Home Compare ALGN vs IQV
Stock Comparison · Structural lead, mixed market

Align Technology vs IQVIA Holdings: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with IQVIA carrying a narrow edge on profitability. Align Technology still has the edge on profitability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. Both sides have seen trend damage — neither carries a clear market edge right now. With both trends damaged, the structural comparison carries most of the weight here.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-05-17

Profitability points more clearly toward Align Technology, Inc., even if the broader score still leans toward IQVIA Holdings Inc..

Trajectory Similarity
0.79
Similar
Peer-set rank: #1
within Align Technology, Inc.'s functional peer set

This comparison is anchored in long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

A solid similarity means the pair shares a clearly comparable long-term financial profile, even if individual dimensions still differ.

The clearest structural overlap shows up in revenue stability and margin consistency.

Similarity drivers
revenue stabilitymargin consistency
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
ALGN
Align Technology, Inc.
49
Peer-Score
Signal qualityLow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
IQV
IQVIA Holdings Inc.
53
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: ALGN vs IQV Profitability 67 42 Stability 4 25 Valuation 53 75 Growth 60 66 ALGN IQV
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +25
#2 Valuation +22
#3 Stability +21
#4 Growth +6
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for ALGN and IQV Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer ALGNIQV Relative valuation Structural strength

The structural gap is limited here, but current pricing still leans against Align Technology, Inc..

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where ALGN and IQV each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY ALGN Lower · below norm 0th 50th 100th 0 pct gap IQV Lower · below norm 0th 50th 100th 10th 10th
ALGN (10th percentile) and IQV (10th percentile) both sit in the lower portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
Both profiles are strong on profitability, but Align Technology, Inc. leads clearly.
Valuation
On valuation, the same pattern holds: both rank well, but IQVIA Holdings Inc. still sits higher.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
ALGN
67
IQV
42
Gap+25in favour of ALGN

Return on equity adds support too, with a 11.7-point advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Align Technology, Inc. still carries lower volatility exposure — that difference is real enough to prevent the comparison from becoming one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both profitability and valuation — though profitability still provides a counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the ALGN vs IQV comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how ALGN and IQV each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.