Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) vs Novartis (NVS)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) has outperformed Novartis (NVS) over the past year, gaining 33.7% versus a gain of 8.9%. Over five years, NVS leads with a +71.9% price change compared with +2.3% for BMY. Novartis is the larger company by market cap ($272.33 billion vs $121.95 billion), about 2.2 times the size.
On valuation, Bristol-Myers Squibb trades at a lower forward P/E (9.1x vs 14.6x for Novartis). Bristol-Myers Squibb offers the higher dividend yield (4.20% vs 3.26%).
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | BMY | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $59.70 | $143.28 |
| Market cap | $121.95B | $272.33B |
| 1-day change | +0.18% | +1.77% |
| YTD return | +10.68% | +3.92% |
| 1-year return | +33.68% | +8.92% |
| 5-year return | +2.30% | +71.94% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 13.12 | 21.26 |
| Forward P/E | 9.06 | 14.63 |
| EPS (TTM) | $4.55 | $6.74 |
| Dividend yield | 4.20% | 3.26% |
| Annual dividend | $2.51 | $4.67 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $48.19B | — |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -0.22% | — |
| Net income (latest FY) | $7.05B | $13.98B |
| Gross margin | 71.08% | — |
| Net margin | 14.64% | — |
| 52-week high | $68.64 | $170.46 |
| 52-week low | $42.52 | $121.57 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -13.02% | -15.95% |
| Analyst consensus | hold | hold |
| Avg. price target upside | +10.84% | +8.19% |
| Average volume | 11.22M | 1.97M |
| Shares outstanding | 2.04B | 1.90B |
| Employees | 32,500 | 75,267 |
| Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| Industry | Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations | Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- Novartis is about 2.2 times larger than Bristol-Myers Squibb by market value ($272.33B vs $121.95B).
- BMY has outperformed NVS by 24.8 percentage points over the past year.
- Novartis trades at a higher earnings multiple (21.3x vs 13.1x trailing P/E).
About Bristol-Myers Squibb
BMY stock →Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. The company offers products for oncology, hematology, immunology, cardiovascular, and neuroscience indications.
Health Care · Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations · 32,500 employees
About Novartis
NVS stock →Novartis AG researches, develops, manufactures, distributes, markets, and sells pharmaceutical medicines in Switzerland and internationally. The company offers Entresto, an angiotensin receptorneprilysin inhibitor to treat symptomatic chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF); Cosentyx to treat plaque psoriasis, pso riatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and nonradiographic axial spondy loarthritis; Kisqali, a selective oral cyclin dependent inhibitor of kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6); Promacta/Revolade to treat immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), thrombocytopenia, and patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA); Tafinlar+Mekinist, an oral combination therapy to treat patients with certain types of cancers; and Jakavi for the treatment of myelofibrosis, polycythemia vera, and acute or chronic graftversushost disease (GvHD).
Health Care · Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations · 75,267 employees
BMY vs NVS FAQ
Which is bigger, Bristol-Myers Squibb or Novartis?
Novartis (NVS) is larger, with a market capitalization of $272.33B compared with $121.95B for Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, BMY or NVS?
BMY returned +33.68% over the past 12 months, compared with +8.92% for NVS (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, BMY or NVS?
BMY has the lower trailing P/E at 13.1, versus 21.3 for NVS. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Which pays a higher dividend, Bristol-Myers Squibb or Novartis?
Bristol-Myers Squibb has the higher yield at 4.20%, compared with 3.26% for Novartis.
Are Bristol-Myers Squibb and Novartis in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations industry within the Health Care sector.