Novo Nordisk vs Eli Lilly: Why NVO Converts More Revenue to Profit
Novo Nordisk outearns Eli Lilly on every margin metric: 84.7% gross margin vs 82.9%, 44.2% operating margin vs 44.4%, and 41.7% FCF margin vs ~27%. Yet LLY's 52% ROIC far exceeds NVO's—which appears as an anomalous -3.6%. This isn't a data error: NVO's negative invested capital reveals an extraordinarily asset-light business model where the standard ROIC formula breaks down. For margin-focused investors, NVO wins. For capital efficiency purists, LLY dominates.