Which has the lower trailing P/E, CVS or NVS?

NVS has the lower trailing P/E: CVS trades at 22.87 and NVS at 21.27. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, CVS or NVS?

Over the past five years, CVS grew revenue faster — CVS at a 8.32% CAGR versus NVS at 1.53%.

Does CVS or NVS pay a bigger dividend?

CVS yields 3.12% and NVS yields 3.38% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is CVS or NVS more profitable?

NVS runs the higher net margin — CVS at 1.18% versus NVS at 22.93%.

How have CVS and NVS total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, CVS delivered 2.68% and NVS delivered 11.99% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

CVS Health Corp. (CVS) vs Novartis AG (NVS)

A side-by-side comparison of CVS Health Corp. and Novartis AG across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of October 2, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

CVS

CVS Health Corp.

$110.32B

$86.46HealthcareDelayed quote: Oct 2, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

NVS

Novartis AG

$268.00B

$141.00HealthcareDelayed quote: Oct 2, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — CVS vs NVS

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

CVS +33.5% (+2.9%/yr)NVS +209.2% (+12.0%/yr)NVS compounded faster over this window

CVS NVS

CVS vs NVS: by the numbers

•NVS is the larger company ($268.00B vs $110.32B market cap).
•NVS trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (21.27 vs 22.87 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•NVS converts more revenue to profit (22.93% vs 1.18% net margin).
•CVS grew revenue faster over the past five years (8.32% vs 1.53% CAGR).
•NVS pays the higher dividend yield (3.38% vs 3.12%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CVS	NVS
P/E ratio	22.87	21.27
Forward P/E	10.78	16.02
PEG ratio	N/A	1.38
P/S ratio	0.27	4.82
P/B ratio	1.38	6.45
EV / EBITDA	13.68	13.85
FCF yield	10.66%	5.90%

Profitability

Metric	CVS	NVS
Gross margin	14.15%	74.44%
Operating margin	2.00%	30.54%
Net margin	1.18%	22.93%
ROE	6.16%	30.71%
ROIC	4.14%	13.93%

Dividends

Metric	CVS	NVS
Dividend yield	3.12%	3.38%
Payout ratio	70.37%	71.50%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CVS	NVS
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	8.32%	1.53%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-23.89%	15.42%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	-10.28%	8.92%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	3.64%	16.96%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, CVS or NVS?: NVS has the lower trailing P/E: CVS trades at 22.87 and NVS at 21.27. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, CVS or NVS?: Over the past five years, CVS grew revenue faster — CVS at a 8.32% CAGR versus NVS at 1.53%.
Does CVS or NVS pay a bigger dividend?: CVS yields 3.12% and NVS yields 3.38% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CVS or NVS more profitable?: NVS runs the higher net margin — CVS at 1.18% versus NVS at 22.93%.
How have CVS and NVS total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, CVS delivered 2.68% and NVS delivered 11.99% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CVS analysis Full NVS analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

CVS Health P/E ratio Novartis AG P/E ratio CVS Health dividend yield Novartis AG dividend yield CVS Health ROE Novartis AG ROE CVS Health operating margin Novartis AG operating margin CVS Health revenue growth Novartis AG revenue growth CVS Health free cash flow Novartis AG free cash flow

CVS Health & Novartis AG appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Highest ROE Stocks Highest Operating Margin Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified October 2, 2026.