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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Drug Manufacturers - General

AstraZeneca vs Johnson & Johnson: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Johnson & Johnson holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across valuation and profitability. AstraZeneca does not offset that deficit through any equally strong structural edge elsewhere. The market setup is broadly comparable for both — no clear directional signal from price behavior. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels.

Updated 2026-04-05

The lead is spread across valuation and profitability, rather than sitting in one isolated gap. The overall score gap is 24 points in favour of Johnson & Johnson.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Drug Manufacturers - General

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. AZN.L and JNJ share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
AZN.L
AstraZeneca PLC
49
Peer-Score
Signal qualityHigh
vs
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
73
Peer-Score
Signal qualityHigh

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

Pricing and operating quality both support the lead here.

Dimension spread: AZN.L vs JNJ Profitability 41 69 Stability 65 86 Valuation 39 69 Growth 59 69 AZN.L JNJ
Gap Ranking
#1 Valuation +30
#2 Profitability +28
#3 Stability +21
#4 Growth +10
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for AZN.L and JNJ Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer AZN.LJNJ Relative valuation Structural strength

Johnson & Johnson looks stronger on relative valuation, while the broader price setup remains mixed.

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

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Valuation
On valuation, Johnson & Johnson ranks near the top of the group; AstraZeneca PLC sits in the weaker half.
Profitability
On profitability, the same pattern holds: both are strong, but Johnson & Johnson still leads clearly.
Valuation — Dominant Gap
AZN.L
39
JNJ
69
Gap+30in favour of JNJ

The multiple-based pricing edge comes from a trailing P/E that is 9.1 turns lower.

What else supports the lead

Capital efficiency adds support, with a 5.9-point ROIC advantage.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both valuation and profitability, making it broader than a single-dimension result.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the AZN.L vs JNJ comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar valuation-and-profitability comparisons

Explore how AZN.L and JNJ 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.

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.