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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Drug Manufacturers - General

AstraZeneca vs Novartis: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Structurally, AstraZeneca and Novartis are closely matched — neither holds a meaningful edge overall. Novartis still leads on profitability and stability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. In the market, Novartis carries the stronger setup — intact trend against AstraZeneca's broken trend.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Peer scores are normalised within each company's primary universe (AZN: Nasdaq 100, NOVN.SW: STOXX 600).

Updated 2026-07-05

On growth, the clearer edge sits with AstraZeneca PLC, while the broader score remains level.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Drug Manufacturers - General

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. AZN and NOVN.SW share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how AstraZeneca and Novartis each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
AZN
AstraZeneca PLC
56
Peer-Score
Signal qualityHigh
Peer basis: Nasdaq 100
vs
NOVN.SW
Novartis AG
56
Peer-Score
Signal qualityHigh
Peer basis: STOXX 600

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The clearest separation appears in growth.

Dimension spread: AZN vs NOVN.SW Profitability 38 67 Stability 56 79 Valuation 67 55 Growth 67 17 AZN NOVN.SW
Gap Ranking
#1 Growth +50
#2 Profitability +29
#3 Stability +23
#4 Valuation +12
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for AZN and NOVN.SW Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer AZNNOVN.SW Relative valuation Structural strength

The structural gap is limited here, but current pricing still leans against Novartis AG.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where AZN and NOVN.SW each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY AZN Elevated · below norm 0th 50th 100th 9 pct gap NOVN.SW Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 90th 99th
AZN (90th percentile) and NOVN.SW (99th percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Growth
AstraZeneca PLC ranks near the top of the group on growth; Novartis AG sits in the weaker half.
Profitability
The same broad pattern appears on profitability: Novartis AG ranks near the top of the group, while AstraZeneca PLC stays in the weaker half.
Growth — Dominant Gap
AZN
67
NOVN.SW
17
Gap+50in favour of AZN

One company is still expanding while the other is contracting, which creates a very wide growth split.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Capital efficiency also runs the other way, with a 5.4-point ROIC edge acting as a real counterforce.

What this means for the comparison

Growth is the clearest driver of the lead, with profitability adding further support — though profitability still provides a real counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the AZN vs NOVN.SW comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how AZN and NOVN.SW each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.