Sifting through countless of stocks in the Pharmaceuticals industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AstraZeneca PLC or AstraZeneca PLC because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AstraZeneca PLC and AstraZeneca PLC compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AstraZeneca PLC and AstraZeneca PLC

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. The company offers products for oncology, hematology, immunology, cardiovascular, and neuroscience indications. Its products include Opdivo for anti-cancer indications; Opdivo Qvantig, a subcutaneous PD-1 inhibitor for solid tumors; Orencia for active rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis; Yervoy for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma; Reblozyl to treat anemia; Breyanzi for the treatment of relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma; Opdualag to treat unresectable or metastatic melanoma; and Camzyos for the treatment of symptomatic obstructive HCM. The company also offers Zeposia to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis; Abecma for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma; Sotyktu to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis; Krazati for the treatment of KRASG12C-mutated locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); and Cobenfy to treat schizophrenia. In addition, it offers Eliquis for the reduction of risk of stroke/systemic embolism and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Revlimid, an oral immunomodulatory drug for multiple myeloma; Pomalyst/Imnovid for multiple myeloma; Sprycel for Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia; and Abraxane to treat breast cancer. Further, the company provides Augtyro for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic ROS1-positive NSCLC, as well as NSCLC and pancreatic cancer. It sells its products to wholesalers, distributors, specialty pharmacies, retailers, hospitals, clinics, and government agencies. The company has a strategic collaboration with Arcus Biosciences, Inc. to develop a treatment regimen that delivers tumor control in kidney cancer. The company was formerly known as Bristol-Myers Company. The company was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey.

AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of prescription medicines. The company offers Imjudo, Datroway, Iressa, Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Lynparza, Calquence, Enhertu, Orpathys, Truqap, Zoladex, Faslodex, Crestor, Andexxa, Onglyza, Symlin, XIGDUO XR, Atacand, Atacand HCT, Atacand Plus, Farxiga/Forxiga, Plendil, Modip, Splendil, Munobal, Flodil, Tenormin, Tenormine, Prenormine, Atenol, Zestril, Brilinta/Brilique, Komboglyze, Qtern, Wainua, Byetta, Lokelma, Seloken ZOK, Toprol-XL, Betaloc ZOK, XIGDUO, Accolate, Accoleit, Vanticon, Bricanyl Respules, Eklira Genuair/Tudorza/Bretaris, Pulmicort Turbuhaler, Symbicort Turbuhaler, Airsupra, Bricanyl Turbuhaler, Fasenra, Rhinocort, Tezspire, Bevespi Aerosphere, Daliresp/Daxas, Oxis Turbuhaler, Saphnelo, Breztri Aerosphere, Duaklir Genuair, Pulmicort Respules, and Symbicort pMDI. It also provides Beyfortus, Kavigale, Evusheld, Fluenz/FluMist, Synagis, Kanuma, Ultomiris, Koselugo, Voydeya, Soliris, Strensiq, Nexium, and other medicines. The company offers its products for ocology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolism, respiratory & immunology, vaccines and immune, and therapies rare diseases. It serves primary and specialty care physicians through distributors and local representative offices in the United Kingdom, the Americas, rest of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. It has a strategic agreement with Tempus and Pathos to develop the largest multimodal foundation model in oncology; CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Limited to advance the discovery and development of novel oral candidates, with the potential to treat diseases across multiple indications; and Nucs AI Inc. to develop AI-driven Response Prediction for Therapeutic Radioconjugates. The company was formerly known as Zeneca Group PLC and changed its name to AstraZeneca PLC in April 1999. AstraZeneca PLC was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom.

AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of prescription medicines. The company offers Imjudo, Datroway, Iressa, Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Lynparza, Calquence, Enhertu, Orpathys, Truqap, Zoladex, Faslodex, Crestor, Andexxa, Onglyza, Symlin, XIGDUO XR, Atacand, Atacand HCT, Atacand Plus, Farxiga/Forxiga, Plendil, Modip, Splendil, Munobal, Flodil, Tenormin, Tenormine, Prenormine, Atenol, Zestril, Brilinta/Brilique, Komboglyze, Qtern, Wainua, Byetta, Lokelma, Seloken ZOK, Toprol-XL, Betaloc ZOK, XIGDUO, Accolate, Accoleit, Vanticon, Bricanyl Respules, Eklira Genuair/Tudorza/Bretaris, Pulmicort Turbuhaler, Symbicort Turbuhaler, Airsupra, Bricanyl Turbuhaler, Fasenra, Rhinocort, Tezspire, Bevespi Aerosphere, Daliresp/Daxas, Oxis Turbuhaler, Saphnelo, Breztri Aerosphere, Duaklir Genuair, Pulmicort Respules, and Symbicort pMDI. It also provides Beyfortus, Kavigale, Evusheld, Fluenz/FluMist, Synagis, Kanuma, Ultomiris, Koselugo, Voydeya, Soliris, Strensiq, Nexium, and other medicines. The company offers its products for ocology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolism, respiratory & immunology, vaccines and immune, and therapies rare diseases. It serves primary and specialty care physicians through distributors and local representative offices in the United Kingdom, the Americas, rest of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. It has a strategic agreement with Tempus and Pathos to develop the largest multimodal foundation model in oncology; CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Limited to advance the discovery and development of novel oral candidates, with the potential to treat diseases across multiple indications; and Nucs AI Inc. to develop AI-driven Response Prediction for Therapeutic Radioconjugates. The company was formerly known as Zeneca Group PLC and changed its name to AstraZeneca PLC in April 1999. AstraZeneca PLC was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom.

Latest Pharmaceuticals and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AstraZeneca PLC Stock News

As of August 20, 2026, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company had a $133.7 billion market capitalization, compared to the Pharmaceuticals median of $618.0 million. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company’s stock is up 21.4% in 2026, up 1.3% in the previous five trading days and up 35.44% in the past year.

Currently, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company’s price-earnings ratio is 14.4. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company’s trailing 12-month revenue is $49.2 billion with a 18.9% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 5.7%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $6.949 per share for the current fiscal year. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company currently has a 3.8% dividend yield.

As of August 20, 2026, AstraZeneca PLC had a $255.1 billion market cap, putting it in the 99th percentile of all stocks. AstraZeneca PLC’s stock is up 78.9% in 2026, up 4.6% in the previous five trading days and up 11.52% in the past year.

Currently, AstraZeneca PLC’s price-earnings ratio is 24.6. AstraZeneca PLC’s trailing 12-month revenue is $61.4 billion with a 17.0% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 6.4%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $10.053 per share for the current fiscal year. AstraZeneca PLC currently has a 1.5% dividend yield.

How We Compare Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AstraZeneca PLC and AstraZeneca PLC Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AstraZeneca PLC and AstraZeneca PLC’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AstraZeneca PLC and AstraZeneca PLC’s Quality Grades

Company	Ticker	Quality
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company	BMY	A
AstraZeneca PLC	AZN	A
AstraZeneca PLC	AZN	A

Like the Value Grade, AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the percentile rank of key metrics. Specifically, the Quality Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and the F-Score.

The score is variable, meaning it can consider all eight measures or, should any of the eight measures not be valid, the remaining measures that are valid. To be assigned a Quality Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) measure and corresponding ranking for at least four of the eight quality measures.

The Quality Score is used to assess the underlying “quality” of a particular stock. A higher-quality stock possesses traits associated with upside potential and reduced downside risk. Backtesting of the Quality Grade shows that stocks with higher grades, on average, outperformed stocks with lower grades over the period of 1998 through 2019.

Stocks receive better grades (higher scores) for having higher scores for the quality subcomponents and worse grades (lower scores) for lower scores for the subcomponents.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company has a Quality Score of 96, which is Very Strong. AstraZeneca PLC has a Quality Score of 92, which is Very Strong. AstraZeneca PLC has a Quality Score of 92, which is Very Strong.

The Quality Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Quality Grade breakdown above, both Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AstraZeneca PLC and AstraZeneca PLC have a grade of A. For investors who focus solely on a company’s overall quality, you will need to conduct further research into both companies to see if they are a good fit for your portfolio. As a good rule of thumb, you should always analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before choosing a company to invest in.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AstraZeneca PLC and AstraZeneca PLC’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company	BMY	B
AstraZeneca PLC	AZN	D
AstraZeneca PLC	AZN	D

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company has a Momentum Score of 67, which is Strong. AstraZeneca PLC has a Momentum Score of 36, which is Weak. AstraZeneca PLC has a Momentum Score of 36, which is Weak.

The Momentum Grade Winner: Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

As you can clearly see from the Momentum Grade breakdown above, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company is considered to have stronger momentum compared to AstraZeneca PLC. For those specifically looking for companies that have stronger momentum compared to other companies in the same industry, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AstraZeneca PLC and AstraZeneca PLC’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company	BMY	A
AstraZeneca PLC	AZN	C
AstraZeneca PLC	AZN	C

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company has a Earnings Estimate Score of 81, which is Very Positive. AstraZeneca PLC has a Earnings Estimate Score of 47, which is Neutral. AstraZeneca PLC has a Earnings Estimate Score of 47, which is Neutral.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

As you can clearly see from the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company has a better Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade than AstraZeneca PLC. For those who are specifically looking for companies with better short-term prospects when compared to other companies in the same industry, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Other Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AstraZeneca PLC and AstraZeneca PLC Grades

In addition to Quality, Momentum and Estimate Revisions, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Growth.

Growth investing builds on the idea that stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth outperform those of slower-growth companies. AAII measures growth through consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AstraZeneca PLC and AstraZeneca PLC pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AstraZeneca PLC or AstraZeneca PLC Stock?

Overall, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company stock has a Momentum Score of 67, Estimate Revisions Score of 81 and Quality Score of 96.

AstraZeneca PLC stock has a Momentum Score of 36, Estimate Revisions Score of 47 and Quality Score of 92.

AstraZeneca PLC stock has a Momentum Score of 36, Estimate Revisions Score of 47 and Quality Score of 92.

Comparing Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AstraZeneca PLC and AstraZeneca PLC’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.