NVS vs. QGEN: Novartis vs. Qiagen Stock Comparison

Company Profile

Novartis (NVS) and Qiagen (QGEN) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but NVS is classified in Pharmaceuticals while QGEN is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.

Qiagen (QGEN) 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 Novartis (NVS) at 24.33% and Qiagen (QGEN) at 10.81% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.

Qiagen (QGEN) at 18.20% keeps the most of each sales dollar — above its industry’s net margin range — and Novartis (NVS) at 17.49% also retains a top-quartile share.

Both Novartis (NVS) at 34.27% and Qiagen (QGEN) at 27.75% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Both Novartis (NVS) at 9.57% and Qiagen (QGEN) at 5.65% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Qiagen (QGEN) at 409.76% clears its industry range for EPS growth, a much stronger earnings trajectory than Novartis (NVS) at 21.81%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

Qiagen (QGEN) at 2.63 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Novartis (NVS) at 0.88 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for NVS.

Qiagen (QGEN) at 0.47 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Novartis (NVS) at 1.29 uses more debt funding than most peers.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

Both Novartis (NVS) at 2.88% and Qiagen (QGEN) at 0.71% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.

Both Novartis (NVS) at 90.46% and Qiagen (QGEN) at 18.21% 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 Novartis (NVS) at 31.02 and Qiagen (QGEN) at 27.21 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 Novartis (NVS) at 5.35 and Qiagen (QGEN) at 4.91 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

Qiagen (QGEN) at 2.99 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Novartis (NVS) at 8.25 carries an above-peer premium to book — NVS is pricier on assets.

Valuation Metrics