LLY vs. MA: Eli Lilly vs. Mastercard Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Eli Lilly (LLY) and Mastercard (MA) 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

Eli Lilly (LLY) is classified in the Health Care sector (Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences), whereas Mastercard (MA) belongs to Financials (Financial Services) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.

Company profile comparison for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Mastercard (MA)
Profile Item	LLY	MA
Name	Eli Lilly and Company	Mastercard Inc. Class A Common Stock
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Health Care	Financials
GICS Industry Group	Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences	Financial Services
GICS Industry	Pharmaceuticals	Financial Services
GICS Sub-Industry	Pharmaceuticals	Transaction & Payment Processing Services
Market Capitalization	1,206.07 billion USD	568.62 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	June 1, 1972	May 25, 2006
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

LLY

GSPC

Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Mastercard (MA), 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

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Trailing total returns for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Mastercard (MA). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Mastercard (MA). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Mastercard (MA)
Metric	LLY	MA
Total Return (1Y)	52.36%	20.00%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	34.18%	19.98%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	41.08%	14.49%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

LLY

GSPC

Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Mastercard (MA), 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

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Mastercard (MA). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Mastercard (MA)
Metric	LLY	MA
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	35.34%	23.57%
Beta (5Y)	0.40	0.76
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-34.48%	-28.25%
Avg. Volume (3M)	2.52M	2.98M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

LLY and MA are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. Each dashed Capital Allocation Line uses that stock's own industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Mastercard (MA)
Metric	LLY	MA
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	1.36	0.67
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	2.29	1.00

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both companies show strong equity returns, but Mastercard (MA) at 231.37% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Eli Lilly (LLY) at 86.02% also sits in the top quartile.

LLY

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

86.02%

Max: 109.18%
LLY: 86.02%
Q3: 6.23%
Median: -26.66%
Q1: -64.05%
Min: -167.77%

MA

Financial Services industry group

231.37%

MA: 231.37%
Max: 44.78%
Q3: 21.85%
Median: 12.91%
Q1: 4.48%
Min: -18.71%

Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Mastercard (MA): A comparison of their ROE against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

Net Margin (TTM)

Eli Lilly (LLY) at 31.90% keeps the most of each sales dollar — above its industry’s net margin range — and Mastercard (MA) at 46.73% also retains a top-quartile share.

LLY

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

31.90%

LLY: 31.90%
Max: 18.05%
Q3: 4.78%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -4.14%
Min: -17.05%

MA

Financial Services industry group

46.73%

Max: 62.84%
MA: 46.73%
Q3: 28.05%
Median: 15.36%
Q1: 4.82%
Min: -28.52%

Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Mastercard (MA): A comparison of their net margin against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 53.66% and Mastercard (MA) at 60.53% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

LLY

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

53.66%

Max: 83.12%
LLY: 53.66%
Q3: 14.77%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -78.82%
Min: -207.40%

MA

Financial Services industry group

60.53%

Max: 107.33%
MA: 60.53%
Q3: 55.90%
Median: 30.09%
Q1: 14.60%
Min: -44.34%

Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Mastercard (MA): A comparison of their operating margin against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Mastercard (MA)
Metric	LLY	MA
ROE (TTM)	86.02%	231.37%
ROA (TTM)	21.06%	24.45%
Net Margin (TTM)	31.90%	46.73%
Operating Margin (TTM)	53.66%	60.53%
Gross Margin (TTM)	83.63%	--

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 44.70% and Mastercard (MA) at 16.42% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Mastercard (MA): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Eli Lilly (LLY) at 95.99% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Mastercard (MA) at 18.93% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for LLY.

Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Mastercard (MA): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Mastercard (MA)
Metric	LLY	MA
Revenue Growth (YoY)	44.70%	16.42%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	31.69%	13.82%
EPS Growth (YoY)	95.99%	18.93%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	51.71%	17.36%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Eli Lilly (LLY) shows current ratio of 1.39; Mastercard (MA) doesn’t get one — Financial Services balance sheets aren’t split into current and non-current buckets, so short-term liquidity there is judged through regulatory measures instead.

LLY

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.39

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
Q1: 2.47
LLY: 1.39
Min: 0.10

MA

Financial Services industry group

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

Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Mastercard (MA): MA’s current ratio is not assessed under the Financial Services industry convention, so the chart shows available visual context for LLY only.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Eli Lilly (LLY) shows debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23; for Mastercard (MA) the ratio is set aside — in Financial Services, balance-sheet leverage is part of the business model itself, so capital-adequacy measures do the job this ratio does elsewhere.

LLY

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.23

Max: 1.42
LLY: 1.23
Q3: 0.65
Median: 0.15
Q1: 0.02
Min: 0.00

MA

Financial Services industry group

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

Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Mastercard (MA): MA’s debt-to-equity ratio is not assessed under the Financial Services industry convention, so the chart shows available visual context for LLY only.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Mastercard (MA)
Metric	LLY	MA
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.39	--
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	1.23	--
Net Debt / EBITDA	0.96	--

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Mastercard (MA) at 0.53% pays an industry-typical yield; Eli Lilly (LLY) at 0.49% is above its entire peer range — the higher number, but one that calls for a look at payout sustainability before treating it as an advantage.

LLY

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.49%

LLY: 0.49%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

MA

Financial Services industry group

0.53%

Max: 9.77%
Q3: 3.92%
Median: 1.09%
MA: 0.53%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Mastercard (MA): A comparison of their dividend yield against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Mastercard (MA) at 17.63% keeps its payout in the industry’s typical band, while Eli Lilly (LLY) at 21.71% pays out more than any of its peers — the most stretched cover in its group.

LLY

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

21.71%

LLY: 21.71%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

MA

Financial Services industry group

17.63%

Max: 241.07%
Q3: 97.36%
Median: 25.77%
MA: 17.63%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Mastercard (MA): A comparison of their payout ratio against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Mastercard (MA)
Metric	LLY	MA
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.49%	0.53%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	21.71%	17.63%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 43.95 and Mastercard (MA) at 34.15 sit in the richer earnings-multiple quartile for P/E ratio, so investors are paying more for TTM earnings than they pay for typical peers.

LLY

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

43.95

Max: 85.34
LLY: 43.95
Q3: 43.46
Median: 26.69
Q1: 13.30
Min: 0.07

MA

Financial Services industry group

34.15

Max: 45.85
MA: 34.15
Q3: 24.64
Median: 15.37
Q1: 9.68
Min: 0.16

Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Mastercard (MA): A comparison of their P/E ratio against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Eli Lilly (LLY) at 13.95 prices around its industry’s typical P/S ratio, while Mastercard (MA) at 15.67 clears its benchmark range — MA looks notably rich on sales.

LLY

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

13.95

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
LLY: 13.95
Median: 7.30
Q1: 3.01
Min: 0.01

MA

Financial Services industry group

15.67

MA: 15.67
Max: 9.23
Q3: 4.57
Median: 2.72
Q1: 1.28
Min: -0.55

Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Mastercard (MA): A comparison of their P/S ratio against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Measured against book value, both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 29.96 and Mastercard (MA) at 84.30 look expensive — each P/B ratio sits above its industry’s benchmark range.

LLY

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

29.96

LLY: 29.96
Max: 13.53
Q3: 6.54
Median: 3.25
Q1: 1.69
Min: -5.59

MA

Financial Services industry group

84.30

MA: 84.30
Max: 7.79
Q3: 3.63
Median: 1.57
Q1: 0.81
Min: -0.39

Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Mastercard (MA): A comparison of their P/B ratio against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Mastercard (MA)
Metric	LLY	MA
P/E Ratio (TTM)	43.95	34.15
P/S Ratio (TTM)	13.95	15.67
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	29.96	84.30
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	0.77%	--