AZN.L vs. GSK.L

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about AstraZeneca plc (AZN.L) and GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK.L).

Performance

AZN.L vs. GSK.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in AstraZeneca plc (AZN.L) and GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

AZN.L vs. GSK.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
AZN.L AstraZeneca plc	10.06%	34.59%	0.92%	-3.53%	32.32%	21.78%	-0.99%	33.98%	19.31%	21.08%
GSK.L GlaxoSmithKline plc	16.41%	41.46%	-3.51%	4.94%	-7.40%	26.74%	-20.72%	25.38%	19.09%	-10.77%

Fundamentals

Market Cap AZN.L : £234.79B GSK.L : £86.09B
EPS AZN.L : £6.64 GSK.L : £1.39
PE Ratio AZN.L : 22.61 GSK.L : 15.11
PEG Ratio AZN.L : 0.03 GSK.L : 0.34
PS Ratio AZN.L : 3.94 GSK.L : 2.64
PB Ratio AZN.L : 4.82 GSK.L : 5.26
Total Revenue (TTM) AZN.L : £59.50B GSK.L : £32.67B
Gross Profit (TTM) AZN.L : £46.54B GSK.L : £23.68B
EBITDA (TTM) AZN.L : £20.04B GSK.L : £11.88B

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AZN.L achieves a 10.06% return, which is significantly lower than GSK.L's 16.41% return. Over the past 10 years, AZN.L has outperformed GSK.L with an annualized return of 17.68%, while GSK.L has yielded a comparatively lower 8.99% annualized return.

AZN.L

• 1D: 2.26%
• 1M: -1.51%
• YTD: 10.06%
• 6M: 22.05%
• 1Y: 34.47%
• 3Y*: 12.40%
• 5Y*: 18.41%
• 10Y*: 17.68%

GSK.L

• 1D: 2.08%
• 1M: -3.35%
• YTD: 16.41%
• 6M: 28.19%
• 1Y: 49.26%
• 3Y*: 18.45%
• 5Y*: 15.08%
• 10Y*: 8.99%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

AZN.L vs. GSK.L — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

AZN.L

AZN.L Risk / Return Rank: 79
AZN.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 80
AZN.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 77
AZN.L Omega Ratio Rank: 75
AZN.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 80
AZN.L Martin Ratio Rank: 80

GSK.L

GSK.L Risk / Return Rank: 87
GSK.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
GSK.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
GSK.L Omega Ratio Rank: 85
GSK.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
GSK.L Martin Ratio Rank: 87

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

AZN.L vs. GSK.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for AstraZeneca plc (AZN.L) and GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK.L). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	AZN.L	GSK.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.28	1.85	-0.57
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.97	2.58	-0.61
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.26	1.34	-0.08
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.39	3.81	-1.42
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.08	9.11	-3.03
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AZN.L vs. GSK.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AZN.L Sharpe Ratio is 1.28, which is lower than the GSK.L Sharpe Ratio of 1.85. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AZN.L and GSK.L, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	AZN.L	GSK.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.28	1.85	-0.57
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.78	0.69	+0.09
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.73	0.42	+0.30
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.54	—	—

Correlation

The correlation between AZN.L and GSK.L is 0.55, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

AZN.L vs. GSK.L - Dividend Comparison

AZN.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.57%, less than GSK.L's 3.13% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AZN.L AstraZeneca plc	1.57%	1.77%	2.23%	2.21%	1.98%	2.33%	2.95%	2.87%	3.44%	4.28%	4.50%	3.95%
GSK.L GlaxoSmithKline plc	3.13%	3.51%	4.53%	3.84%	4.69%	4.98%	5.96%	4.50%	5.36%	6.05%	4.93%	5.83%

Drawdowns

AZN.L vs. GSK.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AZN.L drawdown since its inception was -49.99%, smaller than the maximum GSK.L drawdown of -9,894.54%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AZN.L and GSK.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	AZN.L	GSK.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-49.99%	-9,894.54%	+9,844.55%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.14%	-13.91%	-1.23%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.75%	-27.99%	+1.24%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-26.75%	-30.96%	+4.21%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.35%	-9,272.04%	+9,268.69%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.71%	-2,430.09%	+2,418.38%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.94%	5.81%	+0.13%

Volatility

AZN.L vs. GSK.L - Volatility Comparison

AstraZeneca plc (AZN.L) has a higher volatility of 6.97% compared to GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK.L) at 6.51%. This indicates that AZN.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than GSK.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AZN.L	GSK.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.97%	6.51%	+0.46%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.04%	16.85%	-1.81%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	26.77%	26.49%	+0.28%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	23.60%	21.95%	+1.65%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	24.27%	21.17%	+3.10%

Financials

AZN.L vs. GSK.L - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between AstraZeneca plc and GlaxoSmithKline plc over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

AZN.L - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, AstraZeneca plc reported a gross profit of 12.39B and revenue of 15.50B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 79.9%.

GSK.L - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, GlaxoSmithKline plc reported a gross profit of 5.98B and revenue of 8.62B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 69.4%.

AZN.L - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, AstraZeneca plc reported an operating income of 2.98B and revenue of 15.50B, resulting in an operating margin of 19.2%.

GSK.L - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, GlaxoSmithKline plc reported an operating income of 723.00M and revenue of 8.62B, resulting in an operating margin of 8.4%.

AZN.L - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, AstraZeneca plc reported a net income of 2.33B and revenue of 15.50B, resulting in a net margin of 15.0%.

GSK.L - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, GlaxoSmithKline plc reported a net income of 636.00M and revenue of 8.62B, resulting in a net margin of 7.4%.