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Stock Comparison · Single-driver result

Imperial Brands vs The J. M. Smucker Company: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Imperial Brands holds the cleaner structural position, with profitability as the main driver and growth adding further support. The J. M. Smucker Company still has the edge on growth, 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 (IMB.L: STOXX 600, SJM: S&P 500).

Updated 2026-05-17

Most of the separation is still concentrated in profitability.

Trajectory Similarity
0.74
Similar
Peer-set rank: #72
within Imperial Brands PLC's functional peer set

These two companies are linked by measured 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 match is driven mainly by revenue growth trajectory and margin consistency.

Similarity drivers
revenue growth trajectorymargin 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
IMB.L
Imperial Brands PLC
68
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: STOXX 600
vs
SJM
The J. M. Smucker Company
62
Peer-Score
Signal qualityHigh
Peer basis: S&P 500

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

The clearest separation appears in profitability.

Dimension spread: IMB.L vs SJM Profitability 67 29 Stability 69 57 Valuation 81 88 Growth 50 75 IMB.L SJM
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +38
#2 Growth +25
#3 Stability +12
#4 Valuation +7
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for IMB.L and SJM Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer IMB.LSJM 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) and Forward P/E where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where IMB.L and SJM each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY IMB.L Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 70 pct gap SJM Lower · near norm 0th 50th 100th 80th 9th
Today SJM sits in the lower portion of its own 5-year history (9th percentile), while IMB.L sits higher in its own history (80th). Within each stock's own 5-year context, SJM is at a historically more favourable entry position than IMB.L. 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
Profitability
Imperial Brands PLC ranks near the top of the group on profitability; The J. M. Smucker Company sits in the weaker half.
Growth
On growth, the same pattern holds: both rank well, but The J. M. Smucker Company still sits higher.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
IMB.L
67
SJM
29
Gap+38in favour of IMB.L

Capital efficiency adds support, with a 22.6-point ROIC advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Growth still leans toward The J. M. Smucker Company, so the lead is real without reading as one-way.

What this means for the comparison

The page question resolves through profitability, but growth still keeps the overall picture from reading as one-sided.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the IMB.L vs SJM comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

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Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how IMB.L and SJM 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.