AZN vs IMNM: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
Last updated August 2026
Short answer
AZN (AstraZeneca) and IMNM (Immunome) share investment themes but are different businesses. The right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme.
AZN vs IMNM: the tie-breaker metrics
Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.
| Metric | AZN | IMNM | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward P/E | 14.65 | -10.74 | Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up. |
| Beta | 0.22 | 2.07 | Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through. |
| Price vs 52-week range | 36% of range | 74% of range | Where today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why. |
| Price / book | 5.23 | 4.38 | How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price. |
Before you buy: how AZN and IMNM affect your concentration
The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. AZN and IMNM share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.
This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined AZN and IMNM exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
What does AstraZeneca (AZN) do?
AstraZeneca is one of the world's largest biopharmaceutical companies, headquartered in Cambridge, England, with deep Anglo-Swedish roots. It develops and sells prescription medicines across four main areas: oncology (its biggest engine), cardiovascular-renal-metabolism, respiratory and immunology, and rare disease through Alexion, which it acquired in 2021. Flagship products include the cancer drugs Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Calquence, Lynparza (partnered with Merck) and Enhertu (partnered with Daiichi Sankyo), plus the diabetes and heart-failure drug Farxiga and rare-disease therapies like Ultomiris and Soliris. In 2025 the company reported total revenue of about $58.7 billion, up roughly 9%, and it has set a public ambition to grow that to $80 billion by 2030, with about half expected to come from the United States.
What does Immunome (IMNM) do?
Immunome, Inc. is a Nasdaq-listed, clinical-stage targeted-oncology company developing cancer therapies. Its lead asset is varegacestat, a once-daily oral gamma secretase inhibitor for adults with progressing desmoid tumors; the company submitted a New Drug Application to the U.S. FDA in April 2026, backed by the Phase 3 RINGSIDE trial that showed an ~84% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death and a ~56% confirmed objective response rate versus ~9% for placebo. Behind that lead program sits an antibody-drug-conjugate (ADC) and radiotherapy pipeline, including IM-1021 (a ROR1 ADC), IM-3050 (a FAP-targeted radiotherapy), IM-1617, and additional preclinical candidates.
AZN vs IMNM: how do they differ?
Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.
- AZN drivers: Oncology franchise and the $80 billion ambition; Deep late-stage pipeline.
- IMNM drivers: Varegacestat FDA decision and launch; ADC and radiotherapy pipeline.
Which fits which kind of investor
A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: The dominant risk is the patent cliff: from around 2032, Tagrisso, Imfinzi and Calquence are expected to begin losing exclusivity, a headwind analysts have sized at more than $20 billion, so the whole thesis hinges on the pipeline replacing that revenue in time. For IMNM, as a clinical-stage biotech, Immunome is exposed to substantial binary risk: the FDA could delay, restrict, or reject varegacestat, and any label or safety concern would materially reset the stock.
AZN or IMNM: which should you pick?
AZN vs IMNM: the full fundamentals
AZN. Figures are approximate and tied to the asOf date; confirm live numbers before acting. AstraZeneca trades as a growth-oriented large-cap pharma, so its valuation reflects confidence in the pipeline delivering on the $80 billion 2030 goal more than any single current metric. A patent cliff early next decade means today's revenue base is not guaranteed to persist, so how you weigh future launches matters more than trailing multiples.
IMNM. Immunome trades on pipeline expectations, not profits, so conventional earnings multiples do not apply to a pre-commercial developer with minimal revenue and ongoing losses. Its roughly $2.6 billion market value largely reflects the market's probability-weighted view of varegacestat approval plus the ADC pipeline. The sizable cash balance funds operations into 2028 but does not by itself justify the valuation.
Headline figures (approximate, Jul 2026): AZN shows revenue (ttm) Around $60 billion; 2025 total revenue was about $58.7 billion, up roughly 9%, with Q1 2026 up about 8% at constant currency, growth drivers Oncology (Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Calquence, Enhertu, Lynparza), rare disease (Ultomiris, Soliris) and metabolic launches; company ambition of $80 billion revenue by 2030, margins/profitability Solidly profitable large-cap pharma; heavy, sustained R&D spending funds the pipeline that the 2030 target depends on, dividend Pays a regular dividend; recent yield roughly 2%, modest for the sector but backed by large, growing cash flows; IMNM shows market cap ~$2.6B, share price ~$23, revenue (fy2025) ~$7M, cash & equivalents (mar 2026) ~$582.7M.
The bottom line: AZN vs IMNM
AZN and IMNM are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined AZN and IMNM exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Wondering how AZN or IMNM fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in AstraZeneca with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how AZN fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is the difference between AZN and IMNM?
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AstraZeneca is one of the world's largest biopharmaceutical companies, headquartered in Cambridge, England, with deep Anglo-Swedish roots. Immunome, Inc. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.
Is AZN or IMNM the better stock?
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Neither is universally better; they suit different views and risk levels. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.
Which is cheaper, AZN or IMNM?
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On forward P/E (as of August 2026), AZN trades at 14.65x and IMNM at -10.74x, so IMNM is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.
Should you own both AZN and IMNM?
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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.
What are the risks of AZN vs IMNM?
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AZN: The dominant risk is the patent cliff: from around 2032, Tagrisso, Imfinzi and Calquence are expected to begin losing exclusivity, a headwind analysts have sized at more than $20 billion, so the whole thesis hinges on the pipeline replacing that revenue in time. Generic and biosimilar erosion is already visible, with first generics to Farxiga cleared in 2026. Pipeline risk is constant, since late-stage trial failures can erase billions in expected value quickly. China, about a tenth of revenue, carries added uncertainty after the company's former China head was indicted in a compliance case that drew investor lawsuits. Drug pricing policy, US tariffs and currency swings add further volatility, and as a large-cap pharma the stock can still fall sharply on a single disappointing readout or regulatory decision. IMNM: As a clinical-stage biotech, Immunome is exposed to substantial binary risk: the FDA could delay, restrict, or reject varegacestat, and any label or safety concern would materially reset the stock. The company has minimal product revenue and posts recurring net losses (a net loss of roughly $53.8 million in Q1 2026), so it depends on its cash balance and, potentially, future capital raises that could dilute shareholders. Even with approval, commercial uptake is uncertain because an established oral competitor already serves the desmoid market. Pipeline candidates are early and most drug programs fail in development. The shares are volatile and can move sharply on single trial, regulatory, or insider-selling headlines.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell AZN or IMNM; figures are approximate and dated (as of August 2026). Verify current data before investing.