NOVO NORDISK A/S vs VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC / MA, two Drug Manufacturers stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
The margins here are a photo finish at the bottom line, 33.1% net at Novo Nordisk against 35.5% at Vertex, two of pharma's cleanest income statements, and the multiples then split by half: 14.2 times against 29.2. Both are debt-free; returns on equity favor Novo enormously, 52.8% against 22.4%, scale advantages compounding through a leaner equity base. Free-cash yields favor Novo too, 4.1% against 3%. What Vertex's doubled multiple buys is the perceived safety of a monopoly niche, cystic fibrosis without competitors, against Novo's contested obesity kingdom. Identical profitability, opposite anxiety: the market charges twice as much for earnings nobody is attacking.
Comparison updated 2026-07-10.
| Metric | NVO | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $48.01 | $491.10 |
| Market cap | $213.3B | $125.9B |
| Sector | Drug Manufacturers | Drug Manufacturers |
| Stage | Growth | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | — | +19.8% |
| P/E | 14.2 | 29.1 |
| P/B | 7.47 | 6.50 |
| P/S | 4.69 | 10.30 |
| EV/EBITDA | 10.0 | 24.6 |
| Revenue growth | +22.1% | +10.1% |
| Gross margin | 81.0% | — |
| Operating margin | 41.3% | 38.1% |
| Net margin | 33.1% | 35.5% |
| Return on equity | 52.8% | 22.4% |
| Return on assets | 18.9% | 16.4% |
| Return on invested capital | 51.6% | 19.9% |
| FCF yield | 4.1% | 3.0% |
| Debt / equity | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Current ratio | 0.80 | 3.02 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 4.25 | 7.73 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 4 / 9 | 6 / 9 |
Each week boothcheck ranks the stocks whose prices are betting on the most. Read the most stretched bets archive →
boothcheck is also on Android. Get the app on Google Play →
The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.