JNJ vs. WFC: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 26, 2025

Here’s a clear look at JNJ and WFC, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

Symbol	JNJ	WFC
Company Name	Johnson & Johnson	Wells Fargo & Company
Country	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Health Care	Financials
GICS Industry	Pharmaceuticals	Banks
Market Capitalization	431.79 billion USD	250.38 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	January 2, 1962	June 1, 1972
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of JNJ and WFC 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.

JNJ vs. WFC: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	JNJ	WFC
5-Day Price Return	1.72%	-1.57%
13-Week Price Return	17.05%	2.76%
26-Week Price Return	15.68%	-0.88%
52-Week Price Return	11.06%	38.46%
Month-to-Date Return	8.83%	-3.06%
Year-to-Date Return	23.97%	11.28%
10-Day Avg. Volume	8.47M	13.57M
3-Month Avg. Volume	8.35M	17.24M
3-Month Volatility	17.87%	24.23%
Beta	0.38	1.27

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

JNJ

30.39%

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, JNJ’s Return on Equity of 30.39% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

WFC

11.36%

Banks Industry

Max: 26.37%
Q3: 15.92%
Median: 12.25%
Q1: 8.69%
Min: 0.15%

WFC’s Return on Equity of 11.36% is on par with the norm for the Banks industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

JNJ vs. WFC: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Banks industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

JNJ

25.00%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 34.51%
Q3: 17.73%
Median: 12.12%
Q1: 5.99%
Min: -7.73%

A Net Profit Margin of 25.00% places JNJ in the upper quartile for the Pharmaceuticals industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

WFC

22.19%

Banks Industry

Max: 54.20%
Q3: 35.70%
Median: 28.97%
Q1: 22.53%
Min: 6.98%

Falling into the lower quartile for the Banks industry, WFC’s Net Profit Margin of 22.19% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.

JNJ vs. WFC: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Banks industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

JNJ

30.18%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 41.53%
Q3: 23.00%
Median: 16.24%
Q1: 9.24%
Min: -6.94%

An Operating Profit Margin of 30.18% places JNJ 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.

WFC

25.35%

Banks Industry

Max: 63.35%
Q3: 44.59%
Median: 37.24%
Q1: 28.25%
Min: 13.37%

WFC’s Operating Profit Margin of 25.35% is in the lower quartile for the Banks industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.

JNJ vs. WFC: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Banks industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	JNJ	WFC
Return on Equity (TTM)	30.39%	11.36%
Return on Assets (TTM)	12.16%	1.06%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	25.00%	22.19%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	30.18%	25.35%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	67.98%	--

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

JNJ

1.01

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 4.49
Q3: 2.77
Median: 1.74
Q1: 1.26
Min: 0.11

JNJ’s Current Ratio of 1.01 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.

WFC

Banks Industry

Max: --
Q3: --
Median: --
Q1: --
Min: --

For the Banks industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.

JNJ vs. WFC: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Banks industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

JNJ

0.65

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 2.44
Q3: 1.07
Median: 0.42
Q1: 0.11
Min: 0.00

JNJ’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.65 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.

WFC

2.01

Banks Industry

Max: 4.75
Q3: 2.62
Median: 1.02
Q1: 0.39
Min: 0.00

The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Banks industry.

JNJ vs. WFC: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Banks industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

JNJ

34.01

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 103.95
Q3: 44.18
Median: 9.83
Q1: 2.82
Min: -42.71

JNJ’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 34.01 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Pharmaceuticals industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

WFC

Banks Industry

Max: --
Q3: --
Median: --
Q1: --
Min: --

The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Banks industry.

JNJ vs. WFC: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Banks industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	JNJ	WFC
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.01	--
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.68	--
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	0.65	2.01
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	34.01	--

Growth

Revenue Growth

JNJ vs. WFC: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

JNJ vs. WFC: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

JNJ

2.81%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 6.98%
Q3: 3.32%
Median: 2.13%
Q1: 0.14%
Min: 0.00%

JNJ’s Dividend Yield of 2.81% is consistent with its peers in the Pharmaceuticals industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

WFC

2.53%

Banks Industry

Max: 10.27%
Q3: 5.83%
Median: 3.81%
Q1: 2.50%
Min: 0.00%

WFC’s Dividend Yield of 2.53% is consistent with its peers in the Banks industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

JNJ vs. WFC: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Banks industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

JNJ

53.34%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 165.20%
Q3: 90.59%
Median: 49.13%
Q1: 28.91%
Min: 0.00%

JNJ’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 53.34% is within the typical range for the Pharmaceuticals industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

WFC

31.00%

Banks Industry

Max: 147.07%
Q3: 80.55%
Median: 54.40%
Q1: 35.71%
Min: 0.00%

WFC’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 31.00% is in the lower quartile for the Banks industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.

JNJ vs. WFC: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Banks industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	JNJ	WFC
Dividend Yield (TTM)	2.81%	2.53%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	53.34%	31.00%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

JNJ

18.99

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 42.51
Q3: 26.88
Median: 19.11
Q1: 15.12
Min: 0.00

JNJ’s P/E Ratio of 18.99 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.

WFC

12.27

Banks Industry

Max: 20.05
Q3: 12.65
Median: 10.21
Q1: 7.54
Min: 2.74

WFC’s P/E Ratio of 12.27 is within the middle range for the Banks industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

JNJ vs. WFC: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Banks industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

JNJ

4.75

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 7.55
Q3: 4.54
Median: 2.11
Q1: 1.52
Min: 0.00

JNJ’s P/S Ratio of 4.75 is in the upper echelon for the Pharmaceuticals 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.

WFC

1.91

Banks Industry

Max: 5.06
Q3: 2.98
Median: 2.24
Q1: 1.59
Min: 0.45

The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Banks industry.

JNJ vs. WFC: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Banks industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

JNJ

4.68

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 9.78
Q3: 4.96
Median: 2.23
Q1: 1.46
Min: 0.60

JNJ’s P/B Ratio of 4.68 is within the conventional range for the Pharmaceuticals 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.

WFC

1.42

Banks Industry

Max: 2.18
Q3: 1.36
Median: 1.09
Q1: 0.81
Min: 0.20

WFC’s P/B Ratio of 1.42 is in the upper tier for the Banks 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.

JNJ vs. WFC: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Banks industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	JNJ	WFC
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	18.99	12.27
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	4.75	1.91
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	4.68	1.42
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	23.20	16.66