Novartis AG vs Yum! Brands, Inc. — how do they compare? Novartis AG trades at $153.88 (market cap $290.25B), while Yum! Brands, Inc. trades at $146.38 (market cap $40.62B). The key difference: Novartis AG is far larger — about 7.1× Yum! Brands, Inc.'s market cap, and Novartis AG pays the higher dividend (3.17%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NVS | YUM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $290.25B | $40.62B |
Sector | Health | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $168.62 | $168.16 |
52-Week Low | $113.50 | $138.21 |
Enterprise Value | $330.27B | $51.88B |
Dividend Yield | 3.17% | 2.04% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Novartis (NVS) trades at $153.87, showing minimal daily movement with a slight 0.07% gain. The stock exhibits bearish technical signals from moving averages despite a neutral oscillator reading. Fundamentally, the company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings that beat expectations, with revenue of $56.67 billion in 2025 and robust profitability margins, including a net income margin of 23.92%. Recent news highlights successful drug launches offsetting generic competition pressures.
The outlook remains cautiously optimistic as new medicines drive growth, but risks include patent expirations and pipeline trial results. Analyst sentiment is mixed with 68% hold ratings, reflecting balanced views on execution versus competitive threats. Investment appeal hinges on sustained drug innovation and margin stability amid industry headwinds.
YUM trades at $147.10, down 0.55% amid a cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to Taco Bell lettuce. Technicals are bearish with key support at $145, while fundamentals show steady revenue growth to $8.21B in 2025 and a net margin of 20.48%. The company maintains strong cash flow from operations of $2.01B but carries high long-term debt of $11.25B.
Despite near-term headwinds from food safety concerns, YUM's diversified brand portfolio and consistent profitability support a positive long-term outlook. Analyst consensus price target of $177 suggests 20% upside, but investors should monitor outbreak resolution and Q2 2026 earnings due soon.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Novartis develops and manufactures healthcare products through two segments: Innovative Medicines and Sandoz. It generates the vast majority of its revenue from Innovative Medicines segment consisting global business franchises in oncology, ophthalmology, neuroscience, immunology, respiratory, cardio-metabolic, and established medicines. The company sells its products globally, with the United States representing close to one third of total revenue.
Read more on NVS →Yum Brands is a U.S.-based restaurant operator featuring a portfolio of four brands: KFC (26,930 global units), Pizza Hut (18,380 units), Taco Bell (7,790 units), and The Habit Burger (310 units) at year-end 2021. With $58 billion in 2021 systemwide sales, the firm is the second-largest restaurant company in the world, behind McDonald's ($112.5 billion) but ahead of Restaurant Brands International ($36 billion) and Starbucks ($25 billion). Yum is 98% franchised, with the largest franchisee, Yum China, created via a 2016 spinoff transaction (after which Yum China agreed to pay 3% royalties to Yum Brands in perpetuity). Yum is the newest evolution of Tricon Brands, formerly a division of PepsiCo, and generates the bulk of its revenue from franchise royalties and marketing contributions.
Read more on YUM →