DGX vs. NVS: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at DGX and NVS, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
DGX is a standard domestic listing, while NVS trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors access to its foreign-listed shares.
| Symbol | DGX | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Quest Diagnostics Incorporated | Novartis AG |
| Country | United States | Switzerland |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry | Health Care Providers & Services | Pharmaceuticals |
| Market Capitalization | 20.02 billion USD | 234.63 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | December 17, 1996 | November 7, 1996 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | ADR |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of DGX 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.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | DGX | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 2.74% | 4.18% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 1.79% | 5.62% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 10.08% | 0.15% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 19.03% | 9.24% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 6.95% | 2.17% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 18.68% | 8.49% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 0.87M | 2.96M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 1.22M | 3.46M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 23.63% | 17.26% |
| Beta | 0.56 | 0.87 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
DGX
13.70%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 26.03%
- Q3
- 13.74%
- Median
- 8.26%
- Q1
- 4.13%
- Min
- -3.62%
DGX’s Return on Equity of 13.70% is on par with the norm for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
NVS
32.56%
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 38.59%
- Q3
- 19.84%
- Median
- 11.90%
- Q1
- 5.63%
- Min
- -9.96%
In the upper quartile for the Pharmaceuticals industry, NVS’s Return on Equity of 32.56% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
DGX
9.03%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 12.40%
- Q3
- 5.93%
- Median
- 1.96%
- Q1
- 0.93%
- Min
- -6.10%
A Net Profit Margin of 9.03% places DGX in the upper quartile for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
NVS
24.90%
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 34.51%
- Q3
- 17.73%
- Median
- 12.12%
- Q1
- 5.99%
- Min
- -7.73%
A Net Profit Margin of 24.90% places NVS in the upper quartile for the Pharmaceuticals industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
DGX
14.02%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 19.05%
- Q3
- 10.21%
- Median
- 4.22%
- Q1
- 1.98%
- Min
- -4.27%
An Operating Profit Margin of 14.02% places DGX in the upper quartile for the Health Care Providers & Services industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
NVS
30.03%
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 41.53%
- Q3
- 23.00%
- Median
- 16.24%
- Q1
- 9.24%
- Min
- -6.94%
An Operating Profit Margin of 30.03% places NVS in the upper quartile for the Pharmaceuticals 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 | DGX | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 13.70% | 32.56% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 5.94% | 13.32% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 9.03% | 24.90% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 14.02% | 30.03% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 33.23% | 76.12% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
DGX
1.09
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 2.01
- Q3
- 1.49
- Median
- 1.30
- Q1
- 0.94
- Min
- 0.17
DGX’s Current Ratio of 1.09 aligns with the median group of the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
NVS
0.82
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 4.49
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.74
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- 0.11
NVS’s Current Ratio of 0.82 falls into the lower quartile for the Pharmaceuticals 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 (MRQ)
DGX
0.78
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 2.17
- Q3
- 1.18
- Median
- 0.74
- Q1
- 0.45
- Min
- 0.00
DGX’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.78 is typical for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
NVS
0.77
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 2.44
- Q3
- 1.07
- Median
- 0.42
- Q1
- 0.11
- Min
- 0.00
NVS’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.77 is typical for the Pharmaceuticals 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 (TTM)
DGX
7.42
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 14.47
- Q3
- 7.15
- Median
- 5.45
- Q1
- 2.04
- Min
- -4.44
DGX’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 7.42 is in the upper quartile for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
NVS
22.55
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 103.95
- Q3
- 44.18
- Median
- 9.83
- Q1
- 2.82
- Min
- -42.71
NVS’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 22.55 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Pharmaceuticals industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | DGX | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.09 | 0.82 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.86 | 0.62 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.78 | 0.77 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.42 | 22.55 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
DGX
1.71%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 5.38%
- Q3
- 2.22%
- Median
- 0.55%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
DGX’s Dividend Yield of 1.71% is consistent with its peers in the Health Care Providers & Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
NVS
3.43%
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 6.98%
- Q3
- 3.32%
- Median
- 2.13%
- Q1
- 0.14%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 3.43%, NVS offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Pharmaceuticals industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
DGX
36.00%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 186.69%
- Q3
- 74.82%
- Median
- 26.76%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
DGX’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 36.00% is within the typical range for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
NVS
102.24%
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 165.20%
- Q3
- 90.59%
- Median
- 49.13%
- Q1
- 28.91%
- Min
- 0.00%
NVS’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 102.24% is in the upper quartile for the Pharmaceuticals 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.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | DGX | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.71% | 3.43% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 36.00% | 102.24% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
DGX
21.05
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 55.89
- Q3
- 30.85
- Median
- 21.17
- Q1
- 12.63
- Min
- 0.00
DGX’s P/E Ratio of 21.05 is within the middle range for the Health Care Providers & Services industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
NVS
16.69
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 42.51
- Q3
- 26.88
- Median
- 19.11
- Q1
- 15.12
- Min
- 0.00
NVS’s P/E Ratio of 16.69 is within the middle range for the Pharmaceuticals industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
DGX
1.90
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 3.10
- Q3
- 1.74
- Median
- 0.67
- Q1
- 0.24
- Min
- 0.00
DGX’s P/S Ratio of 1.90 is in the upper echelon for the Health Care Providers & Services industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
NVS
4.16
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 7.55
- Q3
- 4.54
- Median
- 2.11
- Q1
- 1.52
- Min
- 0.00
NVS’s P/S Ratio of 4.16 aligns with the market consensus for the Pharmaceuticals industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
DGX
2.77
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 7.61
- Q3
- 4.32
- Median
- 2.53
- Q1
- 1.14
- Min
- 0.77
DGX’s P/B Ratio of 2.77 is within the conventional range for the Health Care Providers & Services 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
6.02
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 9.78
- Q3
- 4.96
- Median
- 2.23
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.60
NVS’s P/B Ratio of 6.02 is in the upper tier for the Pharmaceuticals industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | DGX | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 21.05 | 16.69 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 1.90 | 4.16 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 2.77 | 6.02 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 16.34 | 13.56 |