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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.

Company profile comparison for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Palantir (PLTR)
Profile ItemLLYPLTR
NameEli Lilly and CompanyPalantir Technologies Inc. Class A Common Stock
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorHealth CareInformation Technology
GICS Industry GroupPharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life SciencesSoftware & Services
GICS IndustryPharmaceuticalsSoftware
GICS Sub-IndustryPharmaceuticalsApplication Software
Market Capitalization1,206.07 billion USD386.44 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENasdaq
Listing DateJune 1, 1972September 30, 2020
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

LLY
PLTR
GSPC
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Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Palantir (PLTR), 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 Palantir (PLTR). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Palantir (PLTR)
MetricLLYPLTR
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

LLY
PLTR
GSPC
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Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Palantir (PLTR), 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 Palantir (PLTR). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

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.

Risk profile metrics for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Palantir (PLTR)
MetricLLYPLTR
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)35.34%60.50%
Beta (5Y)0.401.63
Max Drawdown (5Y)-34.48%-75.26%
Avg. Volume (3M)2.52M27.20M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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LLY and PLTR 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 Palantir (PLTR)
MetricLLYPLTR
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%
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Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Palantir (PLTR): A comparison of their ROE against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Software & Services industry group benchmarks.

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%
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Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Palantir (PLTR): A comparison of their net margin against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Software & Services industry group benchmarks.

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%
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Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Palantir (PLTR): A comparison of their operating margin against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Software & Services industry group benchmarks.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Palantir (PLTR)
MetricLLYPLTR
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.

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

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.

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

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Palantir (PLTR)
MetricLLYPLTR
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
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Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Palantir (PLTR): A comparison of their current ratio against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Software & Services industry group benchmarks.

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
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Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Palantir (PLTR): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Software & Services industry group benchmarks.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Palantir (PLTR)
MetricLLYPLTR
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.397.10
Debt / Equity (MRQ)1.230.02
Net Debt / EBITDA0.96-3.08

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%
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Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Palantir (PLTR): A comparison of their dividend yield against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Software & Services industry group benchmarks.

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%
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Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Palantir (PLTR): A comparison of their payout ratio against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Software & Services industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Palantir (PLTR)
MetricLLYPLTR
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
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Eli Lilly (LLY) vs. Palantir (PLTR): A comparison of their P/E ratio against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Software & Services industry group benchmarks.

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

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

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Eli Lilly (LLY) and Palantir (PLTR)
MetricLLYPLTR
P/E Ratio (TTM)43.95112.94
P/S Ratio (TTM)13.9553.02
P/B Ratio (MRQ)29.9634.41
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)0.77%0.69%