IQV vs ICLR Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Compare IQVIA and ICON by clinical research outsourcing market share, data analytics platform differentiation, biotech vs pharma customer mix, backlog conversion, and which CRO offers better exposure to drug development.
Use this IQVIA vs ICON comparison to evaluate the key differences across valuation, growth, profitability, and risk before making an investment decision.
IQV holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. IQV has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+3.60% vs -15.00%), though ICLR has the better forward P/E setup (13.97x vs 14.56x for IQV). Analyst consensus implies similar upside for both: +12.48% for IQV and +9.68% for ICLR.
| Metric | IQV | ICLR |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 52.1 | 38.7 |
| AI rank | #384 | #1291 |
| Latest close | $208.05 | $165.76 |
| 1M return | +12.08% | +4.80% |
| 6M return | -11.58% | -11.23% |
| 1Y return | +3.60% | -15.00% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | IQV | ICLR |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $10.45K (+4.5%) started 2025-07-25 | $8.5K (-15.0%) started 2025-07-24 |
| 5Y ago | $8.41K (-15.9%) started 2021-07-26 | $7.67K (-23.3%) started 2021-07-26 |
| 10Y ago | $28.08K (+180.8%) started 2016-07-25 | $23.28K (+132.8%) started 2016-07-25 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | IQV | ICLR |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $34.42B | $12.79B |
| Trailing P/E | 25.65 | 73.02 |
| Forward P/E | 14.56 | 13.97 |
| Price/Sales | 1.70 | 1.55 |
| EV/Revenue | 2.92 | 1.91 |
| Analyst target | $232.00 | $181.81 |
| Target upside | +12.48% | +9.68% |
| Metric | IQV | ICLR |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 8.40% | 0.90% |
| Earnings growth | 15.00% | -31.70% |
| EPS growth | +15.00% | -31.70% |
| FCF margin | +13.69% | +9.79% |
| Operating margin | 13.61% | N/A |
| Profit margin | 8.33% | 2.10% |
| ROIC proxy | 22.49% | 1.84% |
| Return on equity | 22.49% | 1.84% |
| Dividend yield | N/A | 0.00% |
| Beta | 1.20 | 1.22 |
| Debt/equity | 253.54 | 38.09 |
| Current ratio | 0.75 | 1.14 |
| Quick ratio | 0.66 | 1.09 |
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | IQV | ICLR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +4.46% | -15.00% |
| CAGR | +4.47% | -15.01% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.19 | 0.07 | |
| Max drawdown | 35.87% | 60.54% | |
| Max daily drop | 11.88% | 39.85% | |
| Max wkly drop | 23.20% | 44.92% | |
| 5Y | Growth | -15.87% | -23.26% |
| CAGR | -3.40% | -5.16% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.07 | 0.02 | |
| Max drawdown | 51.52% | 76.87% | |
| Max daily drop | 11.88% | 39.85% | |
| Max wkly drop | 23.20% | 44.92% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +180.85% | +132.78% |
| CAGR | +10.88% | +8.82% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.34 | 0.30 | |
| Max drawdown | 51.52% | 76.87% | |
| Max daily drop | 16.54% | 39.85% | |
| Max wkly drop | 28.34% | 44.92% |
| Category | IQV | ICLR |
|---|---|---|
| Company | IQV | ICLR |
| Sector | Healthcare | N/A |
| Industry | Diagnostics & Research | N/A |
| Core business | N/A | N/A |
| Investor focus | N/A | N/A |
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