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GSK (GSK) Competitors

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$49.88 -0.99 (-1.95%)
As of 09/4/2026 03:58 PM Eastern

GSK vs. MRK, NVS, AZN, NVO, and PFE

Should you buy GSK stock or one of its competitors? GSK's main competitors and comparable companies include Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK), Novartis (NVS), Astrazeneca (AZN), Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO), and Pfizer (PFE). Companies are selected based on similarities in market, industry, and size. These companies are all part of the "pharmaceuticals" industry.

How does GSK compare to Merck & Co., Inc.?

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) and GSK (NYSE:GSK) are both large-cap healthcare companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, risk, earnings, dividends, media sentiment, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and profitability.

76.1% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 15.7% of GSK shares are held by institutional investors. 0.2% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 10.0% of GSK shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 25 more articles in the media than GSK. MarketBeat recorded 37 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 12 mentions for GSK. Merck & Co., Inc.'s average media sentiment score of 1.21 beat GSK's score of 0.03 indicating that Merck & Co., Inc. is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Merck & Co., Inc.
28 Very Positive mention(s)
3 Positive mention(s)
2 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
3 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive
GSK
4 Very Positive mention(s)
1 Positive mention(s)
1 Neutral mention(s)
4 Negative mention(s)
2 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral

GSK has a net margin of 14.56% compared to Merck & Co., Inc.'s net margin of 4.77%. GSK's return on equity of 43.23% beat Merck & Co., Inc.'s return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Merck & Co., Inc.4.77% 16.73% 6.13%
GSK 14.56%43.23%11.60%

Merck & Co., Inc. pays an annual dividend of $3.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.3%. GSK pays an annual dividend of $1.78 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.6%. Merck & Co., Inc. pays out 272.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. GSK pays out 55.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Merck & Co., Inc. has raised its dividend for 14 consecutive years. GSK is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus price target of $148.60, indicating a potential downside of 1.18%. GSK has a consensus price target of $53.00, indicating a potential upside of 6.26%. Given GSK's higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe GSK is more favorable than Merck & Co., Inc..

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Merck & Co., Inc.
0 Sell rating(s)
8 Hold rating(s)
15 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.65
GSK
2 Sell rating(s)
6 Hold rating(s)
1 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.10

Merck & Co., Inc. has a beta of 0.21, suggesting that its stock price is 79% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, GSK has a beta of 0.35, suggesting that its stock price is 65% less volatile than the broader market.

Merck & Co., Inc. has higher revenue and earnings than GSK. GSK is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Merck & Co., Inc., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Merck & Co., Inc.$65.01B5.71$18.25B$1.25120.30
GSK$43.07B2.34$7.54B$3.2015.59

Summary

Merck & Co., Inc. and GSK tied by winning 10 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does GSK compare to Novartis?

GSK (NYSE:GSK) and Novartis (NYSE:NVS) are both large-cap healthcare companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their media sentiment, dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation and risk.

GSK pays an annual dividend of $1.78 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.6%. Novartis pays an annual dividend of $3.08 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.9%. GSK pays out 55.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Novartis pays out 46.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years.

Novartis has higher revenue and earnings than GSK. GSK is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Novartis, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
GSK$43.07B2.34$7.54B$3.2015.59
Novartis$54.53B5.60$13.98B$6.6324.13

GSK has a beta of 0.35, meaning that its stock price is 65% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Novartis has a beta of 0.45, meaning that its stock price is 55% less volatile than the broader market.

15.7% of GSK shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 13.1% of Novartis shares are held by institutional investors. 10.0% of GSK shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.0% of Novartis shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

GSK currently has a consensus target price of $53.00, suggesting a potential upside of 6.26%. Novartis has a consensus target price of $141.20, suggesting a potential downside of 11.72%. Given GSK's higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe GSK is more favorable than Novartis.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
GSK
2 Sell rating(s)
6 Hold rating(s)
1 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.10
Novartis
2 Sell rating(s)
7 Hold rating(s)
7 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.31

In the previous week, Novartis had 30 more articles in the media than GSK. MarketBeat recorded 42 mentions for Novartis and 12 mentions for GSK. Novartis' average media sentiment score of 0.17 beat GSK's score of 0.03 indicating that Novartis is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
GSK
4 Very Positive mention(s)
1 Positive mention(s)
1 Neutral mention(s)
4 Negative mention(s)
2 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral
Novartis
13 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
13 Neutral mention(s)
14 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral

Novartis has a net margin of 23.29% compared to GSK's net margin of 14.56%. GSK's return on equity of 43.23% beat Novartis' return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
GSK14.56% 43.23% 11.60%
Novartis 23.29%38.56%14.47%

Summary

Novartis beats GSK on 13 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does GSK compare to Astrazeneca?

GSK (NYSE:GSK) and Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) are both large-cap healthcare companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, media sentiment, profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends and risk.

15.7% of GSK shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 20.4% of Astrazeneca shares are held by institutional investors. 10.0% of GSK shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

GSK currently has a consensus target price of $53.00, suggesting a potential upside of 6.26%. Astrazeneca has a consensus target price of $206.67, suggesting a potential upside of 27.09%. Given Astrazeneca's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Astrazeneca is more favorable than GSK.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
GSK
2 Sell rating(s)
6 Hold rating(s)
1 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.10
Astrazeneca
1 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
13 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.75

GSK has a beta of 0.35, meaning that its stock price is 65% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Astrazeneca has a beta of 0.25, meaning that its stock price is 75% less volatile than the broader market.

GSK pays an annual dividend of $1.78 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.6%. Astrazeneca pays an annual dividend of $4.34 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.7%. GSK pays out 55.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Astrazeneca pays out 64.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. GSK is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Astrazeneca has higher revenue and earnings than GSK. GSK is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Astrazeneca, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
GSK$43.07B2.34$7.54B$3.2015.59
Astrazeneca$61.37B4.11$10.23B$6.6924.31

In the previous week, Astrazeneca had 3 more articles in the media than GSK. MarketBeat recorded 15 mentions for Astrazeneca and 12 mentions for GSK. Astrazeneca's average media sentiment score of 0.63 beat GSK's score of 0.03 indicating that Astrazeneca is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
GSK
4 Very Positive mention(s)
1 Positive mention(s)
1 Neutral mention(s)
4 Negative mention(s)
2 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral
Astrazeneca
9 Very Positive mention(s)
1 Positive mention(s)
4 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
1 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

Astrazeneca has a net margin of 17.02% compared to GSK's net margin of 14.56%. GSK's return on equity of 43.23% beat Astrazeneca's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
GSK14.56% 43.23% 11.60%
Astrazeneca 17.02%31.45%13.20%

Summary

Astrazeneca beats GSK on 13 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does GSK compare to Novo Nordisk A/S?

Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) and GSK (NYSE:GSK) are both large-cap healthcare companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their media sentiment, profitability, risk, institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation and dividends.

11.5% of Novo Nordisk A/S shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 15.7% of GSK shares are held by institutional investors. 0.1% of Novo Nordisk A/S shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 10.0% of GSK shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

In the previous week, Novo Nordisk A/S had 11 more articles in the media than GSK. MarketBeat recorded 23 mentions for Novo Nordisk A/S and 12 mentions for GSK. Novo Nordisk A/S's average media sentiment score of 0.63 beat GSK's score of 0.03 indicating that Novo Nordisk A/S is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Novo Nordisk A/S
13 Very Positive mention(s)
2 Positive mention(s)
6 Neutral mention(s)
1 Negative mention(s)
1 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive
GSK
4 Very Positive mention(s)
1 Positive mention(s)
1 Neutral mention(s)
4 Negative mention(s)
2 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral

Novo Nordisk A/S has a beta of 0.74, indicating that its share price is 26% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, GSK has a beta of 0.35, indicating that its share price is 65% less volatile than the broader market.

Novo Nordisk A/S currently has a consensus price target of $64.94, indicating a potential upside of 39.38%. GSK has a consensus price target of $53.00, indicating a potential upside of 6.26%. Given Novo Nordisk A/S's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Novo Nordisk A/S is more favorable than GSK.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Novo Nordisk A/S
1 Sell rating(s)
14 Hold rating(s)
4 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.16
GSK
2 Sell rating(s)
6 Hold rating(s)
1 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.10

Novo Nordisk A/S has a net margin of 35.36% compared to GSK's net margin of 14.56%. Novo Nordisk A/S's return on equity of 61.20% beat GSK's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Novo Nordisk A/S35.36% 61.20% 21.49%
GSK 14.56%43.23%11.60%

Novo Nordisk A/S pays an annual dividend of $0.82 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.8%. GSK pays an annual dividend of $1.78 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.6%. Novo Nordisk A/S pays out 20.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. GSK pays out 55.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years.

Novo Nordisk A/S has higher revenue and earnings than GSK. Novo Nordisk A/S is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than GSK, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Novo Nordisk A/S$46.80B4.45$15.51B$4.0911.39
GSK$43.07B2.34$7.54B$3.2015.59

Summary

Novo Nordisk A/S beats GSK on 14 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does GSK compare to Pfizer?

GSK (NYSE:GSK) and Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) are both large-cap healthcare companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, media sentiment, risk, valuation, dividends, profitability and analyst recommendations.

GSK has a net margin of 14.56% compared to Pfizer's net margin of 6.80%. GSK's return on equity of 43.23% beat Pfizer's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
GSK14.56% 43.23% 11.60%
Pfizer 6.80%19.63%8.46%

GSK has a beta of 0.35, suggesting that its stock price is 65% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Pfizer has a beta of 0.34, suggesting that its stock price is 66% less volatile than the broader market.

GSK presently has a consensus price target of $53.00, indicating a potential upside of 6.26%. Pfizer has a consensus price target of $28.28, indicating a potential downside of 0.50%. Given GSK's higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe GSK is more favorable than Pfizer.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
GSK
2 Sell rating(s)
6 Hold rating(s)
1 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.10
Pfizer
2 Sell rating(s)
14 Hold rating(s)
4 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.19

Pfizer has higher revenue and earnings than GSK. GSK is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Pfizer, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
GSK$43.07B2.34$7.54B$3.2015.59
Pfizer$63.70B2.54$7.77B$0.7637.39

GSK pays an annual dividend of $1.78 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.6%. Pfizer pays an annual dividend of $1.72 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.1%. GSK pays out 55.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Pfizer pays out 226.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Pfizer has increased its dividend for 16 consecutive years. Pfizer is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

In the previous week, Pfizer had 84 more articles in the media than GSK. MarketBeat recorded 96 mentions for Pfizer and 12 mentions for GSK. Pfizer's average media sentiment score of 0.94 beat GSK's score of 0.03 indicating that Pfizer is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
GSK
4 Very Positive mention(s)
1 Positive mention(s)
1 Neutral mention(s)
4 Negative mention(s)
2 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral
Pfizer
47 Very Positive mention(s)
24 Positive mention(s)
18 Neutral mention(s)
2 Negative mention(s)
4 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

15.7% of GSK shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 68.4% of Pfizer shares are held by institutional investors. 10.0% of GSK shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.6% of Pfizer shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Pfizer beats GSK on 11 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.

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New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

This chart shows the number of new MarketBeat users adding GSK and its top 5 competitors to their watchlist. Each company is represented with a line over a 90 day period.
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Media Sentiment Over Time

This chart shows the average media sentiment of NYSE and its competitors over the past 90 days as caculated by MarketBeat. The averaged score is equivalent to the following: Very Negative Sentiment <= -1.5, Negative Sentiment > -1.5 and <= -0.5, Neutral Sentiment > -0.5 and < 0.5, Positive Sentiment >= 0.5 and < 1.5, and Very Positive Sentiment >= 1.5.
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GSK vs. The Competition

MetricGSKPharmaceuticals IndustryHealthcare SectorNYSE Exchange
Market Cap$100.91B$12.25B$7.25B$23.65B
Dividend Yield3.56%2.59%2.53%3.73%
P/E Ratio15.60651.72213.3525.43
Price / Sales2.34754.76625.0920.84
Price / Cash8.3190.2677.0833.54
Price / Book4.3812.4712.857.61
Net Income$7.54B$2.83B$3.49B$1.07B
7 Day Performance-1.81%4.03%1.04%-0.05%
1 Month Performance-3.23%6.29%5.52%-0.24%
1 Year Performance23.44%9.93%24.39%12.80%

GSK Competitors List

CompanyMarketRankShare PriceAnalysts' Price Target1Y Price PerformanceMarket CapRevenueP/E RatioEmployee CountIndicator(s)
GSK
GSK
3.2252 of 5 stars
$49.88
-1.9%
$53.00
+6.3%
+26.1%$100.91B$43.07B15.6066,841
MRK
Merck & Co., Inc.
4.531 of 5 stars
$149.73
+1.3%
$147.60
-1.4%
+79.1%$364.55B$66.57B119.7875,000
NVS
Novartis
2.9779 of 5 stars
$161.17
+6.0%
$141.20
-12.4%
+24.5%$290.15B$56.69B24.3175,267
AZN
Astrazeneca
4.6883 of 5 stars
$162.43
+0.2%
$206.67
+27.2%
-0.6%$251.45B$58.74B24.2896,100
NVO
Novo Nordisk A/S
4.1028 of 5 stars
$45.11
-0.5%
$64.94
+44.0%
-17.0%$202.40B$46.80B11.0369,505

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This page (NYSE:GSK) was last updated on 9/5/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.
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