Novartis AG

Fr 133.08As of Sun 8 Nov 2026, 12:00 UTC
SWX:NOVNHealthcare
Country Switzerland
PE (Fwd Adj) 16.33
TSR 10Y CAGR 12.46%
Div yield 2.86%
ROE 24.60%
Drug Manufacturers (General)
Beta (5Y) 0.45
PE TTM 31.00
TSR TTM 38.14%
Mkt cap Fr 251.3B
ROIC 20.12%
Value
Quality
Moat
Consensus
Reference
Fr 128
(3.55%)
6.34%
Hold 4|4|11|1|3
4Q25
1Q26
2Q26
3Q26
Earnings per share$
1.25
1.65
1.71
0.63
(11.57%)
(9.34%)
(16.99%)
(68.81%)
Revenue$B
13.86
13.52
14.95
15.03
2.23%
(0.70%)
0.78%
4.67%
TTM
FYE 31 Dec USD
FY2016
FY2017
FY2018
FY2019
FY2020
FY2021
FY2022
FY2023
FY2024
FY2025
FY2026E
Trend
5Y
10Y
Peers
57.36
Revenue$B
49.39
43.40
46.10
48.68
49.90
43.97
43.46
46.66
51.72
56.67
57.38
2.58%
1.54%
77
1.76
Revenue growth%
—
(12.11)
6.21
5.59
2.51
(11.87)
(1.17)
7.36
10.85
9.57
1.25
7.36
5.59
20
75.19
Gross margin%
64.89
69.09
68.52
70.37
69.70
74.10
73.35
73.27
75.22
75.97
81.31
74.10
71.82
72
31.91
Operating margin%
18.40
20.61
19.36
18.67
20.35
24.93
21.20
21.93
31.55
33.53
34.38
24.93
20.90
70
17.49
Net margin%
13.59
17.75
27.36
24.10
16.18
54.63
16.00
31.83
23.09
24.67
23.67
24.67
23.59
59
31.00
P/E ratio (avg)x
27.07
24.69
15.35
17.77
24.75
8.265
27.00
13.60
18.00
16.61
18.11adj
16.61
17.89
46
18.87
EV/EBITx
21.79
23.41
23.53
24.93
22.31
18.39
21.39
20.95
14.28
13.50
17.81
18.39
21.59
50
5.04
FCF yield (avg)%
5.29
5.94
6.72
5.87
6.19
7.05
7.09
6.63
7.56
7.58
4.34
7.09
6.68
60
27.29
FCF margin%
19.47
26.03
28.24
25.16
24.80
31.85
30.65
28.71
31.42
31.05
23.96
31.05
28.48
93
1.561
FCF / Net incomex
1.432
1.466
1.032
1.044
1.533
0.583
1.915
0.902
1.361
1.258
1.012
1.258
1.310
67
20.12
ROIC%
8.54
7.99
8.61
8.62
10.58
13.29
11.14
15.05
23.55
24.48
22.71
15.05
10.86
53
24.60
Return on equity%
8.97
10.34
16.51
17.50
14.41
38.66
10.95
28.02
26.33
31.01
36.86
28.02
17.00
68
8.56
Return on assets%
5.16
5.79
8.66
9.91
6.32
18.23
5.92
14.86
11.68
12.60
11.67
12.60
9.29
66
5.27
EPS$
2.80
3.25
5.38
5.06
3.52
10.63
3.17
7.10
5.87
7.15
9.01adj
15.26%
11.00%
—
(29.03)
EPS growth%
—
16.17
65.60
(5.97)
(30.51)
202.32
(70.22)
124.23
(17.34)
21.90
0.33adj
21.90
16.17
21
19.54
Bookvalue per sh$
31.18
31.28
33.54
23.92
24.65
29.94
27.01
22.31
21.64
23.60
18.81
(0.87%)
(3.05%)
—
8.22
FCF per share$
4.01
4.76
5.55
5.28
5.39
6.20
6.06
6.40
7.99
9.00
7.09
10.80%
9.41%
—
4.67
Dividend per sh$
2.72
2.94
2.84
3.12
3.39
3.40
3.46
3.92
3.86
4.67
4.37
6.59%
6.18%
—
2.86
Div yield (avg)%
3.59
3.66
3.44
3.47
3.90
3.87
4.05
4.06
3.66
3.93
2.68
3.93
3.77
71
—
Payout ratio%
97.14
90.29
52.78
61.67
96.33
31.98
109.09
55.17
65.80
65.26
62.37
65.26
65.53
81
1.889
Shares (diluted)B
2.400
2.371
2.344
2.319
2.296
2.260
2.197
2.092
2.035
1.955
1.940
(3.16%)
(2.25%)
96
1.80
Buyback yield%
—
1.21
1.14
1.07
0.99
1.57
2.79
4.78
2.72
3.93
0.79
2.79
1.57
96
1.286
D/E ratiox
0.318
0.384
0.409
0.528
0.671
0.458
0.471
0.566
0.712
0.762
1.312
0.566
0.499
24
345.4
Enterprise value$B
198.0
209.3
210.0
226.5
226.5
201.6
197.1
214.4
233.1
256.6
351.5
2.52%
2.92%
83
38.38
LT debt$B
17.90
23.22
22.47
22.06
27.98
24.52
21.78
20.03
22.93
29.59
38.38
1.13%
5.75%
83
Peers (US$308.2B)
Cap (US$)
PE
382.6B
26.09x
54.84B
64.97x
44.46B
70.61x
290.7B
26.20x
Capital
TTM
5Y
10Y
Leveragex
1.724
0.681
1.073
EBIT/Intx
11.61
13.93
11.95
Own earn%
25.31
29.11
26.82
Sh yield%
4.66
6.84
5.44
Owners
Insiders/Inst%
0.11
43.99
Short interest%
—
SBC / revenue%
1.98
Record
10Y
Profitable years
10/10
Revenue growth years
6/9
EPS growth years
5/9
Dividend streakyrs
28
Op margin range%
18–34
$1 testx
2.2
Incr. ROIC%
—
Revenue by segment
Revenue
Trend
9Y CAGR
Rel growth
Oncology
29.70%
-
-
Established Brands
21.98%
-
-
Immunology
18.16%
24.70%
6.35×
Revenue by region
Top 3 90%
Trend
United States
41.17%
Europe
29.52%
Asia/Africa/Australasia
19.05%
Reinvestment returns
10Y median
Trend
Reinvestment rate
2.28%
Return on capital
10.86%
Spread over hurdle
3.11%
Reference Value (DCF, expected value) Fr 142 6.34%
Price Fr 133.08 · central 50% range Fr 117.14 – Fr 176.54 · Model in USD; per-share values in CHF

What the business is worth from its cash flows, growth and risk: the probability-weighted average (expected value) of 2,000 simulated outcomes, with the discount rate at its estimate. The median and the base case, the model run with every input at its estimate, sit beside it.

MeasureValue
Expected value (headline)Fr 142
Median of the simulated valuesFr 142.11
Base case (deterministic run)Fr 141.29

DCF: Discounted free cash flow to the firm — base case Fr 141.29 (range width narrow)

AssumptionValueSource
Risk-free rate4.77%4.99% latest 10Y govt bond (OECD 10Y USA, 2021-10..2026-09) - 0.22% sovereign default spread
Equity risk premium4.12%mature 3.25% (Damodaran implied ERP, Oct 2026, less the US large caps' country risk 0.67%) + country risk 0.87% weighted by FY2025 revenue (United States 41%, Western Europe 30%, Asia + Africa + Australia & New Zealand 19%, Canada + Latin America & Caribbean 6%, other; Damodaran country risk, Jul 2026)
Industry (own tables)Drug Manufacturers - General, Switzerlandown operating tables, Drug Manufacturers - General: Switzerland n=1 > Western Europe n=12 > global n=61 [ours: operating_margin_sd, unlevered_beta; the rest Damodaran industry averages, Jan 2026, Drugs (Pharmaceutical), Europe]
Unlevered beta (industry)0.74corrected for cash: own operating tables, Drug Manufacturers - General: Switzerland n=1 > Western Europe n=12 > global n=61 [ours: operating_margin_sd, unlevered_beta; the rest Damodaran industry averages, Jan 2026, Drugs (Pharmaceutical), Europe]
own_beta86.29%its own beta against its home market (2/3 two-year + 1/3 five-year regression, or the one that exists), standard error 0.12
Beta0.85unlevered 0.74 x (1 + (1 - 15% tax (median effective rate, 5y, clamped 0-35%, at most the marginal rate)) x 0.16 market D/E); own-beta mix: 47% of the way from 0.84 to its own 0.86
Cost of equity8.27%Rf + beta x ERP (CAPM)
Tax rate (effective)14.57%median effective rate, 5y, clamped 0-35%; years 1-5, then to the year-10 rate (tax_end) by year 10
Tax rate (marginal)19.61%country marginal rate (Damodaran)
Tax rate (year 10 and terminal)15.83%the marginal rate 19.6% less 75% of its gap to the effective rate 14.6%: a rate under it lasts
Interest coverage12.70mean EBIT of years 1-3, the model's margin path (no operating income consensus used) / interest expense: rating Aaa/AAA
Cost of debt5.17%Rf + 0.40% Aaa/AAA spread (Damodaran synthetic ratings, January 2026, large non-financial table)
Debt weight13.49%debt / (debt + market cap)
WACC (years 1-5)7.75%E/V x Re + D/V x Rd x (1 - 15% tax (median effective rate, 5y, clamped 0-35%, at most the marginal rate)); years 1-5
Cost of equity (mature)8.89%Rf + ERP (beta 1: a mature company)
Debt weight (mature)20.79%the market's debt / capital (our screener: debt / market value of 25,085 operating companies, all markets)
Cost of debt (mature)5.88%Rf + 1.11% Baa2/BBB spread (the market's rating: Damodaran Total Market (without financials), Global D/E and US cost of debt, Jan 2026)
WACC (mature, after year 10)8.07%mature Re, debt weight and Rd, year-10 tax; reached in year 10
Terminal growth4.77%= risk-free rate (long-run nominal growth)
Operating income (consensus)—not used: analysts' adjusted EPS is 29% above their reported EPS in year 1, so their operating income leaves out costs the reported history includes (amortisation, stock comp, restructuring); nor is the reinvestment their free cash flow implies, read off it
Revenue growth (year 1)1.25%consensus revenue, year 1
Revenue growth (fade start)6.04%consensus revenue growth in year 3, fading to terminal growth by year 10
Operating margin (last fiscal year)33.53%last fiscal year operating margin
Operating margin (target)31.35%last fiscal year operating margin x analysts' margin change over years 1-3 (+3.0%, on their adjusted basis) 34.6%, capped at 1.5 x the median own operating margin over 10y (20.9%); reached in year 5, a straight line from today's
Sales to capital (to year 5)3.0893% own marginal: Δ revenue / Δ operating capital (less goodwill), FY2021-FY2025 (3.33), 7% industry sales / invested capital (1.12), blended in logs: own operating tables, Drug Manufacturers - General: Switzerland n=1 > Western Europe n=12 > global n=61 [ours: operating_margin_sd, unlevered_beta; the rest Damodaran industry averages, Jan 2026, Drugs (Pharmaceutical), Europe]; years 1-5
Share of year 1 still to come14.58%valued 2026-11-08, 85% of year 1 (the fiscal year after 2025-12-31) past: year t discounted over t - 1 + 0.15 years; 25% of year 1's cash flow counted, the rest is in the 2026-09-30 balance sheet's cash and debt
Return on new capital (terminal)13.67%stable WACC + 80% of the own median after-tax ROIC's excess over it (5y, 24.1%), the excess at most 7%
Sales to capital (year 10)0.52RONIC 13.7% / (target margin 31.4% x (1 - 15.8% year-10 tax)): new capital earns the terminal return; a straight line from the years 1-5 ratio 3.08 over years 6-10
Probability of failure0.67%10-year cumulative default rate, Aaa/AAA (S&P Global Ratings, 2024 Annual Global Corporate Default And Rating Transition Study (Mar 2025), 10-year cumulative default rate, 1981-2024)
Proceeds if it fails$22.45B50% of book operating capital (equity + debt - cash - goodwill), last year
Net debt$39.44Btotal debt - cash
Minority interests$1.650Bbook value x peers' P/B 4.91 (Damodaran: at market; median of 24 peers (Healthcare sector, Switzerland), SA screener, 2026-11-10), subtracted: outside owners' share of subsidiaries
Long-term investments$497.0Mlong-term investments at book value, added: their income is not in FCFF
Return on capital (year 10)35.95%year-10 EBIT(1-t) / (last operating capital, less goodwill, + 10 years' reinvestment); terminal RONIC 13.7%
Industry operating margin, bottom quartile7.91%Q1 of operating margin across 255 companies in the industry (our screener)
Industry operating margin, top quartile24.99%Q3 of operating margin, same 255 companies; a warning needs a value beyond the fences -18% to 51% (1.5 x IQR)
Industry ROIC, bottom quartile3.33%Q1 of ROIC (5-year average, else latest) across 263 companies in the industry (our screener)
Industry ROIC, top quartile18.60%Q3 of ROIC (5-year average, else latest), same 263 companies; a warning needs a value beyond the fences -20% to 41% (1.5 x IQR)
Spread: consensus revenue (simulation)3.24%one lognormal shock on the 3 consensus years; year-3 spread: analyst high/low range / d2(analysts) x sqrt(1 + 1/analysts) (uncalibrated: not yet checked against realised forecast errors)
Spread: revenue growth (simulation)2.00%revenue growth after consensus: floor 2% (standard deviation of own year-on-year revenue growth, 5-year rolling averages (9y): 1.8%); floored at -10%, above 25% compressed smoothly to at most 35%
Spread: target margin (simulation)2.63%target operating margin: standard deviation of own operating margin, 5-year rolling averages (10y)
Spread: discount rate (simulation)1.00%discount rate: one shift of the whole schedule (today's and the mature rate together), standard deviation of the estimate's own error (beta, equity risk premium); terminal growth stays MIN_SPREAD below it
Spread: own ROIC behind the terminal (simulation)1.00%own after-tax ROIC behind the terminal RONIC (the terminal rule applied to each draw with the draw's stable WACC: nothing at or below it, the excess at most 7%): floor 1% (own after-tax ROIC, held between the stable WACC and its cap: single-year standard deviation / √5 (5y): 0.0%)
simulated_failure0.67%per draw: the synthetic rating of the draw's years 1-3 EBIT / interest sets its failure probability (10-year cumulative default rate) and, as a spread change, its cost of debt in years 1-5; mean over draws shown
YearRevenueGrowthOp. marginTaxEBIT(1-t)ReinvestmentFCFFCost of capitalDiscountPresent value
1$57.38B1.25%33.10%14.57%$16.22B$230.7M$15.99B7.75%0.99$3.996B
2$61.50B7.18%32.66%14.57%$17.16B$1.338B$15.82B7.75%0.92$14.53B
3$65.22B6.04%32.23%14.57%$17.95B$1.207B$16.75B7.75%0.85$14.27B
4$69.04B5.86%31.79%14.57%$18.75B$1.242B$17.51B7.75%0.79$13.84B
5$72.96B5.68%31.35%14.57%$19.54B$1.274B$18.27B7.75%0.73$13.41B
6$76.97B5.50%31.35%14.83%$20.56B$1.563B$18.99B7.82%0.68$12.93B
7$81.06B5.32%31.35%15.08%$21.58B$1.992B$19.59B7.88%0.63$12.36B
8$85.23B5.13%31.35%15.33%$22.63B$2.699B$19.93B7.94%0.58$11.65B
9$89.45B4.95%31.35%15.58%$23.68B$4.097B$19.58B8.01%0.54$10.59B
10$93.71B4.77%31.35%15.83%$24.73B$8.237B$16.49B8.07%0.50$8.259B

Terminal value: 68.84% of the DCF value.

Reference Range, central 50% (model-implied, not yet calibrated): Fr 117.14 to Fr 176.54. Half of 2,000 simulated values fall inside it (median Fr 142.11); 59% are above today's price. The central 80% range, the 10th to 90th percentile, is Fr 99.33 to Fr 216.35.

Calibration: none. We have not yet tested how often real outcomes land inside ranges like this, so it is not a confidence interval and not a hit rate. It shows how far our inputs could move the value.

Simulated: consensus revenue, revenue growth after consensus, target operating margin, own return on capital behind the terminal, varied within the analysts' estimate range or the company's own history. The discount rate is drawn too, one standard deviation of 1 percentage point: it prices the cash flows' risk, but our estimate of it (beta, equity risk premium) is uncertain in its own right. Terminal growth stays below it. The base case is the run at the estimated rate, so it sits below the median of the draws (a lower rate adds more value than a higher one takes). The range width (narrow, moderate or wide) and the SE Grade's reading of uncertainty use the 80% range with the rate at its estimate, so they compare companies on their own cash-flow uncertainty (the rate's error is common to all).

What the price assumes

A market-expectations diagnostic. It does not change the Reference Value.

The price needs revenue to grow 1.5x in 10 years; judgement base rates put that at or below the typical (median) outcome for very large companies with revenue growing 5-15% a year (round values from survivors, not measured).

To justify today's priceNeededBase case
Revenue growth, years 1-54.32%
Year-10 revenue vs today1.5x1.7x
Operating margin from year 529.67%31.35%

Each row changes one thing and keeps the rest of the base case. Base rates: judgement, survivor-biased, replace when point-in-time panel exists.

Indicated Value: how the market prices peers

MethodValueRangeHow
industry P/EFr 181.66Fr 102.08 – Fr 290.54TTM EPS x trailing 34.1x: median of 17 peers (Healthcare sector, Switzerland) moved to 3-year forward EPS growth 7% (their median 14%; ln multiple +2.14 per unit of growth), SA screener, 2026-11-10; FY1 EPS x forward 29.5x: median of 21 peers (Healthcare sector, Switzerland), SA screener, 2026-11-10; mean of the two
own P/E historyFr 102.12Fr 62.60 – Fr 153.57FY1 EPS (reported basis) x 10Y median P/E 17.9x
industry EV/EBITDAFr 157.49Fr 98.54 – Fr 279.33(TTM EBITDA x 17.7x: median of 20 peers (Healthcare sector, Switzerland) moved to 3-year forward revenue growth 5% (their median 8%; ln multiple +2.73 per unit of growth), SA screener, 2026-11-10) - net debt

What similar companies (and this one, historically) sell for. A different question from intrinsic value, so not weighted into it. With three or more methods, one more than 3× off their median is left out. Range: the middle 80% of each method's simulated values, with the peer multiple read across the peer group's spread, widened so it holds 80% of peers' actual multiples (own multiples: across own history), and FY1 EPS across the analysts' range. For banks and capital markets firms, industry P/B is read off their return on equity, along the line their peers' P/B follows, when that line fits well enough.

Equity risk premiums, industry betas and returns: Damodaran; bond yields: OECD (snapshot 2026-10-25). Peer betas and multiples, analyst consensus: stockanalysis.com. An estimate, not advice.

SE Grade ★☆☆

How we got the stars: the business (Quality and Moat), the price's move of at most one notch, and the rank cap.

Business
1★
—
Quality
ROIC − WACC
+18pp
FCF / net income
104%
Net debt / EBITDA
1.7x
Interest cover
11.6x
Altman Z''
2.6
Share count growth
−3.2%/yr
Moat
ROIC > 15%
3/10y
Median ROIC (10Y)
11%
Margin stability
σ 0.8%
Operating margin stability
σ 2.6%
$1 retained test
$2.21
5Y ROIC rank in peers
47%
Price position
Fair value
+9%
P/E vs 10Y median
+69%
Price band
±29%
—
Price notch
+0.2
—
Fair value and own multiple point opposite ways