Novartis AG vs Yum! Brands, Inc. — how do they compare? Novartis AG trades at $153.04 (market cap $295.37B), while Yum! Brands, Inc. trades at $145.84 (market cap $39.50B). The key difference: Novartis AG is far larger — about 7.5× Yum! Brands, Inc.'s market cap, and Novartis AG pays the higher dividend (3.07%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NVS | YUM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $295.37B | $39.50B |
Sector | Health | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $168.62 | $168.16 |
52-Week Low | $119.31 | $138.21 |
Enterprise Value | $336.69B | $51.10B |
Dividend Yield | 3.07% | 2.07% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Novartis AG (NVS) trades at $156.79, up 0.29% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and recent Q2 2026 earnings beating estimates. Strong profitability is evident with a 74.74% gross margin and 22.5% net margin, while revenue grew to $56.67B in 2025. The stock faces resistance near $157, with support at $156.
The outlook is positive due to robust drug pipeline progress and reaffirmed 2026 guidance, though risks include generic competition for Entresto and pricing pressures. Analyst sentiment is mixed with 24% buy ratings, but institutional buying activity supports confidence in long-term growth.
YUM trades at $145.33, down 3.6% amid bearish technical signals and recent parasite outbreak concerns affecting Taco Bell sales. The company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings of $1.62 per share, beating estimates, with revenue growth continuing from $8.21B in 2025 to projected $8.7B in 2026. Valuation metrics show a P/E of 18.23 and P/S of 4.63, while debt reduction improved with debt-to-asset ratio declining to 143.49 in 2025.
The outlook remains mixed with analyst consensus price target of $174.60 suggesting 20% upside, but legal investigations and food safety issues pose near-term risks. Long-term growth drivers include digital expansion and portfolio optimization following Pizza Hut China sale, though execution on Taco Bell recovery is critical for sentiment improvement.
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 →