LLY vs. NVS: Eli Lilly vs. Novartis Stock Comparison

Company Profile

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

Eli Lilly (LLY) 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 Eli Lilly (LLY) at 102.29% and Novartis (NVS) at 30.35% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.

Both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 33.53% and Novartis (NVS) at 22.50% keep an unusually large share of revenue as bottom-line profit — each net margin clears its industry’s benchmark range.

Both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 54.22% and Novartis (NVS) at 34.62% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 44.70% 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.

Eli Lilly (LLY) at 95.99% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Novartis (NVS) at 21.81% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for LLY.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

Both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 1.36 and Novartis (NVS) at 0.86 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 LLY is more stretched: Novartis (NVS) at 1.17 sits in the higher-leverage quartile and Eli Lilly (LLY) at 1.62 is above its industry benchmark range.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

Both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 0.52% and Novartis (NVS) at 2.99% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.

Both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 21.69% and Novartis (NVS) at 71.60% pay out more of their earnings than any of their industry peers — the thinnest cover in their groups, so dividend headroom deserves attention.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

Both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 42.20 and Novartis (NVS) at 24.00 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

On P/S ratio, both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 14.05 and Novartis (NVS) at 5.33 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

Novartis (NVS) at 7.27 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Eli Lilly (LLY) at 33.04 prices above its benchmark range — LLY looks rich relative to book.

Valuation Metrics