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GSK (GSK) Competitors

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$49.06 +1.19 (+2.48%)
Closing price 10/15/2026 03:59 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$49.33 +0.27 (+0.56%)
As of 07:08 AM Eastern
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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.?

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

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
GSK$43.07B2.30$7.54B$3.2015.33
Merck & Co., Inc.$65.01B5.53$18.25B$1.25116.53

GSK pays an annual dividend of $1.77 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.6%. Merck & Co., Inc. pays an annual dividend of $3.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.3%. GSK pays out 55.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. 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. 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.

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 44 more articles in the media than GSK. MarketBeat recorded 67 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 23 mentions for GSK. Merck & Co., Inc.'s average media sentiment score of 0.83 beat GSK's score of 0.12 indicating that Merck & Co., Inc. is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
GSK
2 Very Positive mention(s)
4 Positive mention(s)
9 Neutral mention(s)
6 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral
Merck & Co., Inc.
39 Very Positive mention(s)
6 Positive mention(s)
11 Neutral mention(s)
5 Negative mention(s)
2 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

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
GSK14.56% 43.23% 11.60%
Merck & Co., Inc. 4.77%16.73%6.13%

GSK currently has a consensus target price of $55.33, suggesting a potential upside of 12.79%. Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus target price of $151.92, suggesting a potential upside of 4.30%. Given GSK's higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe GSK is more favorable than Merck & Co., Inc..

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
GSK
3 Sell rating(s)
12 Hold rating(s)
4 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.05
Merck & Co., Inc.
0 Sell rating(s)
10 Hold rating(s)
17 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.63

15.7% of GSK shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 76.1% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are owned by institutional investors. 10.0% of GSK shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are owned 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.

GSK has a beta of 0.33, indicating that its stock price is 67% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Merck & Co., Inc. has a beta of 0.21, indicating that its stock price is 79% less volatile than the broader market.

Summary

Merck & Co., Inc. beats GSK on 10 of the 19 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 stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation, risk and media sentiment.

GSK currently has a consensus price target of $55.33, suggesting a potential upside of 12.79%. Novartis has a consensus price target of $145.60, suggesting a potential downside of 3.15%. Given GSK's higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe GSK is more favorable than Novartis.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
GSK
3 Sell rating(s)
12 Hold rating(s)
4 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.05
Novartis
2 Sell rating(s)
12 Hold rating(s)
6 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.20

In the previous week, GSK had 14 more articles in the media than Novartis. MarketBeat recorded 23 mentions for GSK and 9 mentions for Novartis. Novartis' average media sentiment score of 0.80 beat GSK's score of 0.12 indicating that Novartis is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
GSK
2 Very Positive mention(s)
4 Positive mention(s)
9 Neutral mention(s)
6 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral
Novartis
5 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
2 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

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$43.07B2.30$7.54B$3.2015.33
Novartis$54.53B5.26$13.98B$6.6322.68

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%

GSK has a beta of 0.33, suggesting that its stock price is 67% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Novartis has a beta of 0.41, suggesting that its stock price is 59% less volatile than the broader market.

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

GSK pays an annual dividend of $1.77 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 2.0%. GSK pays out 55.3% 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.

Summary

Novartis beats GSK on 12 of the 18 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 institutional ownership, profitability, analyst recommendations, media sentiment, earnings, risk, valuation and dividends.

GSK presently has a consensus target price of $55.33, suggesting a potential upside of 12.79%. Astrazeneca has a consensus target price of $206.67, suggesting a potential upside of 24.01%. 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
3 Sell rating(s)
12 Hold rating(s)
4 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.05
Astrazeneca
0 Sell rating(s)
4 Hold rating(s)
15 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.79

In the previous week, Astrazeneca had 13 more articles in the media than GSK. MarketBeat recorded 36 mentions for Astrazeneca and 23 mentions for GSK. Astrazeneca's average media sentiment score of 0.63 beat GSK's score of 0.12 indicating that Astrazeneca is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

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

GSK has a beta of 0.33, suggesting that its stock price is 67% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Astrazeneca has a beta of 0.27, suggesting that its stock price is 73% less volatile than the broader market.

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 large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

GSK pays an annual dividend of $1.77 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 2.6%. GSK pays out 55.3% 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 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%

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$43.07B2.30$7.54B$3.2015.33
Astrazeneca$58.74B4.40$10.23B$6.6924.91

Summary

Astrazeneca beats GSK on 13 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does GSK compare to Novo Nordisk A/S?

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

15.7% of GSK shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 11.5% of Novo Nordisk A/S shares are owned by institutional investors. 10.0% of GSK shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.1% of Novo Nordisk A/S shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

GSK has a beta of 0.33, indicating that its stock price is 67% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Novo Nordisk A/S has a beta of 0.76, indicating that its stock price is 24% less volatile than the broader market.

In the previous week, GSK had 7 more articles in the media than Novo Nordisk A/S. MarketBeat recorded 23 mentions for GSK and 16 mentions for Novo Nordisk A/S. Novo Nordisk A/S's average media sentiment score of 0.49 beat GSK's score of 0.12 indicating that Novo Nordisk A/S is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
GSK
2 Very Positive mention(s)
4 Positive mention(s)
9 Neutral mention(s)
6 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral
Novo Nordisk A/S
8 Very Positive mention(s)
3 Positive mention(s)
3 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral

GSK pays an annual dividend of $1.77 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.6%. Novo Nordisk A/S pays an annual dividend of $0.82 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.1%. GSK pays out 55.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Novo Nordisk A/S pays out 20.0% 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 presently has a consensus target price of $55.33, indicating a potential upside of 12.79%. Novo Nordisk A/S has a consensus target price of $59.44, indicating a potential upside of 51.54%. Given Novo Nordisk A/S's higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Novo Nordisk A/S is more favorable than GSK.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
GSK
3 Sell rating(s)
12 Hold rating(s)
4 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.05
Novo Nordisk A/S
5 Sell rating(s)
16 Hold rating(s)
5 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.00

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
GSK$43.07B2.30$7.54B$3.2015.33
Novo Nordisk A/S$46.80B3.74$15.51B$4.099.59

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 58.61% beat GSK's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
GSK14.56% 43.23% 11.60%
Novo Nordisk A/S 35.36%58.61%20.91%

Summary

Novo Nordisk A/S beats GSK on 12 of the 18 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 better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, institutional ownership, dividends, profitability, earnings, valuation and media sentiment.

GSK pays an annual dividend of $1.77 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 5.8%. GSK pays out 55.3% 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.

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%

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$43.07B2.30$7.54B$3.2015.33
Pfizer$62.58B2.68$7.77B$0.7638.77

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

GSK has a beta of 0.33, suggesting that its stock price is 67% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Pfizer has a beta of 0.32, suggesting that its stock price is 68% less volatile than the broader market.

GSK currently has a consensus price target of $55.33, suggesting a potential upside of 12.79%. Pfizer has a consensus price target of $28.72, suggesting a potential downside of 2.52%. Given GSK's higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe GSK is more favorable than Pfizer.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
GSK
3 Sell rating(s)
12 Hold rating(s)
4 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.05
Pfizer
2 Sell rating(s)
14 Hold rating(s)
5 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.14

In the previous week, Pfizer had 52 more articles in the media than GSK. MarketBeat recorded 75 mentions for Pfizer and 23 mentions for GSK. Pfizer's average media sentiment score of 0.51 beat GSK's score of 0.12 indicating that Pfizer is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
GSK
2 Very Positive mention(s)
4 Positive mention(s)
9 Neutral mention(s)
6 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral
Pfizer
30 Very Positive mention(s)
8 Positive mention(s)
25 Neutral mention(s)
7 Negative mention(s)
2 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

Summary

Pfizer beats GSK on 10 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$96.83B$12.46B$7.31B$22.98B
Dividend Yield3.70%2.62%2.51%3.72%
P/E Ratio15.34653.19213.3923.47
Price / Sales2.30754.02580.9513.64
Price / Cash7.9783.4376.1935.33
Price / Book4.759.3310.424.72
Net Income$7.54B$2.84B$3.50B$1.07B
7 Day Performance5.51%-3.78%-3.33%-0.26%
1 Month Performance-2.43%-6.96%-6.59%-2.04%
1 Year Performance12.03%-4.59%2.69%7.05%

GSK Competitors List

CompanyMarketRankShare PriceAnalysts' Price Target1Y Price PerformanceMarket CapRevenueP/E RatioEmployee CountIndicator(s)
GSK
GSK
3.5052 of 5 stars
$49.06
+2.5%
$55.33
+12.8%
+12.0%$96.83B$43.07B15.3466,841
MRK
Merck & Co., Inc.
4.6105 of 5 stars
$141.97
-2.4%
$151.92
+7.0%
+73.2%$358.85B$65.01B113.5875,000
NVS
Novartis
2.9003 of 5 stars
$142.43
-1.0%
$145.60
+2.2%
+15.7%$274.47B$54.53B21.4875,267
AZN
Astrazeneca
4.799 of 5 stars
$155.93
-1.5%
$206.67
+32.5%
-1.8%$245.56B$58.74B16.3196,100
NVO
Novo Nordisk A/S
4.0795 of 5 stars
$38.04
-1.4%
$59.44
+56.3%
-30.8%$172.26B$46.80B9.3069,505

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This page (NYSE:GSK) was last updated on 10/16/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.
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