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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Drug Manufacturers - General

Gilead Sciences vs Johnson & Johnson: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with Johnson & Johnson carrying a narrow edge on growth. Gilead Sciences still leads on profitability and valuation, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is broadly comparable for both — no clear directional signal from price behavior. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels.

Updated 2026-04-05

The lead is spread across growth and stability, rather than sitting in one isolated gap.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Drug Manufacturers - General

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. GILD and JNJ share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Gilead Sciences and Johnson & Johnson each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
GILD
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
70
Peer-Score
Signal qualityHigh
vs
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
73
Peer-Score
Signal qualityHigh

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

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: GILD vs JNJ Profitability 79 69 Stability 65 86 Valuation 83 69 Growth 44 69 GILD JNJ
Gap Ranking
#1 Growth +25
#2 Stability +21
#3 Valuation +14
#4 Profitability +10
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for GILD and JNJ Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer GILDJNJ Relative valuation Structural strength

Johnson & Johnson occupies the cheaper side of the setup map, although Gilead Sciences, Inc. still holds the stronger structural profile.

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

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Growth
Both profiles are strong on growth, but Johnson & Johnson leads clearly.
Stability
On stability, the same pattern holds: both rank well, but Johnson & Johnson still sits higher.
Growth — Dominant Gap
GILD
44
JNJ
69
Gap+25in favour of JNJ

Earnings growth is one contributing factor within the growth lead.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Absolute pricing still looks more supportive for Gilead Sciences, with a forward P/E that is 4.8 turns lower there.

What this means for the comparison

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

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the GILD vs JNJ comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar growth-and-stability comparisons

Explore how GILD and JNJ 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.

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.