Home Compare IDXX vs STE
Stock Comparison · Comparison

IDEXX Laboratories vs STERIS: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

IDEXX Laboratories leads structurally, with profitability as the clearest single gap between the two profiles. STERIS still leads on valuation and stability, 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 2026-08-16

Profitability still does most of the heavy lifting in this comparison. IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. leads by 8 points on the overall comparison score.

Trajectory Similarity
0.70
Moderately similar
Peer-set rank: #34
within IDEXX Laboratories, Inc.'s functional peer set

This pair is matched through long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

The pair shares a valid long-term profile match, but the trajectories are not especially close.

The strongest overlap appears 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
IDXX
IDEXX Laboratories, Inc.
54
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
STE
STERIS plc
46
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

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

Score differences across key dimensions.

Dimension spread: IDXX vs STE Profitability 85 25 Stability 27 60 Valuation 48 61 Growth 42 43 IDXX STE
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +60
#2 Stability +33
#3 Valuation +13
#4 Growth +1
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for IDXX and STE Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer IDXXSTE Relative valuation Structural strength

IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. is stronger, but the price setup still looks more supportive for STERIS plc.

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

Entry today — historical context

Where IDXX and STE each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY IDXX Neutral · below norm 0th 50th 100th 12 pct gap STE Elevated · below norm 0th 50th 100th 69th 81st
IDXX (69th percentile) and STE (81st percentile) sit at comparable positions within their own 5-year histories. 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
IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. ranks near the top of the group on profitability; STERIS plc sits in the weaker half.
Stability
STERIS plc sits in the stronger part of the group on stability, while IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. is closer to mid-pack.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
IDXX
85
STE
25
Gap+60in favour of IDXX

The profitability lead is mainly driven by a 15.8-point operating margin advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

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

What this means for the comparison

The profitability edge is decisive, even though current pricing and stability still lean somewhat toward STERIS plc.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the IDXX vs STE comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how IDXX and STE 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.