IQV vs. NVS: IQVIA vs. Novartis Stock Comparison

Company Profile

IQVIA (IQV) and Novartis (NVS) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but IQV is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services while NVS is classified in Pharmaceuticals.

IQVIA (IQV) 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 IQVIA (IQV) at 21.39% 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.

For every dollar of sales, both IQVIA (IQV) at 8.05% and Novartis (NVS) at 17.49% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.

Novartis (NVS) at 34.27% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of IQVIA (IQV) at 13.73%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Both IQVIA (IQV) at 5.87% 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.

Both IQVIA (IQV) at 4.67% and Novartis (NVS) at 21.81% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

Both IQVIA (IQV) at 0.83 and Novartis (NVS) at 0.88 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 IQV is more stretched: Novartis (NVS) at 1.29 sits in the higher-leverage quartile and IQVIA (IQV) at 2.40 is above its industry benchmark range.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

IQVIA (IQV) 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.

IQVIA (IQV) 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.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

Both IQVIA (IQV) at 33.07 and Novartis (NVS) at 31.02 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

IQVIA (IQV) at 2.59 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Novartis (NVS) at 5.35 prices around its industry’s middle — IQV costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.

Both IQVIA (IQV) at 6.73 and Novartis (NVS) at 8.25 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.

Valuation Metrics