services industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
HLN
2.11
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 7.32
- Q3
- 5.26
- Median
- 2.93
- Q1
- 1.84
- Min
- 1.14
HLN’s P/B Ratio of 2.11 is within the conventional range for the Personal Care Products industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
WAT
9.62
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 7.99
- Q3
- 4.69
- Median
- 3.30
- Q1
- 1.88
- Min
- 1.02
At 9.62, WAT’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Life Sciences Tools & Services industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | HLN | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 22.43 | 26.76 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 2.88 | 5.81 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 2.11 | 9.62 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 15.04 | 28.57 |