Which has the lower trailing P/E, MCK or VRTX?

MCK has the lower trailing P/E: MCK trades at 22.26 and VRTX at 28.30. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, MCK or VRTX?

Over the past five years, VRTX grew revenue faster — MCK at a 11.11% CAGR versus VRTX at 13.82%.

Does MCK or VRTX pay a bigger dividend?

MCK pays a dividend (0.38% yield), while VRTX has no payments in the available dividend history.

Is MCK or VRTX more profitable?

VRTX runs the higher net margin — MCK at 1.18% versus VRTX at 35.40%.

How have MCK and VRTX total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, MCK delivered 16.86% and VRTX delivered 17.26% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

McKesson Corporation (MCK) vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX)

A side-by-side comparison of McKesson Corporation and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of August 3, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

MCK

McKesson Corporation

$100.24B

$856.19HealthcareDelayed quote: Jul 31, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

VRTX

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

$121.09B

$477.10HealthcareDelayed quote: Jul 31, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — MCK vs VRTX

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 30y

MCK +4961.3%VRTX +3535.0%MCK compounded faster

MCK VRTX

MCK vs VRTX: by the numbers

•VRTX is the larger company ($121.09B vs $100.24B market cap).
•MCK trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (22.26 vs 28.30 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•VRTX converts more revenue to profit (35.40% vs 1.18% net margin).
•VRTX grew revenue faster over the past five years (13.82% vs 11.11% CAGR).
•MCK pays a dividend (0.38% yield), while VRTX has no payments in the available dividend history.

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	MCK	VRTX
P/E ratio	22.26	28.30
Forward P/E	21.95	24.81
P/S ratio	0.26	9.98
P/B ratio	N/A	6.32
PEG ratio	0.46	3.46
EV / EBITDA	15.45	23.80
FCF yield	5.65%	3.03%

Profitability

Metric	MCK	VRTX
Gross margin	3.61%	86.28%
Operating margin	1.58%	38.97%
Net margin	1.18%	35.40%
ROE	-219.24%	22.41%
ROIC	31.48%	18.12%

Dividends

Metric	MCK	VRTX
Dividend yield	0.38%	N/A
Payout ratio	8.51%	N/A

Growth (annualized)

Metric	MCK	VRTX
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	11.11%	13.82%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	40.71%	8.17%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	8.76%	4.01%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	33.96%	18.80%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, MCK or VRTX?: MCK has the lower trailing P/E: MCK trades at 22.26 and VRTX at 28.30. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, MCK or VRTX?: Over the past five years, VRTX grew revenue faster — MCK at a 11.11% CAGR versus VRTX at 13.82%.
Does MCK or VRTX pay a bigger dividend?: MCK pays a dividend (0.38% yield), while VRTX has no payments in the available dividend history.
Is MCK or VRTX more profitable?: VRTX runs the higher net margin — MCK at 1.18% versus VRTX at 35.40%.
How have MCK and VRTX total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, MCK delivered 16.86% and VRTX delivered 17.26% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full MCK analysis Full VRTX analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

McKesson P/E ratio Vertex Pharmaceuticals P/E ratio McKesson dividend yield Vertex Pharmaceuticals dividend yield McKesson ROE Vertex Pharmaceuticals ROE McKesson operating margin Vertex Pharmaceuticals operating margin McKesson revenue growth Vertex Pharmaceuticals revenue growth McKesson free cash flow Vertex Pharmaceuticals free cash flow

McKesson & Vertex Pharmaceuticals appear in these rankings

Highest ROIC Stocks Highest Operating Margin Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks Highest 10-Year Total Return 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 August 3, 2026.