MA vs. NVS: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at MA and NVS, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
MA is a standard domestic listing, while NVS trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors access to its foreign-listed shares.
| Symbol | MA | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Mastercard Incorporated | Novartis AG |
| Country | United States | Switzerland |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Health Care |
| GICS Industry | Financial Services | Pharmaceuticals |
| Market Capitalization | 541.47 billion USD | 246.34 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | May 25, 2006 | November 7, 1996 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | ADR |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of MA and NVS 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.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | MA | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 2.54% | 3.47% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 5.17% | 11.69% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 5.34% | 4.09% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 27.98% | 9.24% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 5.74% | 7.12% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 13.75% | 13.75% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 2.37M | 2.89M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 2.68M | 3.36M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 21.62% | 17.00% |
| Beta | 0.99 | 0.08 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
MA
191.02%
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 40.58%
- Q3
- 20.06%
- Median
- 10.67%
- Q1
- 4.19%
- Min
- -10.31%
MA’s Return on Equity of 191.02% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Financial Services industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
NVS
32.56%
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, NVS’s Return on Equity of 32.56% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
MA
44.93%
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 52.86%
- Q3
- 25.58%
- Median
- 12.23%
- Q1
- 6.64%
- Min
- -9.92%
A Net Profit Margin of 44.93% places MA in the upper quartile for the Financial Services industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
NVS
24.90%
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 34.51%
- Q3
- 17.73%
- Median
- 12.12%
- Q1
- 5.99%
- Min
- -7.73%
A Net Profit Margin of 24.90% places NVS in the upper quartile for the Pharmaceuticals industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
MA
55.78%
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 77.28%
- Q3
- 37.68%
- Median
- 18.17%
- Q1
- 9.27%
- Min
- -8.19%
An Operating Profit Margin of 55.78% places MA in the upper quartile for the Financial Services industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
NVS
30.03%
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 41.53%
- Q3
- 23.00%
- Median
- 16.24%
- Q1
- 9.24%
- Min
- -6.94%
An Operating Profit Margin of 30.03% places NVS 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.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | MA | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 191.02% | 32.56% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 27.84% | 13.32% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 44.93% | 24.90% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 55.78% | 30.03% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | -- | 76.12% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
MA
1.16
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 4.58
- Q3
- 2.59
- Median
- 1.33
- Q1
- 0.69
- Min
- 0.01
For the Financial Services industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.
NVS
0.82
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 4.49
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.74
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- 0.11
NVS’s Current Ratio of 0.82 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.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
MA
2.42
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 4.96
- Q3
- 2.10
- Median
- 0.57
- Q1
- 0.12
- Min
- 0.00
The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Financial Services industry.
NVS
0.77
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 2.44
- Q3
- 1.07
- Median
- 0.42
- Q1
- 0.11
- Min
- 0.00
NVS’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.77 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.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
MA
37.93
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 136.23
- Q3
- 56.08
- Median
- 6.55
- Q1
- 2.01
- Min
- -33.27
The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Financial Services industry.
NVS
22.55
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 103.95
- Q3
- 44.18
- Median
- 9.83
- Q1
- 2.82
- Min
- -42.71
NVS’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 22.55 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Pharmaceuticals industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | MA | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.16 | 0.82 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 1.16 | 0.62 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 2.42 | 0.77 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 37.93 | 22.55 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
MA
0.49%
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 8.18%
- Q3
- 3.60%
- Median
- 1.56%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MA’s Dividend Yield of 0.49% is consistent with its peers in the Financial Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
NVS
3.29%
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 6.98%
- Q3
- 3.32%
- Median
- 2.13%
- Q1
- 0.14%
- Min
- 0.00%
NVS’s Dividend Yield of 3.29% is consistent with its peers in the Pharmaceuticals industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
MA
19.15%
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 155.56%
- Q3
- 63.71%
- Median
- 18.08%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MA’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 19.15% is within the typical range for the Financial Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
NVS
102.24%
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 165.20%
- Q3
- 90.59%
- Median
- 49.13%
- Q1
- 28.91%
- Min
- 0.00%
NVS’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 102.24% is in the upper quartile for the Pharmaceuticals industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | MA | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.49% | 3.29% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 19.15% | 102.24% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
MA
39.22
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 63.23
- Q3
- 32.10
- Median
- 14.41
- Q1
- 10.81
- Min
- 0.37
A P/E Ratio of 39.22 places MA in the upper quartile for the Financial Services industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
NVS
17.43
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 42.51
- Q3
- 26.88
- Median
- 19.11
- Q1
- 15.12
- Min
- 0.00
NVS’s P/E Ratio of 17.43 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.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
MA
17.62
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 11.16
- Q3
- 5.45
- Median
- 2.61
- Q1
- 1.25
- Min
- 0.04
The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Financial Services industry.
NVS
4.34
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 7.55
- Q3
- 4.54
- Median
- 2.11
- Q1
- 1.52
- Min
- 0.00
NVS’s P/S Ratio of 4.34 aligns with the market consensus for the Pharmaceuticals industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
MA
64.98
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 7.09
- Q3
- 3.79
- Median
- 1.46
- Q1
- 0.83
- Min
- 0.04
At 64.98, MA’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Financial Services industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
NVS
6.00
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 9.78
- Q3
- 4.96
- Median
- 2.23
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.60
NVS’s P/B Ratio of 6.00 is in the upper tier for the Pharmaceuticals 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.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | MA | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 39.22 | 17.43 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 17.62 | 4.34 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 64.98 | 6.00 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 33.58 | 14.16 |