Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Pfizer Inc. (PFE) vs Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) 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 PFE's -1.6% |
| Value | PFE | Lower P/E (9.4x vs 30.9x) |
| Quality / Margins | LLY | 31.0% net margin vs PFE's 12.4% |
| Stability / Safety | PFE | Beta 0.50 vs LLY's 0.65 |
| Dividends | LLY | 0.5% yield; 10-year raise streak; PFE pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | LLY | +15.0% vs PFE's +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
Pfizer is a global biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and commercializes innovative medicines and vaccines across multiple therapeutic areas. It generates revenue primarily from pharmaceutical product sales — including blockbuster drugs like Eliquis, Prevnar, and Comirnaty — with vaccines contributing roughly 25% of total revenue. The company's competitive advantage lies in its massive R&D scale, extensive global manufacturing capabilities, and deep expertise in developing complex biologics and vaccines.
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.
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). PFE leads in 3 (Valuation Metrics, Risk & Volatility).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
PFE and LLY operate at a comparable scale, with $62.6B and $59.4B in trailing revenue. LLY is the more profitable business, keeping 31.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to PFE's 12.4%. On growth, LLY holds the edge at +53.9% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | PFEPfizer Inc. | LLYEli Lilly and Com… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $62.6B | $59.4B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $15.7B | $28.6B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $7.8B | $18.4B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $4.6B | $9.0B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +70.3% | +83.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +24.7% | +45.0% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +12.4% | +31.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +7.3% | +15.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -1.2% | +53.9% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -5.0% | +4.8% |
Valuation Metrics
At 20.3x trailing earnings, PFE trades at a 77% valuation discount to LLY's 89.9x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, PFE's 7.7x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than LLY's 50.5x.
| Metric | PFEPfizer Inc. | LLYEli Lilly and Com… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $157.2B | $941.7B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $157.2B | $972.1B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 20.33x | 89.85x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 9.35x | 30.86x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 14.62x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 7.73x | 50.45x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 2.51x | 20.91x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.69x | 66.65x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 2273.08x |
Profitability & Efficiency
LLY delivers a 77.2% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $77 in annual profit, vs $8 for PFE. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), LLY scores 6/9 vs PFE's 2/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | PFEPfizer Inc. | LLYEli Lilly and Com… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +8.3% | +77.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | — | +16.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +9.4% | +33.7% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | — | +40.2% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 2 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 2.36x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $0 | $30.4B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | — | $3.3B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $0 | $33.6B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 3.82x | 26.09x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in LLY five years ago would be worth $52,120 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $10,653 for PFE. Over the past 12 months, LLY leads with a +15.0% total return vs PFE's +11.1%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors LLY at 50.9% vs PFE's -6.9% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | PFEPfizer Inc. | LLYEli Lilly and Com… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +11.5% | -2.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +11.1% | +15.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -19.4% | +243.3% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +6.5% | +421.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +51.9% | +1411.6% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -6.9% | +50.9% |
Risk & Volatility
PFE is the less volatile stock with a 0.50 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. PFE currently trades 99.0% from its 52-week high vs LLY's 92.8% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | PFEPfizer Inc. | LLYEli Lilly and Com… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.50x | 0.65x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $27.94 | $1133.95 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $20.92 | $623.78 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +99.0% | +92.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 54.7 | 46.9 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 40.1M | 2.6M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates PFE as "Hold" and LLY as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 15.4% upside for LLY (target: $1214) vs -1.0% for PFE (target: $27). LLY is the only dividend payer here at 0.49% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | PFEPfizer Inc. | LLYEli Lilly and Com… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $27.36 | $1214.28 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 37 | 44 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +0.5% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 14 | 10 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $5.18 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +0.3% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pfizer Inc. (PFE) | 100 | 80.64 | -19.4% |
| Eli Lilly and Compa… (LLY) | 100 | 786.01 | +686.0% |
Eli Lilly and Compa… (LLY) returned +421% over 5 years vs Pfizer Inc. (PFE)'s +7%. A $10,000 investment in LLY 5 years ago would be worth $52,120 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pfizer Inc. (PFE) | $52.8B | $62.6B | +18.5% |
| Eli Lilly and Compa… (LLY) | $21.2B | $45.0B | +112.2% |
Pfizer Inc.'s revenue grew from $52.8B (2016) to $62.6B (2025) — a 1.9% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pfizer Inc. (PFE) | 13.7% | 12.4% | -9.1% |
| Eli Lilly and Compa… (LLY) | 12.9% | 23.5% | +82.3% |
Pfizer Inc.'s net margin went from 14% (2016) to 12% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pfizer Inc. (PFE) | 9.8 | 18.3 | +86.7% |
| Eli Lilly and Compa… (LLY) | 37 | 65.9 | +78.1% |
Pfizer Inc. has traded in a 9x–78x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~20x. Eli Lilly and Company has traded in a 15x–101x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~90x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pfizer Inc. (PFE) | 1.17 | 1.36 | +16.2% |
| Eli Lilly and Compa… (LLY) | 2.49 | 11.71 | +370.3% |
Pfizer Inc.'s EPS grew from $1.17 (2016) to $1.36 (2025) — a 2% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Pfizer Inc. generated $0M FCF in 2025 (-100% vs 2021). Eli Lilly and Company generated $414M FCF in 2024 (-92% vs 2021).
PFE vs LLY: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is PFE or LLY a better buy right now?
Pfizer Inc. (PFE) offers the better valuation at 20.3x trailing P/E (9.4x 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 — PFE or LLY?
On trailing P/E, Pfizer Inc. (PFE) is the cheapest at 20.3x versus Eli Lilly and Company at 89.9x. On forward P/E, Pfizer Inc. is actually cheaper at 9.4x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — PFE or LLY?
Over the past 5 years, Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) delivered a total return of +421.2%, compared to +6.5% for Pfizer Inc. (PFE). 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 PFE's +51.9%. 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 — PFE or LLY?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Pfizer Inc. (PFE) is the lower-risk stock at 0.50β versus Eli Lilly and Company's 0.65β — meaning LLY is approximately 29% more volatile than PFE relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — PFE or LLY?
Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) is the more profitable company, earning 23.5% net margin versus 12.4% for Pfizer 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 24.7% for PFE. 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 PFE or LLY more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Pfizer Inc. (PFE) trades at 9.4x forward P/E versus 30.9x for Eli Lilly and Company — 21.5x 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 — PFE or LLY?
In this comparison, LLY (0.5% yield) pays a dividend. PFE does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is PFE or LLY better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.65), +1412% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (LLY: +1412%, PFE: +51.9%), 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 PFE and LLY?
Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. 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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