NBIX vs. WAT: Neurocrine Biosciences vs. Waters Stock Comparison
How do Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) 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
Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) and Waters (WAT) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but NBIX is classified in Biotechnology while WAT is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.
| Profile Item | NBIX | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Neurocrine Biosciences, 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 | 16.66 billion USD | 44.93 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | May 23, 1996 | November 17, 1995 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | NBIX | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 9.40% | 27.70% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 14.12% | 23.32% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 12.61% | 6.27% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | NBIX | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 35.05% | 35.45% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.29 | 1.13 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -42.89% | -36.47% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 1.31M | 816.72K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | NBIX | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.15 | 0.66 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.22 | 0.98 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) at 20.42% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Waters (WAT) at 1.12% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for NBIX.
NBIX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
20.42%
- Max
- 109.18%
- NBIX
- 20.42%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- 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)
Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) at 18.98% converts revenue to bottom-line profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while Waters (WAT) at 1.76% keeps roughly the typical share for its industry.
NBIX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
18.98%
- NBIX
- 18.98%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- 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)
Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) at 31.98% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Waters (WAT) at 11.38%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
NBIX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
31.98%
- Max
- 83.12%
- NBIX
- 31.98%
- 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 | NBIX | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 20.42% | 1.12% |
| ROA (TTM) | 12.45% | 2.36% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 18.98% | 1.76% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 31.98% | 11.38% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 64.67% | 49.83% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) at 21.45% 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
Both Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) at 41.95% and Waters (WAT) at 0.47% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | NBIX | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 21.45% | 6.99% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 24.32% | 2.12% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 41.95% | 0.47% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 44.12% | -2.84% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Short-term liquidity can only be read on one side of this pairing: Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) shows current ratio of 2.04 against its industry benchmark, while Waters (WAT) has no reading this period.
NBIX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.04
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- NBIX
- 2.04
- 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)
Both Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) at 0.12 and Waters (WAT) at 0.34 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
NBIX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.12
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- NBIX
- 0.12
- 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 | NBIX | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.04 | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.12 | 0.34 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -0.27 | 3.23 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) nor Waters (WAT) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
NBIX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- NBIX
- 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 Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) nor Waters (WAT) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
NBIX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- NBIX
- 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 | NBIX | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) at 24.43 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Waters (WAT) at 191.46 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for WAT’s trailing earnings.
NBIX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
24.43
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- NBIX
- 24.43
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
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 Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) at 4.50 and Waters (WAT) at 8.01 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
NBIX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
4.50
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- NBIX
- 4.50
- 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)
On P/B ratio, both Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) at 4.30 and Waters (WAT) at 2.94 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
NBIX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
4.30
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- NBIX
- 4.30
- 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 | NBIX | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 24.43 | 191.46 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 4.50 | 8.01 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 4.30 | 2.94 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 6.11% | -- |