NVS vs. V: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 26, 2025

Here’s a clear look at NVS and V, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

NVS trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors a convenient way to access its foreign-listed shares. In contrast, V is a standard domestic listing.

Symbol	NVS	V
Company Name	Novartis AG	Visa Inc.
Country	Switzerland	United States
GICS Sector	Health Care	Financials
GICS Industry	Pharmaceuticals	Financial Services
Market Capitalization	245.81 billion USD	679.41 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	November 7, 1996	March 19, 2008
Security Type	ADR	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of NVS and V 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.

NVS vs. V: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	NVS	V
5-Day Price Return	1.74%	2.13%
13-Week Price Return	9.29%	-2.31%
26-Week Price Return	4.27%	-1.88%
52-Week Price Return	1.76%	30.51%
Month-to-Date Return	8.25%	1.32%
Year-to-Date Return	14.95%	10.76%
10-Day Avg. Volume	2.68M	5.36M
3-Month Avg. Volume	3.20M	6.26M
3-Month Volatility	17.09%	21.54%
Beta	0.90	0.92

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

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.

V

52.65%

Financial Services Industry

Max: 40.58%
Q3: 20.06%
Median: 10.67%
Q1: 4.19%
Min: -10.31%

V’s Return on Equity of 52.65% 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 vs. V: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Financial Services industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

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.

V

52.16%

Financial Services Industry

Max: 52.86%
Q3: 25.58%
Median: 12.23%
Q1: 6.64%
Min: -9.92%

A Net Profit Margin of 52.16% places V in the upper quartile for the Financial Services industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

NVS vs. V: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Financial Services industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

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.

V

62.21%

Financial Services Industry

Max: 77.28%
Q3: 37.68%
Median: 18.17%
Q1: 9.27%
Min: -8.19%

An Operating Profit Margin of 62.21% places V 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 vs. V: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Financial Services industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	NVS	V
Return on Equity (TTM)	32.56%	52.65%
Return on Assets (TTM)	13.32%	21.39%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	24.90%	52.16%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	30.03%	62.21%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	76.12%	80.23%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

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.

V

1.12

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 vs. V: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Financial Services industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

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.

V

0.65

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 vs. V: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Financial Services industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

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.

V

24.71

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 vs. V: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Financial Services industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	NVS	V
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.82	1.12
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.62	1.06
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	0.77	0.65
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	22.55	24.71

Growth

Revenue Growth

NVS vs. V: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

NVS vs. V: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

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.

V

0.68%

Financial Services Industry

Max: 8.18%
Q3: 3.60%
Median: 1.56%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

V’s Dividend Yield of 0.68% is consistent with its peers in the Financial Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

NVS vs. V: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Financial Services industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

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.

V

22.33%

Financial Services Industry

Max: 155.56%
Q3: 63.71%
Median: 18.08%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

V’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 22.33% is within the typical range for the Financial Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

NVS vs. V: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Financial Services industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	NVS	V
Dividend Yield (TTM)	3.29%	0.68%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	102.24%	22.33%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

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.

V

32.82

Financial Services Industry

Max: 63.23
Q3: 32.10
Median: 14.41
Q1: 10.81
Min: 0.37

A P/E Ratio of 32.82 places V 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 vs. V: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Financial Services industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

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.

V

17.12

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 vs. V: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Financial Services industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

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.

V

17.81

Financial Services Industry

Max: 7.09
Q3: 3.79
Median: 1.46
Q1: 0.83
Min: 0.04

At 17.81, V’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 vs. V: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Pharmaceuticals and Financial Services industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	NVS	V
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	17.43	32.82
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	4.34	17.12
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	6.00	17.81
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	14.16	30.15