Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) vs AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | AZN | 8.6% revenue growth vs ABBV's 3.7% |
| Value | ABBV | Lower P/E (16.0x vs 20.3x) |
| Quality / Margins | AZN | 17.4% net margin vs ABBV's 4.0% |
| Stability / Safety | AZN | Beta 0.27 vs ABBV's 0.42, lower leverage |
| Dividends | ABBV | 2.7% yield, 12-year raise streak, vs AZN's 0.8% |
| Momentum (1Y) | AZN | +40.3% vs ABBV's +14.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AZN | 9.0% ROA vs ABBV's 1.8%, ROIC 14.9% vs 11.1% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
AbbVie is a global biopharmaceutical company that develops and markets innovative medicines for serious health conditions. It generates revenue primarily from prescription drug sales — with immunology drugs like Skyrizi and Rinvoq now driving growth as Humira faces biosimilar competition — and also earns income from its aesthetics portfolio including Botox. The company's competitive advantage lies in its deep R&D pipeline, strong patent portfolio, and established commercial infrastructure for launching new blockbuster therapies.
AstraZeneca is a global biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and commercializes prescription medicines across multiple therapeutic areas. It generates revenue primarily from oncology drugs (~40% of total revenue), cardiovascular/renal/metabolism treatments (~30%), and respiratory/immunology products, with the remainder from rare diseases and vaccines. The company's competitive advantage lies in its robust R&D pipeline—particularly in oncology and biologics—and its global commercial infrastructure that spans both developed and emerging markets.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
AZN leads in 5 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). ABBV leads in 1 (Analyst Outlook).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
ABBV and AZN operate at a comparable scale, with $59.6B and $58.7B in trailing revenue. AZN is the more profitable business, keeping 17.4% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to ABBV's 4.0%. On growth, ABBV holds the edge at +9.1% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | ABBVAbbVie Inc. | AZNAstraZeneca PLC |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $59.6B | $58.7B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $17.3B | $19.5B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $2.4B | $10.2B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $20.6B | $10.5B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +69.7% | +81.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +15.2% | +23.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +4.0% | +17.4% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +34.5% | +17.9% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +9.1% | +4.1% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -88.7% | +54.2% |
Valuation Metrics
At 63.7x trailing earnings, AZN trades at a 34% valuation discount to ABBV's 97.1x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, AZN's 17.8x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than ABBV's 27.0x.
| Metric | ABBVAbbVie Inc. | AZNAstraZeneca PLC |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $410.1B | $323.2B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $472.4B | $347.1B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 97.08x | 63.75x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 15.95x | 20.30x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 2.92x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 26.96x | 17.82x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 7.28x | 5.50x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 122.29x | 13.37x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 23.00x | 27.47x |
Profitability & Efficiency
ABBV delivers a 62.2% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $62 in annual profit, vs $21 for AZN. AZN carries lower financial leverage with a 0.61x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to ABBV's 20.17x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AZN scores 8/9 vs ABBV's 6/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | ABBVAbbVie Inc. | AZNAstraZeneca PLC |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +62.2% | +21.0% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +1.8% | +9.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +11.1% | +14.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +9.5% | +17.2% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 8 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 20.17x | 0.61x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $62.3B | $24.0B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $5.5B | $5.7B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $67.8B | $29.7B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 1.58x | 8.32x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in ABBV five years ago would be worth $24,166 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $22,160 for AZN. Over the past 12 months, AZN leads with a +40.3% total return vs ABBV's +14.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AZN at 18.3% vs ABBV's 17.7% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | ABBVAbbVie Inc. | AZNAstraZeneca PLC |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +1.9% | +15.3% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +14.2% | +40.3% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +63.1% | +65.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +141.7% | +121.6% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +413.0% | +296.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +17.7% | +18.3% |
Risk & Volatility
AZN is the less volatile stock with a 0.27 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than ABBV's 0.42 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. AZN currently trades 98.0% from its 52-week high vs ABBV's 94.8% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | ABBVAbbVie Inc. | AZNAstraZeneca PLC |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.42x | 0.27x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $244.81 | $212.71 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $164.39 | $91.44 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +94.8% | +98.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 49.6 | 59.1 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 5.7M | 1.5M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates ABBV as "Buy" and AZN as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 10.4% upside for ABBV (target: $256) vs -49.4% for AZN (target: $106). For income investors, ABBV offers the higher dividend yield at 2.68% vs AZN's 0.78%.
| Metric | ABBVAbbVie Inc. | AZNAstraZeneca PLC |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $256.15 | $105.50 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 39 | 41 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +2.7% | +0.8% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 12 | 4 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $6.22 | $1.63 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.4% | +0.2% |
Historical Charts
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Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) | 100 | 254.41 | +154.4% |
| AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) | 100 | 207.5 | +107.5% |
AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) returned +142% over 5 years vs AstraZeneca PLC (AZN)'s +122%. A $10,000 investment in ABBV 5 years ago would be worth $24,166 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) | $25.6B | $56.3B | +119.7% |
| AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) | $23.0B | $58.7B | +155.4% |
AstraZeneca PLC's revenue grew from $23.0B (2016) to $58.7B (2025) — a 11.0% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) | 23.2% | 7.6% | -67.3% |
| AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) | 15.2% | 17.5% | +14.8% |
AstraZeneca PLC's net margin went from 15% (2016) to 17% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) | 29.3 | 74.4 | +153.9% |
| AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) | 54.3 | 53.7 | -1.1% |
AbbVie Inc. has traded in a 17x–74x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~97x. AstraZeneca PLC has traded in a 54x–194x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~64x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) | 3.63 | 2.39 | -34.2% |
| AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) | 1.38 | 3.27 | +137.0% |
AstraZeneca PLC's EPS grew from $1.38 (2016) to $3.27 (2025) — a 10% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
AbbVie Inc. generated $18B FCF in 2024 (-19% vs 2021). AstraZeneca PLC generated $12B FCF in 2025 (+213% vs 2021).
ABBV vs AZN: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is ABBV or AZN a better buy right now?
AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) offers the better valuation at 63.7x trailing P/E (20.3x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) a "Buy" — based on 39 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — ABBV or AZN?
On trailing P/E, AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) is the cheapest at 63.7x versus AbbVie Inc. at 97.1x. On forward P/E, AbbVie Inc. is actually cheaper at 16.0x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.
03Which is the better long-term investment — ABBV or AZN?
Over the past 5 years, AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) delivered a total return of +141.7%, compared to +121.6% for AstraZeneca PLC (AZN). A $10,000 investment in ABBV five years ago would be worth approximately $24K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ABBV returned +413.0% versus AZN's +296.2%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — ABBV or AZN?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) is the lower-risk stock at 0.27β versus AbbVie Inc.'s 0.42β — meaning ABBV is approximately 60% more volatile than AZN relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 61% versus 20% for AbbVie Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — ABBV or AZN?
AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) is the more profitable company, earning 17.5% net margin versus 7.6% for AbbVie Inc. — meaning it keeps 17.5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AZN leads at 23.4% versus 16.2% for ABBV. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AZN leads at 81.9%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is ABBV or AZN more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) trades at 16.0x forward P/E versus 20.3x for AstraZeneca PLC — 4.3x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ABBV: 10.4% to $256.15.
07Which pays a better dividend — ABBV or AZN?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) offers the highest yield at 2.7%, versus 0.8% for AstraZeneca PLC (AZN).
08Is ABBV or AZN better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.27), 0.8% yield, +296.2% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (AZN: +296.2%, ABBV: +413.0%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between ABBV and AZN?
Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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