LLY vs. PLTR: Eli Lilly vs. Palantir Stock Comparison
How do Eli Lilly (LLY) and Palantir (PLTR) 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 Palantir (PLTR) belongs to Information Technology (Software & Services) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.
Eli Lilly (LLY) has more than two decades of public-market history since June 1, 1972, whereas Palantir (PLTR) listed on September 30, 2020 and has a much shorter record to draw on.
| Profile Item | LLY | PLTR |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Eli Lilly and Company | Palantir Technologies Inc. Class A Common Stock |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences | Software & Services |
| GICS Industry | Pharmaceuticals | Software |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Pharmaceuticals | Application Software |
| Market Capitalization | 1,206.07 billion USD | 386.44 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | June 1, 1972 | September 30, 2020 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | LLY | PLTR |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 52.36% | -4.94% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 34.18% | 109.97% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 41.08% | 47.47% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Palantir (PLTR) has an aggressive beta of 1.63, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Eli Lilly (LLY) is defensive at 0.40 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | LLY | PLTR |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 35.34% | 60.50% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.40 | 1.63 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -34.48% | -75.26% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.52M | 27.20M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | LLY | PLTR |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.36 | -0.15 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 2.29 | -0.24 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 86.02% and Palantir (PLTR) at 40.91% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.
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%
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
40.91%
- Max
- 53.85%
- PLTR
- 40.91%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 31.90% and Palantir (PLTR) at 50.34% keep an unusually large share of revenue as bottom-line profit — each net margin clears its industry’s benchmark range.
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%
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
50.34%
- PLTR
- 50.34%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 53.66% and Palantir (PLTR) at 46.89% 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%
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
46.89%
- PLTR
- 46.89%
- Max
- 46.89%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | LLY | PLTR |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 86.02% | 40.91% |
| ROA (TTM) | 21.06% | 19.31% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 31.90% | 50.34% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 53.66% | 46.89% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 83.63% | 84.74% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Palantir (PLTR) at 56.18% clears its industry range for revenue growth, far stronger top-line momentum than Eli Lilly (LLY) at 44.70%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
EPS Growth
Both companies show strong earnings momentum, but Palantir (PLTR) at 231.06% is the standout with EPS growth above its industry range; Eli Lilly (LLY) at 95.99% also sits in the top quartile.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | LLY | PLTR |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 44.70% | 56.18% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 31.69% | 32.92% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 95.99% | 231.06% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 51.71% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Palantir (PLTR) at 7.10 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while Eli Lilly (LLY) at 1.39 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.
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
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
7.10
- PLTR
- 7.10
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Palantir (PLTR) at 0.02 keeps leverage in the lower quartile, while Eli Lilly (LLY) at 1.23 sits in the higher-leverage quartile.
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
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
0.02
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- PLTR
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | LLY | PLTR |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.39 | 7.10 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.23 | 0.02 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.96 | -3.08 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Palantir (PLTR) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Eli Lilly (LLY) reports a yield of 0.49%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- PLTR
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Palantir (PLTR) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Eli Lilly (LLY) reports a payout of 21.71%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- PLTR
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | LLY | PLTR |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.49% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 21.71% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 43.95 and Palantir (PLTR) at 112.94 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
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
112.94
- PLTR
- 112.94
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Eli Lilly (LLY) at 13.95 prices around its industry’s typical P/S ratio, while Palantir (PLTR) at 53.02 clears its benchmark range — PLTR 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
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
53.02
- PLTR
- 53.02
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Measured against book value, both Eli Lilly (LLY) at 29.96 and Palantir (PLTR) at 34.41 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
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
34.41
- PLTR
- 34.41
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | LLY | PLTR |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 43.95 | 112.94 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 13.95 | 53.02 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 29.96 | 34.41 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 0.77% | 0.69% |