Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Pfizer Inc. (PFE) vs Sanofi (SNY) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
Selected Stocks
Add up to 10 tickers. Use presets or search to get started.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | SNY | 5.5% revenue growth vs PFE's -1.6% |
| Value | PFE | Lower P/E (9.4x vs 11.5x) |
| Quality / Margins | SNY | 16.7% net margin vs PFE's 12.4% |
| Stability / Safety | SNY | Beta 0.35 vs PFE's 0.50 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | PFE | +11.1% vs SNY's -6.6% |
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.
Sanofi is a global pharmaceutical company that develops and markets prescription drugs, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products. It generates revenue primarily from its Pharmaceuticals segment — including specialty care and diabetes treatments — along with Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare divisions. The company's competitive advantage stems from its diversified portfolio, strong R&D pipeline, and established global commercial infrastructure.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
SNY leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). PFE leads in 1 (Analyst Outlook). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
PFE and SNY operate at a comparable scale, with $62.6B and $46.7B in trailing revenue. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 16.7% (SNY) to 12.4% (PFE). On growth, SNY holds the edge at +59.9% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | PFEPfizer Inc. | SNYSanofi |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $62.6B | $46.7B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $15.7B | $9.6B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $7.8B | $7.8B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $4.6B | $8.3B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +70.3% | +72.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +24.7% | +13.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +12.4% | +16.7% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +7.3% | +17.7% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -1.2% | +59.9% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -5.0% | -5.2% |
Valuation Metrics
At 20.3x trailing earnings, SNY trades at a 0% valuation discount to PFE's 20.3x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, PFE's 7.7x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than SNY's 11.9x.
| Metric | PFEPfizer Inc. | SNYSanofi |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $157.2B | $117.5B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $157.2B | $134.2B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 20.33x | 20.32x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 9.35x | 11.47x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 7.73x | 11.91x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 2.51x | 2.13x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.69x | 1.40x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 11.21x |
Profitability & Efficiency
SNY delivers a 10.9% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $11 in annual profit, vs $8 for PFE. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), SNY scores 7/9 vs PFE's 2/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | PFEPfizer Inc. | SNYSanofi |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +8.3% | +10.9% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | — | +6.2% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +9.4% | +5.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | — | +6.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 2 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 0.30x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $0 | $14.1B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | — | $7.7B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $0 | $21.8B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 3.82x | 17.51x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in SNY five years ago would be worth $12,799 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $10,653 for PFE. Over the past 12 months, PFE leads with a +11.1% total return vs SNY's -6.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors SNY at 5.4% vs PFE's -6.9% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | PFEPfizer Inc. | SNYSanofi |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +11.5% | +0.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +11.1% | -6.6% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -19.4% | +17.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +6.5% | +28.0% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +51.9% | +70.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -6.9% | +5.4% |
Risk & Volatility
SNY is the less volatile stock with a 0.35 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than PFE's 0.50 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 SNY's 80.9% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | PFEPfizer Inc. | SNYSanofi |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.50x | 0.35x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $27.94 | $60.12 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $20.92 | $44.62 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +99.0% | +80.9% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 54.7 | 56.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 40.1M | 3.2M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates PFE as "Hold" and SNY as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 17.2% upside for SNY (target: $57) vs -1.0% for PFE (target: $27).
| Metric | PFEPfizer Inc. | SNYSanofi |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $27.36 | $57.02 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 37 | 27 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 14 | 13 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pfizer Inc. (PFE) | 100 | 84.15 | -15.8% |
| Sanofi (SNY) | 100 | 102.21 | +2.2% |
Sanofi (SNY) returned +28% over 5 years vs Pfizer Inc. (PFE)'s +7%. A $10,000 investment in SNY 5 years ago would be worth $12,799 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pfizer Inc. (PFE) | $52.8B | $62.6B | +18.5% |
| Sanofi (SNY) | $34.7B | $46.7B | +34.6% |
Pfizer Inc.'s revenue grew from $52.8B (2016) to $62.6B (2025) — a 1.9% CAGR. Sanofi's revenue grew from $34.7B (2016) to $46.7B (2025) — a 3.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pfizer Inc. (PFE) | 13.7% | 12.4% | -9.1% |
| Sanofi (SNY) | 13.6% | 16.7% | +23.2% |
Pfizer Inc.'s net margin went from 14% (2016) to 12% (2025). Sanofi's net margin went from 14% (2016) to 17% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pfizer Inc. (PFE) | 9.8 | 18.3 | +86.7% |
| Sanofi (SNY) | 12.8 | 23.9 | +86.7% |
Pfizer Inc. has traded in a 9x–78x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~20x. Sanofi has traded in a 10x–44x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~20x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pfizer Inc. (PFE) | 1.17 | 1.36 | +16.2% |
| Sanofi (SNY) | 1.83 | 2.03 | +10.9% |
Pfizer Inc.'s EPS grew from $1.17 (2016) to $1.36 (2025) — a 2% CAGR. Sanofi's EPS grew from $1.83 (2016) to $2.03 (2025) — a 1% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Pfizer Inc. generated $0M FCF in 2025 (-100% vs 2021). Sanofi generated $9B FCF in 2025 (+5% vs 2021).
PFE vs SNY: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is PFE or SNY a better buy right now?
Sanofi (SNY) offers the better valuation at 20.3x trailing P/E (11.5x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Sanofi (SNY) a "Buy" — based on 27 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 SNY?
On trailing P/E, Sanofi (SNY) is the cheapest at 20.3x versus Pfizer Inc. at 20.3x. On forward P/E, Pfizer Inc. is actually cheaper at 9.4x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.
03Which is the better long-term investment — PFE or SNY?
Over the past 5 years, Sanofi (SNY) delivered a total return of +28.0%, compared to +6.5% for Pfizer Inc. (PFE). A $10,000 investment in SNY five years ago would be worth approximately $13K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SNY returned +70.2% 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 SNY?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Sanofi (SNY) is the lower-risk stock at 0.35β versus Pfizer Inc.'s 0.50β — meaning PFE is approximately 44% more volatile than SNY relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — PFE or SNY?
Sanofi (SNY) is the more profitable company, earning 16.7% net margin versus 12.4% for Pfizer Inc. — meaning it keeps 16.7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: PFE leads at 24.7% versus 13.6% for SNY. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SNY leads at 72.3%, 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 SNY more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Pfizer Inc. (PFE) trades at 9.4x forward P/E versus 11.5x for Sanofi — 2.1x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SNY: 17.2% to $57.02.
07Which pays a better dividend — PFE or SNY?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
08Is PFE or SNY better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Sanofi (SNY) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.35)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (SNY: +70.2%, 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 SNY?
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.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.