AMGN vs. NVS: Amgen vs. Novartis Stock Comparison

Company Profile

Amgen (AMGN) and Novartis (NVS) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but AMGN is classified in Biotechnology while NVS is classified in Pharmaceuticals.

Amgen (AMGN) trades as ordinary local shares, while Novartis (NVS) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

Return Distribution

Risk Metrics

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

Both Amgen (AMGN) at 91.47% and Novartis (NVS) at 30.35% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.

Both Amgen (AMGN) at 22.95% and Novartis (NVS) at 22.50% keep an unusually large share of revenue as bottom-line profit — each net margin clears its industry’s benchmark range.

Both Amgen (AMGN) at 35.55% and Novartis (NVS) at 34.62% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Both Amgen (AMGN) at 9.95% and Novartis (NVS) at 9.57% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Amgen (AMGN) at 88.23% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Novartis (NVS) at 21.81% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for AMGN.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

Both Amgen (AMGN) at 1.37 and Novartis (NVS) at 0.86 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

Both balance sheets lean debt-heavy versus peers, but AMGN is more stretched: Novartis (NVS) at 1.17 sits in the higher-leverage quartile and Amgen (AMGN) at 4.90 is above its industry benchmark range.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

Both Amgen (AMGN) at 2.21% and Novartis (NVS) at 2.86% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.

Both Amgen (AMGN) at 60.87% and Novartis (NVS) at 71.60% pay out more of their earnings than any of their industry peers — the thinnest cover in their groups, so dividend headroom deserves attention.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

Both Amgen (AMGN) at 27.17 and Novartis (NVS) at 24.17 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

On P/S ratio, both Amgen (AMGN) at 6.21 and Novartis (NVS) at 5.36 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

Novartis (NVS) at 7.32 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Amgen (AMGN) at 20.22 prices above its benchmark range — AMGN looks rich relative to book.

Valuation Metrics