JAZZ vs. NVS: Jazz Pharmaceuticals vs. Novartis Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) 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

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) and Novartis (NVS) are both classified in the Pharmaceuticals sub-industry within the broader Pharmaceuticals industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) 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.

Company profile comparison for Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) and Novartis (NVS)
Profile Item	JAZZ	NVS
Name	Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc	Novartis AG Sponsored ADR
Country/Region	Ireland	Switzerland
GICS Sector	Health Care	Health Care
GICS Industry Group	Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences	Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences
GICS Industry	Pharmaceuticals	Pharmaceuticals
GICS Sub-Industry	Pharmaceuticals	Pharmaceuticals
Market Capitalization	15.07 billion USD	307.00 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	Nasdaq	NYSE
Listing Date	June 1, 2007	November 7, 1996
Security Type	Common Stock	ADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

JAZZ

NVS

GSPC

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) vs. Novartis (NVS), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

Loading price history…

Trailing total returns for Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) and Novartis (NVS). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

Loading price history…

Calendar-year total returns for Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) and Novartis (NVS). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) and Novartis (NVS)
Metric	JAZZ	NVS
Total Return (1Y)	84.44%	32.98%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	27.57%	24.72%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	12.88%	18.80%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

JAZZ

NVS

GSPC

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) vs. Novartis (NVS), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

Loading price history…

Distribution of monthly total returns for Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) and Novartis (NVS). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) and Novartis (NVS)
Metric	JAZZ	NVS
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	38.74%	27.12%
Beta (5Y)	0.33	0.41
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-42.03%	-20.42%
Avg. Volume (3M)	878.80K	2.07M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

JAZZ and NVS are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) and Novartis (NVS)
Metric	JAZZ	NVS
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	2.07	1.06
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	4.14	1.46

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Novartis (NVS) at 24.33% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) at 5.05% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for NVS.

JAZZ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

5.05%

Max: 109.18%
Q3: 6.23%
JAZZ: 5.05%
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%

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) vs. Novartis (NVS): A comparison of their ROE against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Novartis (NVS) at 17.49% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) at 4.37%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

JAZZ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

4.37%

Max: 18.05%
Q3: 4.78%
JAZZ: 4.37%
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%

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) vs. Novartis (NVS): A comparison of their net margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) at 30.17% 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.

JAZZ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

30.17%

Max: 83.12%
JAZZ: 30.17%
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%

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) vs. Novartis (NVS): A comparison of their operating margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) and Novartis (NVS)
Metric	JAZZ	NVS
ROE (TTM)	5.05%	24.33%
ROA (TTM)	6.92%	10.86%
Net Margin (TTM)	4.37%	17.49%
Operating Margin (TTM)	30.17%	34.27%
Gross Margin (TTM)	91.10%	75.21%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) at 4.88% 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.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) vs. Novartis (NVS): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Novartis (NVS) at 21.81% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) at -167.51% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) vs. Novartis (NVS): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) and Novartis (NVS)
Metric	JAZZ	NVS
Revenue Growth (YoY)	4.88%	9.57%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	5.26%	9.25%
EPS Growth (YoY)	-167.51%	21.81%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	31.14%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) at 1.82 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.

JAZZ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.82

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
Q1: 2.47
JAZZ: 1.82
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

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) vs. Novartis (NVS): A comparison of their current ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) at 1.35 and Novartis (NVS) at 1.29 lean more heavily on debt funding than most peers, landing in the higher-leverage quartile of their industries.

JAZZ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.35

Max: 1.42
JAZZ: 1.35
Q3: 0.65
Median: 0.15
Q1: 0.02
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

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) vs. Novartis (NVS): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) and Novartis (NVS)
Metric	JAZZ	NVS
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.82	0.88
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	1.35	1.29
Net Debt / EBITDA	1.39	1.64

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) 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.

JAZZ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

JAZZ: 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%

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) vs. Novartis (NVS): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) 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.

JAZZ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

JAZZ: 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%

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) vs. Novartis (NVS): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) and Novartis (NVS)
Metric	JAZZ	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 Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) at 69.46 sits in the richer quartile — JAZZ needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

JAZZ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

69.46

Max: 85.34
JAZZ: 69.46
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

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) vs. Novartis (NVS): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) at 3.19 and Novartis (NVS) at 5.35 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

JAZZ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

3.19

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
Median: 7.30
JAZZ: 3.19
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

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) vs. Novartis (NVS): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) at 3.59 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.

JAZZ

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

3.59

Max: 13.53
Q3: 6.54
JAZZ: 3.59
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

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) vs. Novartis (NVS): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) and Novartis (NVS)
Metric	JAZZ	NVS
P/E Ratio (TTM)	69.46	31.02
P/S Ratio (TTM)	3.19	5.35
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	3.59	8.25
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	11.16%	3.67%