GILD vs VRTX Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Compare Gilead and Vertex by durable revenue moats, oncology and gene therapy pipeline depth, free cash flow generation, capital allocation, and which biotech compunder offers better long-term value.
Use this Gilead Sciences vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals comparison to evaluate the key differences across valuation, growth, profitability, and risk before making an investment decision.
GILD holds the edge across 4 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. GILD leads on both 1-year return (+14.23%) and forward P/E quality (13.83x vs 22.68x for VRTX), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. On fundamentals, VRTX is growing revenue faster (7.80%), while GILD maintains the higher operating margin (39.28%) — a classic growth-versus-profitability split. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for GILD (+17.89%) than for VRTX (+14.16%).
| Metric | GILD | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 41.9 | 51.0 |
| AI rank | #960 | #447 |
| Latest close | $129.31 | $477.36 |
| 1M return | +3.32% | +0.45% |
| 6M return | -4.87% | +1.91% |
| 1Y return | +14.23% | +1.08% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | GILD | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $11.13K (+11.3%) started 2025-07-25 | $10.16K (+1.6%) started 2025-07-25 |
| 5Y ago | $25.63K (+156.3%) started 2021-07-26 | $24K (+140.0%) started 2021-07-26 |
| 10Y ago | $29.37K (+193.7%) started 2016-07-25 | $49.84K (+398.4%) started 2016-07-25 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | GILD | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $166.72B | $123.26B |
| Trailing P/E | 18.27 | 28.82 |
| Forward P/E | 13.83 | 22.68 |
| Price/Sales | 4.87 | 10.42 |
| EV/Revenue | 6.02 | 9.66 |
| Analyst target | $158.30 | $554.43 |
| Target upside | +17.89% | +14.16% |
| Metric | GILD | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 4.40% | 7.80% |
| Earnings growth | 54.80% | 61.40% |
| EPS growth | +54.80% | +61.40% |
| FCF margin | +26.68% | +22.78% |
| Operating margin | 39.28% | 38.13% |
| Profit margin | 30.99% | 35.51% |
| ROIC proxy | 43.36% | 24.20% |
| Return on equity | 43.36% | 24.20% |
| Dividend yield | 2.44% | N/A |
| Beta | 0.34 | 0.29 |
| Debt/equity | 94.64 | 10.26 |
| Current ratio | 1.97 | 3.02 |
| Quick ratio | 1.54 | 2.38 |
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | GILD | VRTX |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +11.28% | +1.64% |
| CAGR | +11.32% | +1.65% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.37 | 0.10 | |
| Max drawdown | 22.03% | 22.39% | |
| Max daily drop | 3.72% | 20.60% | |
| Max wkly drop | 5.98% | 20.71% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +118.46% | +139.96% |
| CAGR | +16.93% | +19.15% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.58 | 0.60 | |
| Max drawdown | 26.59% | 29.07% | |
| Max daily drop | 10.15% | 20.60% | |
| Max wkly drop | 9.78% | 20.71% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +101.37% | +398.44% |
| CAGR | +7.25% | +17.43% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.23 | 0.52 | |
| Max drawdown | 30.47% | 41.60% | |
| Max daily drop | 10.15% | 20.70% | |
| Max wkly drop | 12.29% | 22.29% |
| Category | GILD | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Company | GILD | VRTX |
| Sector | Healthcare | Healthcare |
| Industry | Drug Manufacturers - General | Biotechnology |
| Core business | N/A | N/A |
| Investor focus | N/A | N/A |
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