SNY vs. WAT: Sanofi vs. Waters Stock Comparison
How do Sanofi (SNY) 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
Sanofi (SNY) and Waters (WAT) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but SNY is classified in Pharmaceuticals while WAT is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.
Waters (WAT) trades as ordinary local shares, while Sanofi (SNY) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.
| Profile Item | SNY | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Sanofi ADR | Waters Corporation |
| Country/Region | France | United States |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences |
| GICS Industry | Pharmaceuticals | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Pharmaceuticals | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| Market Capitalization | 112.71 billion USD | 44.93 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | July 1, 2002 | November 17, 1995 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | SNY | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 2.73% | 27.70% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 6.89% | 23.32% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 3.16% | 6.27% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | SNY | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 23.60% | 35.45% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.28 | 1.13 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -33.52% | -36.47% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 3.29M | 816.72K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | SNY | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.07 | 0.66 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.10 | 0.98 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Sanofi (SNY) at 5.72% and Waters (WAT) at 1.12% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
SNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
5.72%
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- SNY
- 5.72%
- 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)
Sanofi (SNY) at 8.20% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Waters (WAT) at 1.76%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
SNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
8.20%
- Max
- 18.05%
- SNY
- 8.20%
- 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)
Sanofi (SNY) at 30.89% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Waters (WAT) at 11.38%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
SNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
30.89%
- Max
- 83.12%
- SNY
- 30.89%
- 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 | SNY | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 5.72% | 1.12% |
| ROA (TTM) | 5.31% | 2.36% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 8.20% | 1.76% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 30.89% | 11.38% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 73.68% | 49.83% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Sanofi (SNY) at 5.49% 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 Sanofi (SNY) at 39.43% 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 | SNY | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 5.49% | 6.99% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 4.82% | 2.12% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 39.43% | 0.47% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 6.02% | -2.84% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Short-term liquidity can only be read on one side of this pairing: Sanofi (SNY) shows current ratio of 1.12 against its industry benchmark, while Waters (WAT) has no reading this period.
SNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.12
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- SNY
- 1.12
- 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 Sanofi (SNY) at 0.27 and Waters (WAT) at 0.34 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
SNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.27
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- SNY
- 0.27
- 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 | SNY | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.12 | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.27 | 0.34 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.96 | 3.23 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Sanofi (SNY) nor Waters (WAT) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
SNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- SNY
- 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)
Sanofi (SNY) reports payout ratio above 100% at 119.86%, meaning dividends exceeded current-period earnings; Waters (WAT) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%).
SNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
119.86%
- SNY
- 119.86%
- 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 | SNY | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 119.86% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Sanofi (SNY) at 23.40 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.
SNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
23.40
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- SNY
- 23.40
- 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)
Sanofi (SNY) at 2.21 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Waters (WAT) at 8.01 prices around its industry’s middle — SNY costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.
SNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.21
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- SNY
- 2.21
- 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)
Sanofi (SNY) at 1.38 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while Waters (WAT) at 2.94 is valued near its industry’s middle — SNY is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.
SNY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.38
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- SNY
- 1.38
- 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 | SNY | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 23.40 | 191.46 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.21 | 8.01 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.38 | 2.94 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 7.17% | -- |