Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) vs AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | LLY | 32.0% revenue growth vs ABBV's 3.7% |
| Value | ABBV | Lower P/E (16.0x vs 30.9x) |
| Quality / Margins | LLY | 31.0% net margin vs ABBV's 4.0% |
| Stability / Safety | ABBV | Beta 0.42 vs LLY's 0.65 |
| Dividends | ABBV | 2.7% yield, 12-year raise streak, vs LLY's 0.5% |
| Momentum (1Y) | LLY | +15.0% vs ABBV's +14.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | LLY | 16.0% ROA vs ABBV's 1.8%, ROIC 33.7% vs 11.1% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Eli Lilly is a global pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and markets innovative medicines for serious diseases like diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune disorders. It generates revenue primarily from drug sales — with diabetes treatments like Trulicity and Mounjaro contributing over 50% of revenue — and from oncology and immunology products. The company's competitive advantage lies in its deep research and development capabilities, particularly in diabetes and obesity treatments where it has established a strong patent-protected portfolio.
AbbVie is a global biopharmaceutical company that develops and markets innovative medicines for serious health conditions. It generates revenue primarily from prescription drug sales — with immunology drugs like Skyrizi and Rinvoq now driving growth as Humira faces biosimilar competition — and also earns income from its aesthetics portfolio including Botox. The company's competitive advantage lies in its deep R&D pipeline, strong patent portfolio, and established commercial infrastructure for launching new blockbuster therapies.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
LLY leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). ABBV leads in 3 (Valuation Metrics, Risk & Volatility).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
ABBV and LLY operate at a comparable scale, with $59.6B and $59.4B in trailing revenue. LLY is the more profitable business, keeping 31.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to ABBV's 4.0%. On growth, LLY holds the edge at +53.9% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | LLYEli Lilly and Com… | ABBVAbbVie Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $59.4B | $59.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $28.6B | $17.3B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $18.4B | $2.4B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $9.0B | $20.6B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +83.0% | +69.7% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +45.0% | +15.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +31.0% | +4.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +15.2% | +34.5% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +53.9% | +9.1% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +4.8% | -88.7% |
Valuation Metrics
At 89.9x trailing earnings, LLY trades at a 7% valuation discount to ABBV's 97.1x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, ABBV's 27.0x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than LLY's 50.5x.
| Metric | LLYEli Lilly and Com… | ABBVAbbVie Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $941.7B | $410.1B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $972.1B | $472.4B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 89.85x | 97.08x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 30.86x | 15.95x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 14.62x | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 50.45x | 26.96x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 20.91x | 7.28x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 66.65x | 122.29x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 2273.08x | 23.00x |
Profitability & Efficiency
LLY delivers a 77.2% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $77 in annual profit, vs $62 for ABBV. LLY carries lower financial leverage with a 2.36x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to ABBV's 20.17x.
| Metric | LLYEli Lilly and Com… | ABBVAbbVie Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +77.2% | +62.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +16.0% | +1.8% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +33.7% | +11.1% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +40.2% | +9.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 2.36x | 20.17x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $30.4B | $62.3B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $3.3B | $5.5B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $33.6B | $67.8B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 26.09x | 1.58x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in LLY five years ago would be worth $52,120 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $24,166 for ABBV. Over the past 12 months, LLY leads with a +15.0% total return vs ABBV's +14.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors LLY at 50.9% vs ABBV's 17.7% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | LLYEli Lilly and Com… | ABBVAbbVie Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -2.4% | +1.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +15.0% | +14.2% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +243.3% | +63.1% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +421.2% | +141.7% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +1411.6% | +413.0% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +50.9% | +17.7% |
Risk & Volatility
ABBV is the less volatile stock with a 0.42 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than LLY's 0.65 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | LLYEli Lilly and Com… | ABBVAbbVie Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.65x | 0.42x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $1133.95 | $244.81 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $623.78 | $164.39 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +92.8% | +94.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 46.9 | 49.6 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 2.6M | 5.7M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates LLY as "Buy" and ABBV as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 15.4% upside for LLY (target: $1214) vs 10.4% for ABBV (target: $256). For income investors, ABBV offers the higher dividend yield at 2.68% vs LLY's 0.49%.
| Metric | LLYEli Lilly and Com… | ABBVAbbVie Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $1214.28 | $256.15 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 44 | 39 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +0.5% | +2.7% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 10 | 12 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $5.18 | $6.22 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.3% | +0.4% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eli Lilly and Compa… (LLY) | 100 | 786.01 | +686.0% |
| AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) | 100 | 254.41 | +154.4% |
Eli Lilly and Compa… (LLY) returned +421% over 5 years vs AbbVie Inc. (ABBV)'s +142%. A $10,000 investment in LLY 5 years ago would be worth $52,120 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eli Lilly and Compa… (LLY) | $20.0B | $45.0B | +125.7% |
| AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) | $22.9B | $56.3B | +146.4% |
Eli Lilly and Company's revenue grew from $20.0B (2015) to $45.0B (2024) — a 9.5% CAGR. AbbVie Inc.'s revenue grew from $22.9B (2015) to $56.3B (2024) — a 10.5% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eli Lilly and Compa… (LLY) | 12.1% | 23.5% | +94.8% |
| AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) | 22.5% | 7.6% | -66.3% |
Eli Lilly and Company's net margin went from 12% (2015) to 24% (2024). AbbVie Inc.'s net margin went from 23% (2015) to 8% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eli Lilly and Compa… (LLY) | 37 | 65.9 | +78.1% |
| AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) | 29.3 | 74.4 | +153.9% |
Eli Lilly and Company has traded in a 15x–101x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~90x. AbbVie Inc. has traded in a 17x–74x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~97x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eli Lilly and Compa… (LLY) | 2.18 | 11.71 | +437.2% |
| AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) | 3.13 | 2.39 | -23.6% |
Eli Lilly and Company's EPS grew from $2.18 (2015) to $11.71 (2024) — a 21% CAGR. AbbVie Inc.'s EPS grew from $3.13 (2015) to $2.39 (2024) — a -3% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Eli Lilly and Company generated $414M FCF in 2024 (-92% vs 2021). AbbVie Inc. generated $18B FCF in 2024 (-19% vs 2021).
LLY vs ABBV: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is LLY or ABBV a better buy right now?
Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) offers the better valuation at 89.9x trailing P/E (30.9x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) a "Buy" — based on 44 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — LLY or ABBV?
On trailing P/E, Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) is the cheapest at 89.9x versus AbbVie Inc. at 97.1x. On forward P/E, AbbVie Inc. is actually cheaper at 16.0x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.
03Which is the better long-term investment — LLY or ABBV?
Over the past 5 years, Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) delivered a total return of +421.2%, compared to +141.7% for AbbVie Inc. (ABBV). A $10,000 investment in LLY five years ago would be worth approximately $52K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: LLY returned +1412% versus ABBV's +413.0%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — LLY or ABBV?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) is the lower-risk stock at 0.42β versus Eli Lilly and Company's 0.65β — meaning LLY is approximately 54% more volatile than ABBV relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 2% versus 20% for AbbVie Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — LLY or ABBV?
Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) is the more profitable company, earning 23.5% net margin versus 7.6% for AbbVie Inc. — meaning it keeps 23.5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: LLY leads at 38.9% versus 16.2% for ABBV. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — LLY leads at 81.3%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is LLY or ABBV more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) trades at 16.0x forward P/E versus 30.9x for Eli Lilly and Company — 14.9x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for LLY: 15.4% to $1214.28.
07Which pays a better dividend — LLY or ABBV?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) offers the highest yield at 2.7%, versus 0.5% for Eli Lilly and Company (LLY).
08Is LLY or ABBV better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.42), 2.7% yield, +413.0% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (ABBV: +413.0%, LLY: +1412%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between LLY and ABBV?
Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. ABBV pays a dividend while LLY does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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