ASTRAZENECA PLC vs VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC / MA, two Drug Manufacturers stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Both prices bet on pipelines, and both cost about the same per dollar of trailing profit, 28.5 times for AstraZeneca and 29.2 for Vertex; the difference is what stands behind the bet. Vertex earns a 38.1% operating margin from a cystic-fibrosis franchise it effectively owns outright, no debt, a 3 current ratio; AstraZeneca earns 23.4% across a broad oncology-led portfolio at more than twice the scale, $292B against $126B. Returns on equity nearly match, 21% and 22.4%. AstraZeneca converts more of its price into free cash, 4% against 3%. Identical multiples on very different concentrations of risk: a diversified bet on a pipeline machine sits beside a concentrated bet that a single franchise's moat outlasts its patents, and the market charges the same admission for both.
Comparison updated 2026-07-10.
| Metric | AZN | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $188.37 | $491.10 |
| Market cap | $292.0B | $125.9B |
| Sector | Drug Manufacturers | Drug Manufacturers |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +22.0% | +19.8% |
| P/E | 28.5 | 29.1 |
| P/B | 5.99 | 6.50 |
| P/S | 4.97 | 10.30 |
| EV/EBITDA | 20.8 | 24.6 |
| Revenue growth | +12.1% | +10.1% |
| Gross margin | 81.9% | — |
| Operating margin | 23.4% | 38.1% |
| Net margin | 17.4% | 35.5% |
| Return on equity | 21.0% | 22.4% |
| Return on assets | 9.0% | 16.4% |
| Return on invested capital | 23.3% | 19.9% |
| FCF yield | 4.0% | 3.0% |
| Debt / equity | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Current ratio | 0.94 | 3.02 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 3.71 | 7.73 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 8 / 9 | 6 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.