AstraZeneca plc vs Meta Platforms Inc — how do they compare? AstraZeneca plc trades at $157.89 (market cap $248.14B), while Meta Platforms Inc trades at $586.27 (market cap $1.53T). The key difference: Meta Platforms Inc is far larger — about 6.2× AstraZeneca plc's market cap, and AstraZeneca plc pays the higher dividend (2.01%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AZN | META | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $248.14B | $1.53T |
Sector | Health | Media |
52-Week High | $209.48 | $790.00 |
52-Week Low | $147.06 | $525.72 |
Enterprise Value | $275.41B | $1.55T |
Dividend Yield | 2.01% | 0.35% |
Volume | — | 24,093,972 |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
AstraZeneca (AZN) trades at $161.91, up 0.3% on the day, amid mixed technical signals and strong fundamental performance. The stock exhibits a bearish technical trend with key support at $161 and resistance at $163, while recent earnings consistently beat expectations with Q2 2026 EPS of $2.63 versus $2.50 estimated. Revenue growth has been robust, climbing from $44.4B in 2022 to $58.7B in 2025, with a net income margin of 17.4% in 2025. Recent news centers on potential merger discussions with Bristol Myers Squibb, though reports on August 5, 2026, from Reuters indicate no current talks.
The outlook for AZN is cautiously optimistic, driven by solid profitability and analyst support, but tempered by merger-related volatility and a bearish technical setup. Investment opportunities lie in its high gross margin of 81.88% and positive earnings trajectory, while risks include integration challenges from any future acquisitions and market sensitivity to deal speculation. The stock's valuation at a P/E of 23.76 appears reasonable given its growth profile.
Meta Platforms trades at $594.92, up 0.48% with strong fundamentals including 81.75% gross margins and 29.84% net income margin. Recent Q1 2026 earnings beat expectations ($10.44 vs $6.70), though Q2 2026 missed ($6.18 vs $7.19). Technical indicators show bearish signals with current price near pivot point resistance at $598. The company maintains robust cash flow generation of $115.8B from operations in 2025.
Analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with 79% buy ratings and $761.95 price target, representing 28% upside. Key catalysts include AI leadership with Muse Spark launch and strong revenue growth trajectory. Risks include regulatory lawsuits, high capital expenditures, and competitive pressures in social media and AI markets.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
A merger between Astra of Sweden and Zeneca Group of the United Kingdom formed AstraZeneca in 1999. The firm sells branded drugs across several major therapeutic classes, including gastrointestinal, diabetes, cardiovascular, respiratory, cancer, and immunology. The majority of sales come from international markets with the United States representing close to one third of its sales.
Read more on AZN →Meta Platforms Inc., doing business as Meta and previously known as Facebook Inc. It's a company that acts as a parent platform for Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Whatsapp, Oculus and other subsidiaries. Among these platforms, Facebook is the number one social media platform in terms of the number of active users.
Read more on META →