SHC vs ICLR

For growth investors, Sotera Health Company (SHC) is the stronger pick with 5.

7% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 2. 0% for ICON Public Limited Company (ICLR). ICON Public Limited Company (ICLR) offers the better valuation at 13. 1x trailing P/E (10. 7x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Sotera Health Company (SHC) a "Buy" — based on 12 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.

On trailing P/E, ICON Public Limited Company (ICLR) is the cheapest at 13.

1x versus Sotera Health Company at 58. 4x. On forward P/E, ICON Public Limited Company is actually cheaper at 10. 7x.

Over the past 5 years, Sotera Health Company (SHC) delivered a total return of -34.

3%, compared to -44. 8% for ICON Public Limited Company (ICLR). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ICLR returned +90. 2% versus SHC's -37. 1%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Sotera Health Company (SHC) is the lower-risk stock at 1.

34β versus ICON Public Limited Company's 1. 64β — meaning ICLR is approximately 22% more volatile than SHC relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, ICON Public Limited Company (ICLR) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 38% versus 4% for Sotera Health Company — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Sotera Health Company (SHC) is pulling ahead at 5.

7% versus 2. 0% for ICON Public Limited Company (ICLR). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Sotera Health Company grew EPS 68. 8% year-over-year, compared to 28. 8% for ICON Public Limited Company. Over a 3-year CAGR, ICLR leads at 14. 8% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

ICON Public Limited Company (ICLR) is the more profitable company, earning 9.

6% net margin versus 6. 7% for Sotera Health Company — meaning it keeps 9. 6% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SHC leads at 33. 8% versus 13. 3% for ICLR. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SHC leads at 55. 5%, 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.

On forward earnings alone, ICON Public Limited Company (ICLR) trades at 10.

7x forward P/E versus 16. 2x for Sotera Health Company — 5. 5x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SHC: 39. 4% to $22. 00.

None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend.

All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Sotera Health Company (SHC) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding.

ICON Public Limited Company (ICLR) carries a higher beta of 1. 64 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (SHC: -37. 1%, ICLR: +90. 2%), 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.

Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

In terms of investment character: SHC is a small-cap quality compounder stock; ICLR is a small-cap deep-value stock. 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.