Johnson & Johnson vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals (JNJ vs VRTX)
Side by side from their SEC filings: revenue, margins, growth, returns and valuation, plus short interest, insider activity and institutional ownership.
Johnson & Johnson is the larger company by revenue ($94.2B vs $12.0B) and market value ($610.4B vs $128.9B). Vertex Pharmaceuticals has grown revenue faster over the last 4 fiscal years (+58.4% cumulative vs +19.6%). Johnson & Johnson trades at the lower trailing P/E (28.8x vs 29.5x).
About Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is a global healthcare company that operates through two main segments: Innovative Medicine and MedTech. The Innovative Medicine segment develops and sells prescription medicines for various therapeutic areas including oncology, immunology, neuroscience, infectious diseases, and cardiovascular conditions. The MedTech segment designs and manufactures medical devices and products used in cardiovascular care, orthopaedics, surgery, and vision, serving healthcare professionals, hospitals, and eye care providers worldwide.
About Vertex Pharmaceuticals
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 (JNJ FY2025 vs VRTX FY2025)
| Metric | JNJFY2025 | VRTXFY2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $94.19B | $12.00B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 6.0% | 8.9% |
| Gross margin | 67.9% | 86.2% |
| Operating margin | — | 34.8% |
| Net margin | 28.5% | 32.9% |
| Net income | $26.80B | $3.95B |
| Diluted EPS | $11.03 | $15.32 |
| FCF margin | 20.9% | 26.6% |
| ROE | 32.9% | 21.2% |
| Long-term debt / equity | 0.48× | — |
| Market cap | $610.38B | $128.95B |
| P/E | 28.8× | 29.5× |
Fundamentals are from each company’s SEC filings (JNJ FY2025, VRTX FY2025). ROE is net income over fiscal-year-end equity; long-term debt / equity counts non-current term debt only. P/E and market cap are derived from stored market prices, last retrieved on a rolling basis and typically within the past week.
Five-year trend (as reported)
| Revenue | FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JNJ | $78.74B | $79.99B | $85.16B | $88.82B | $94.19B |
| 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 | JNJ | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 67.9%53rd percentile of 69 | 86.2%90th percentile of 69 |
| Net margin | 28.5%83rd percentile of 121 | 32.9%88th percentile of 121 |
| FCF margin | 20.9%80th percentile of 110 | 26.6%85th percentile of 110 |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +6.0%44th percentile of 188 | +8.9%49th percentile of 188 |
| ROE | 32.9%90th percentile of 167 | 21.2%86th percentile of 167 |
| P/E | 28.8×63rd percentile of 50 | 29.5×65th percentile of 50 |
| Short interest (days to cover) | 3.27d23rd percentile of 197 | 4.24d36th percentile of 197 |
Short interest
| FINRA settlement data | JNJ | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Shares sold short | 22.1M | 4.5M |
| Change vs prior settlement | +4.2% | -4.5% |
| Days to cover | 3.27 | 4.24 |
| As of settlement | 2026-09-30 | 2026-09-30 |
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 activity (codes P/S) | JNJ | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Buys | 0 | 0 |
| Sells | 10 ($67.8M) | 0 |
Non-derivative purchases (code P) and sales (code S) reported on SEC Form 4, which may be open-market or private (grants, exercises and tax withholding excluded). For context, about 15% of covered companies saw any reported insider purchase (code P) in a 90-day window.
Held by the same investors
7 tracked 13F managers hold both Johnson & Johnson and Vertex Pharmaceuticals 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. 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.