INSM vs. WAT: Insmed vs. Waters Stock Comparison
How do Insmed (INSM) 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
Insmed (INSM) and Waters (WAT) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but INSM is classified in Biotechnology while WAT is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.
| Profile Item | INSM | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Insmed Incorporated | 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 | 25.10 billion USD | 44.93 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | June 1, 2000 | November 17, 1995 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | INSM | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -39.17% | 27.70% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 70.17% | 23.32% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 28.96% | 6.27% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | INSM | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 63.09% | 35.45% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.80 | 1.13 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -56.54% | -36.47% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.76M | 816.72K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | INSM | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.69 | 0.66 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -1.04 | 0.98 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Insmed (INSM) reports a negative ROE of -72.45%; 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.
INSM
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
-72.45%
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- INSM
- -72.45%
- 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)
Insmed (INSM) reports a negative net margin of -39.85%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Waters (WAT) reports 1.76%, ranking against industry peers normally.
INSM
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
-39.85%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
- INSM
- -39.85%
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)
Insmed (INSM) reports a negative operating margin of -15.60%, usually indicating that operating costs exceeded revenue at the operating-income line. Meanwhile Waters (WAT) reports 11.38%, ranking against industry peers normally.
INSM
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
-15.60%
- Max
- 83.12%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- INSM
- -15.60%
- 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 | INSM | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -72.45% | 1.12% |
| ROA (TTM) | -17.25% | 2.36% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | -39.85% | 1.76% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | -15.60% | 11.38% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 84.40% | 49.83% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Insmed (INSM) at 66.73% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Waters (WAT) at 6.99% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for INSM.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Waters (WAT) reports EPS growth of 0.47%, ranked against its industry; Insmed (INSM) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | INSM | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 66.73% | 6.99% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 35.20% | 2.12% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | 0.47% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -2.84% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Short-term liquidity can only be read on one side of this pairing: Insmed (INSM) shows current ratio of 2.86 against its industry benchmark, while Waters (WAT) has no reading this period.
INSM
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.86
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- INSM
- 2.86
- Q1
- 2.47
- 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 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Insmed (INSM) at 1.01 uses more debt funding than most peers.
INSM
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.01
- Max
- 1.42
- INSM
- 1.01
- 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 | INSM | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.86 | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.01 | 0.34 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | 3.23 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Insmed (INSM) nor Waters (WAT) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
INSM
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- INSM
- 0.00%
- 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)
Neither Insmed (INSM) nor Waters (WAT) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
INSM
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- INSM
- 0.00%
- 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 | INSM | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 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 Insmed (INSM) has no P/E ratio this period.
INSM
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
- INSM
- --
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 Insmed (INSM) at 16.52 and Waters (WAT) at 8.01 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
INSM
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
16.52
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- INSM
- 16.52
- Median
- 7.30
- 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 Insmed (INSM) at 34.55 prices above its benchmark range — INSM looks rich relative to book.
INSM
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
34.55
- INSM
- 34.55
- 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 | INSM | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | -- | 191.46 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 16.52 | 8.01 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 34.55 | 2.94 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -1.82% | -- |