ABT vs. NVS: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ABT and NVS, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
ABT’s market capitalization stands at 233.90 billion USD, while NVS’s is 240.76 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.
With betas of 0.74 for ABT and 0.53 for NVS, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
NVS is an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), allowing U.S. investors direct exposure to its non-U.S. operations. ABT, on the other hand, is a domestic entity.
| Symbol | ABT | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Abbott Laboratories | Novartis AG |
| Country | US | CH |
| Sector | Healthcare | Healthcare |
| Industry | Medical - Devices | Drug Manufacturers - General |
| CEO | Robert B. Ford | Vasant Narasimhan |
| Price | 134.44 USD | 121.9 USD |
| Market Cap | 233.90 billion USD | 240.76 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.74 | 0.53 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | March 17, 1980 | November 7, 1996 |
| ADR | No | Yes |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ABT and NVS by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
ABT
30.76%
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 49.04%
- Q3
- 9.53%
- Median
- -7.46%
- Q1
- -32.83%
- Min
- -82.64%
In the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, ABT’s Return on Equity of 30.76% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
NVS
30.71%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 95.59%
- Q3
- 76.92%
- Median
- 30.71%
- Q1
- 8.97%
- Min
- -14.85%
NVS’s Return on Equity of 30.71% is on par with the norm for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Return on Invested Capital
ABT
19.13%
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 21.88%
- Q3
- 6.63%
- Median
- -1.11%
- Q1
- -21.08%
- Min
- -51.95%
In the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, ABT’s Return on Invested Capital of 19.13% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
NVS
17.87%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 25.72%
- Q3
- 17.89%
- Median
- 11.47%
- Q1
- 9.39%
- Min
- 2.87%
NVS’s Return on Invested Capital of 17.87% is in line with the norm for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
Net Profit Margin
ABT
31.89%
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 44.80%
- Q3
- 9.77%
- Median
- -5.53%
- Q1
- -29.37%
- Min
- -87.68%
A Net Profit Margin of 31.89% places ABT in the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
NVS
24.16%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 34.51%
- Q3
- 23.04%
- Median
- 14.73%
- Q1
- 11.78%
- Min
- 2.18%
A Net Profit Margin of 24.16% places NVS in the upper quartile for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin
ABT
16.97%
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 30.13%
- Q3
- 13.12%
- Median
- 3.47%
- Q1
- -24.42%
- Min
- -80.56%
An Operating Profit Margin of 16.97% places ABT in the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
NVS
29.75%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 40.70%
- Q3
- 28.90%
- Median
- 23.41%
- Q1
- 19.05%
- Min
- 16.13%
An Operating Profit Margin of 29.75% places NVS in the upper quartile for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ABT | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 30.76% | 30.71% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 16.58% | 12.87% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 19.13% | 17.87% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 31.89% | 24.16% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 16.97% | 29.75% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 55.89% | 75.65% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
ABT
1.78
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 12.68
- Q3
- 6.30
- Median
- 4.05
- Q1
- 1.85
- Min
- 0.01
ABT’s Current Ratio of 1.78 falls into the lower quartile for the Medical - Devices industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
NVS
0.79
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 1.67
- Q3
- 1.37
- Median
- 1.26
- Q1
- 0.87
- Min
- 0.39
NVS’s Current Ratio of 0.79 falls into the lower quartile for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
ABT
0.27
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 2.34
- Q3
- 1.09
- Median
- 0.37
- Q1
- 0.08
- Min
- 0.00
ABT’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.27 is typical for the Medical - Devices industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
NVS
0.81
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 2.95
- Q3
- 2.44
- Median
- 0.86
- Q1
- 0.68
- Min
- 0.09
NVS’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.81 is typical for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio
ABT
15.39
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 18.18
- Q3
- 7.53
- Median
- 0.85
- Q1
- -9.80
- Min
- -33.94
ABT’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 15.39 is in the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
NVS
20.17
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 27.46
- Q3
- 14.40
- Median
- 7.80
- Q1
- 4.07
- Min
- 1.67
NVS’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 20.17 is in the upper quartile for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ABT | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.78 | 0.79 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.27 | 0.61 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.27 | 0.81 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.16 | 0.31 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.60 | 1.11 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 15.39 | 20.17 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ABT and NVS. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
ABT
1.70%
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 3.57%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 1.70%, ABT offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Medical - Devices industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
NVS
3.57%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 8.72%
- Q3
- 4.10%
- Median
- 3.34%
- Q1
- 1.89%
- Min
- 0.00%
NVS’s Dividend Yield of 3.57% is consistent with its peers in the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio
ABT
28.92%
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 102.12%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ABT’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 28.92% is in the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
NVS
60.27%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 266.46%
- Q3
- 78.91%
- Median
- 60.27%
- Q1
- 43.74%
- Min
- 0.00%
NVS’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 60.27% is within the typical range for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ABT | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.70% | 3.57% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 28.92% | 60.27% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
ABT
17.40
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 90.56
- Q3
- 56.92
- Median
- 43.19
- Q1
- 21.79
- Min
- 5.55
In the lower quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, ABT’s P/E Ratio of 17.40 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.
NVS
18.91
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 27.96
- Q3
- 25.84
- Median
- 18.32
- Q1
- 16.65
- Min
- 3.39
NVS’s P/E Ratio of 18.91 is within the middle range for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
ABT
1.73
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 6.56
- Q3
- 3.52
- Median
- 2.22
- Q1
- 0.55
- Min
- 0.03
ABT’s Forward PEG Ratio of 1.73 is within the middle range of its peers in the Medical - Devices industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
NVS
3.18
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 3.10
- Q3
- 3.09
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 2.18
- Min
- 1.02
NVS’s Forward PEG Ratio of 3.18 is exceptionally high for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This suggests its stock price is very high relative to its expected earnings growth, signaling significant overvaluation risk.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
ABT
5.52
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 15.74
- Q3
- 8.12
- Median
- 3.40
- Q1
- 2.37
- Min
- 0.42
ABT’s P/S Ratio of 5.52 aligns with the market consensus for the Medical - Devices industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
NVS
4.40
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 6.47
- Q3
- 4.47
- Median
- 3.53
- Q1
- 1.96
- Min
- 0.41
NVS’s P/S Ratio of 4.40 aligns with the market consensus for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio
ABT
4.81
Medical - Devices Industry
- Max
- 16.65
- Q3
- 8.03
- Median
- 3.73
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- 0.65
ABT’s P/B Ratio of 4.81 is within the conventional range for the Medical - Devices industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
NVS
6.34
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 7.80
- Q3
- 7.80
- Median
- 5.30
- Q1
- 4.06
- Min
- 1.08
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ABT | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 17.40 | 18.91 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 1.73 | 3.18 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 5.52 | 4.40 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 4.81 | 6.34 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 35.14 | 14.57 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 21.49 | 11.86 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 5.68 | 4.86 |