ILMN vs. QGEN: Illumina vs. Qiagen Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Illumina (ILMN) 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

Illumina (ILMN) and Qiagen (QGEN) are both classified in the Life Sciences Tools & Services sub-industry within the broader Life Sciences Tools & Services industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Company profile comparison for Illumina (ILMN) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Profile Item	ILMN	QGEN
Name	Illumina 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	Life Sciences Tools & Services	Life Sciences Tools & Services
GICS Sub-Industry	Life Sciences Tools & Services	Life Sciences Tools & Services
Market Capitalization	32.23 billion USD	10.39 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	Nasdaq	NYSE
Listing Date	July 28, 2000	June 28, 1996
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ILMN

QGEN

GSPC

Illumina (ILMN) 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 Illumina (ILMN) and Qiagen (QGEN). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Illumina (ILMN) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	ILMN	QGEN
Total Return (1Y)	79.70%	17.09%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	28.16%	10.44%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	-10.65%	-0.72%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ILMN

QGEN

GSPC

Illumina (ILMN) 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 Illumina (ILMN) and Qiagen (QGEN). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Illumina (ILMN) has an aggressive beta of 1.46, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Qiagen (QGEN) is defensive at 0.56 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.

Risk profile metrics for Illumina (ILMN) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	ILMN	QGEN
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	48.47%	35.52%
Beta (5Y)	1.46	0.56
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-82.95%	-41.97%
Avg. Volume (3M)	2.77M	3.68M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

ILMN 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 Illumina (ILMN) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	ILMN	QGEN
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	1.56	0.36
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	2.25	0.60

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Illumina (ILMN) at 32.39% 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.

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%

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%

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

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Illumina (ILMN) at 19.72% 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.

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%

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%

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

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Illumina (ILMN) at 20.02% 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.

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%

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%

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

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Illumina (ILMN) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	ILMN	QGEN
ROE (TTM)	32.39%	10.81%
ROA (TTM)	8.32%	5.68%
Net Margin (TTM)	19.72%	18.20%
Operating Margin (TTM)	20.02%	27.75%
Gross Margin (TTM)	67.68%	67.06%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Qiagen (QGEN) at 5.65% 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.

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

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: Qiagen (QGEN) reports EPS growth of 409.76%, ranked against its industry; Illumina (ILMN) has no EPS growth figure this period.

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

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Illumina (ILMN) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	ILMN	QGEN
Revenue Growth (YoY)	-0.66%	5.65%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	-1.78%	-0.81%
EPS Growth (YoY)	--	409.76%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	-0.19%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Illumina (ILMN) at 2.63 and Qiagen (QGEN) at 2.63 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.

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

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

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

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Qiagen (QGEN) at 0.47 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Illumina (ILMN) at 0.74 uses more debt funding than most peers.

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

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

Illumina (ILMN) 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 Illumina (ILMN) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	ILMN	QGEN
Current Ratio (MRQ)	2.63	2.63
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.74	0.47
Net Debt / EBITDA	0.85	1.08

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Illumina (ILMN) 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.

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%

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%

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

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Illumina (ILMN) 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.

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%

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%

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

Dividend Metrics

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

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Illumina (ILMN) at 36.68 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.

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

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

Illumina (ILMN) 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 Illumina (ILMN) at 7.10 and Qiagen (QGEN) at 4.91 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

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

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

Illumina (ILMN) 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 Illumina (ILMN) at 10.30 carries an above-peer premium to book — ILMN is pricier on assets.

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

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

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

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Illumina (ILMN) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	ILMN	QGEN
P/E Ratio (TTM)	36.68	27.21
P/S Ratio (TTM)	7.10	4.91
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	10.30	2.99
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	2.67%	3.62%