INCY vs. NVS: Incyte vs. Novartis Stock Comparison
How do Incyte (INCY) and Novartis (NVS) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Incyte (INCY) and Novartis (NVS) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but INCY is classified in Biotechnology while NVS is classified in Pharmaceuticals.
Incyte (INCY) 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.
| Profile Item | INCY | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Incyte Corp. | Novartis AG Sponsored ADR |
| Country/Region | United States | Switzerland |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences |
| GICS Industry | Biotechnology | Pharmaceuticals |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Biotechnology | Pharmaceuticals |
| Market Capitalization | 24.39 billion USD | 307.00 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | November 4, 1993 | November 7, 1996 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | ADR |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | INCY | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 14.06% | 32.98% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 32.03% | 24.72% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 12.69% | 18.80% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | INCY | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 33.19% | 27.12% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.78 | 0.41 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -40.50% | -20.42% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 1.58M | 2.07M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | INCY | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.29 | 1.06 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.46 | 1.46 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Incyte (INCY) at 7.84% and Novartis (NVS) at 24.33% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.
INCY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
7.84%
- Max
- 109.18%
- INCY
- 7.84%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
NVS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
24.33%
- Max
- 109.18%
- NVS
- 24.33%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
Net Margin (TTM)
For every dollar of sales, both Incyte (INCY) at 6.71% and Novartis (NVS) at 17.49% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.
INCY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
6.71%
- Max
- 18.05%
- INCY
- 6.71%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
NVS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
17.49%
- Max
- 18.05%
- NVS
- 17.49%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Incyte (INCY) at 33.72% and Novartis (NVS) at 34.27% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.
INCY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
33.72%
- Max
- 83.12%
- INCY
- 33.72%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
NVS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
34.27%
- Max
- 83.12%
- NVS
- 34.27%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | INCY | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 7.84% | 24.33% |
| ROA (TTM) | 17.78% | 10.86% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 6.71% | 17.49% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 33.72% | 34.27% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 56.02% | 75.21% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Incyte (INCY) at 21.22% 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.
EPS Growth
Incyte (INCY) at 4,173.33% clears its industry range for EPS growth, a much stronger earnings trajectory than Novartis (NVS) at 21.81%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | INCY | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 21.22% | 9.57% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 14.84% | 9.25% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 4,173.33% | 21.81% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 61.56% | 31.14% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Incyte (INCY) at 3.84 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Novartis (NVS) at 0.88 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for NVS.
INCY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
3.84
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- INCY
- 3.84
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
NVS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.88
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- NVS
- 0.88
- Min
- 0.10
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Incyte (INCY) at 0.01 keeps leverage in the lower quartile, while Novartis (NVS) at 1.29 sits in the higher-leverage quartile.
INCY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.01
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- INCY
- 0.01
- Min
- 0.00
NVS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.29
- Max
- 1.42
- NVS
- 1.29
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | INCY | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 3.84 | 0.88 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.01 | 1.29 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -1.88 | 1.64 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Incyte (INCY) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Novartis (NVS) reports a yield of 2.88%, ranking against industry peers normally.
INCY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- INCY
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
NVS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.88%
- NVS
- 2.88%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Incyte (INCY) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Novartis (NVS) reports a payout of 90.46%, ranking against industry peers normally.
INCY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- INCY
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
NVS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
90.46%
- NVS
- 90.46%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | INCY | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 2.88% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 90.46% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Novartis (NVS) at 31.02 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Incyte (INCY) at 61.05 sits in the richer quartile — INCY needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
INCY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
61.05
- Max
- 85.34
- INCY
- 61.05
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
NVS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
31.02
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- NVS
- 31.02
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Incyte (INCY) at 4.06 and Novartis (NVS) at 5.35 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
INCY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
4.06
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- INCY
- 4.06
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
NVS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
5.35
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- NVS
- 5.35
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Incyte (INCY) at 4.33 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Novartis (NVS) at 8.25 carries an above-peer premium to book — NVS is pricier on assets.
INCY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
4.33
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- INCY
- 4.33
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
NVS
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
8.25
- Max
- 13.53
- NVS
- 8.25
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | INCY | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 61.05 | 31.02 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 4.06 | 5.35 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 4.33 | 8.25 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 5.28% | 3.67% |