AbbVie vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc / Ma (ABBV vs VRTX)
Side by side from their SEC filings: revenue, margins, growth, returns and valuation, plus short interest, insider activity and institutional ownership.
AbbVie is the larger company by revenue ($61.2B vs $12.0B) and market value ($438.3B vs $121.9B). Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc / Ma has grown revenue faster over the last 4 fiscal years (+58.4% cumulative vs +8.8%). Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc / Ma runs the higher operating margin (34.8% vs 24.6%). Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc / Ma trades at the lower trailing P/E (28.8x vs 122.2x).
About AbbVie
AbbVie Inc. is a global biopharmaceutical company that researches, develops, manufactures, and markets advanced therapies for complex and serious diseases. Its product portfolio includes treatments in immunology, neuroscience, and oncology, such as Skyrizi and Rinvoq for autoimmune diseases, Botox Therapeutic and Vraylar for neurological conditions, and Imbruvica and Venclexta for blood cancers. AbbVie serves patients worldwide across North America, the European Union, Japan, and other markets.
About Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc / Ma
Vertex Pharmaceuticals is a global biotechnology company that develops and commercializes medicines for serious diseases, focusing on specialty markets. Its approved products treat cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia, and acute pain. The company serves patients worldwide and advances clinical programs for additional diseases including kidney disorders, neuropathic pain, and type 1 diabetes.
Head to head (ABBV FY2025 vs VRTX FY2025)
| Metric | ABBVFY2025 | VRTXFY2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $61.16B | $12.00B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 8.6% | 8.9% |
| Gross margin | 70.2% | 86.2% |
| Operating margin | 24.6% | 34.8% |
| Net margin | 6.9% | 32.9% |
| Net income | $4.23B | $3.95B |
| Diluted EPS | $2.36 | $15.32 |
| FCF margin | 29.1% | 26.6% |
| ROE | — | 21.2% |
| Debt / equity | — | — |
| Market cap | $438.31B | $121.89B |
| P/E (TTM) | 122.2× | 28.8× |
Fundamentals are from each company’s SEC filings (ABBV FY2025, VRTX FY2025). P/E and market cap are derived from recent market prices and update daily.
Five-year trend (as reported)
| Revenue | FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABBV | $56.20B | $58.05B | $54.32B | $56.33B | $61.16B |
| VRTX | $7.57B | $8.93B | $9.87B | $11.02B | $12.00B |
Peer standing
Where each company ranks among the 198 pharmaceutical companies, on the same scale. Each figure is ranked only against peers that report it. Percentiles describe position in the distribution, not a rating.
| Metric | ABBV | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 70.2%55th percentile of 68 | 86.2%90th percentile of 68 |
| Operating margin | 24.6%87th percentile of 112 | 34.8%95th percentile of 112 |
| Net margin | 6.9%62nd percentile of 121 | 32.9%88th percentile of 121 |
| FCF margin | 29.1%89th percentile of 109 | 26.6%85th percentile of 109 |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +8.6%47th percentile of 186 | +8.9%49th percentile of 186 |
| P/E (TTM) | 122.2×93rd percentile of 61 | 28.8×72nd percentile of 61 |
| Short interest (days to cover) | 1.75d15th percentile of 197 | 2.01d17th percentile of 197 |
Short interest
| FINRA settlement data | ABBV | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Shares sold short | 21.9M | 4.9M |
| Change vs prior settlement | -6.6% | +7.0% |
| Days to cover | 1.75 | 2.01 |
| As of settlement | 2026-06-30 | 2026-06-30 |
Source: FINRA Consolidated Short Interest. FINRA is the owner and source of the FINRA-supplied data; republishing or redistributing it is not permitted. Not presented as a percentage of float. No FINRA endorsement of this product is implied.
Insider activity (last 90 days)
| Form 4 open-market activity | ABBV | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Buys | — | 0 |
| Sells | — | 14 ($11.0M) |
Open-market purchases and sales reported on SEC Form 4 (grants, exercises and tax withholding excluded). For context, about 16% of covered companies saw any open-market insider buy in a 90-day window.
Held by the same investors
7 tracked 13F managers hold both AbbVie and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc / Ma as of their latest quarterly filings: AQR Capital Management, Bridgewater Associates, Citadel Advisors, D. E. Shaw, Gotham Asset Management, Millennium Management, Two Sigma Investments. See which superinvestors hold your own portfolio with the smart money checker.
Go deeper
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Data sourced from SEC EDGAR (public domain). Figures are as-reported and may be unaudited or restated; verify against the source filings before relying on them. Comparisons are descriptive (higher or lower on a reported figure), not a rating or a recommendation. Informational only. Not investment advice.