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Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA vs IQVIA Holdings: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with Fresenius SE KGaA carrying a narrow edge on stability. IQVIA 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. Peer scores are normalised within each company's primary universe (FRE.DE: HDAX, IQV: Russell 1000).

Updated 2026-05-17

The comparison is mainly decided in stability, with the rest of the profile carrying less weight.

Trajectory Similarity
0.75
Similar
Peer-set rank: #4
within Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA's functional peer set

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

The pair sits on a clearly comparable long-term path, though it is not a near-twin match.

Most of the shared profile comes through capital structure and margin consistency.

Similarity drivers
capital structuremargin 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
FRE.DE
Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA
59
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: HDAX
vs
IQV
IQVIA Holdings Inc.
56
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000

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

The clearest separation appears in stability.

Dimension spread: FRE.DE vs IQV Profitability 28 46 Stability 59 22 Valuation 81 79 Growth 70 72 FRE.DE IQV
Gap Ranking
#1 Stability +37
#2 Profitability +18
#3 Growth +2
#4 Valuation +2
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for FRE.DE and IQV Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer FRE.DEIQV Relative valuation Structural strength

The setup is mixed: neither company clearly combines the stronger profile with the more supportive price setup.

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

Entry today — historical context

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

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY FRE.DE Elevated · near norm 0th 50th 100th 62 pct gap IQV Lower · below norm 0th 50th 100th 72nd 10th
Today IQV sits in the lower portion of its own 5-year history (10th percentile), while FRE.DE sits higher in its own history (72nd). Within each stock's own 5-year context, IQV is at a historically more favourable entry position than FRE.DE. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger — peer-relative analysis is a separate question addressed above.

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

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Stability
On stability, Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA is positioned higher in the group, while IQVIA Holdings Inc. is closer to the middle.
Profitability
IQVIA Holdings Inc. holds the stronger peer position on profitability.
Stability — Dominant Gap
FRE.DE
59
IQV
22
Gap+37in favour of FRE.DE

The stability gap is wide, with the stronger side looking materially steadier through time.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

A meaningful counterforce remains in profitability, which keeps the comparison from looking completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

The main read on stability is clearer than the broader score gap.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

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Similar stability-driven comparisons

Explore how FRE.DE 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.