What are the largest healthcare companies?

The largest healthcare companies by market cap in May 2026 were Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, and AbbVie.

How to invest in healthcare stocks?

To invest in healthcare stocks:Log in to your brokerage account.Look up the healthcare company you want to invest in.Fill out and submit an order.

Is healthcare a good investment?

Healthcare companies can be good investments. There's always demand for healthcare, and many of these companies pay high dividends.

Largest Healthcare Companies by Market Cap in May 2026

Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, and AbbVie command the healthcare sector.

By Lyle Daly – Updated May 8, 2026 at 2:52 PM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

Eli Lilly leads as the most valuable healthcare company, ahead of Johnson & Johnson and AbbVie.
Pharmaceutical firms constitute half of the top healthcare companies by market cap.
Investing in these companies could offer dividends and resilience against market downturns.

Eli Lilly (LLY +2.37%) is the most valuable healthcare company, with Johnson & Johnson (JNJ +1.28%) and AbbVie (ABBV +2.41%) rounding out the top three. Pharmaceutical companies dominate this market sector, comprising half of the largest healthcare companies by market cap. Let's take a look at the companies that could be a financial cure-all for investors and their portfolios.

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A pharmacist standing in front of medications and using a computer. — Image source: Getty Images.

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Ticker Information Table
Name and ticker	Market cap	Current price	Industry
Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY)	$910.7 billion	$989.91	Pharmaceuticals
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)	$533.0 billion	$224.53	Pharmaceuticals
AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV)	$358.7 billion	$207.86	Biotechnology
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH)	$349.1 billion	$396.39	Healthcare Providers and Services
AstraZeneca Plc (NASDAQ:AZN)	N/A	N/A	Pharmaceuticals
Merck (NYSE:MRK)	$274.8 billion	$112.37	Pharmaceuticals
Novartis (NYSE:NVS)	$265.9 billion	$148.32	Pharmaceuticals
Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN)	$177.9 billion	$336.29	Biotechnology
Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO)	$168.2 billion	$458.74	Life Sciences Tools and Services
Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD)	$165.8 billion	$135.07	Biotechnology

Data as of May 12, 2026. Showing 10 of 10 tickers.

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NYSE: LLY

Eli Lilly

Today's Change

(2.37%) $22.92

Current Price

$989.91

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$911B

Day's Range

$971.51 - $997.52

52wk Range

$623.78 - $1133.95

Volume

123K

Avg Vol

3.1M

Gross Margin

82.83%

Dividend Yield

0.64%

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Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly is the world's most valuable drug company. A chemist and veteran of the Union Army founded the company in 1876, and it later became the first to mass-produce insulin and the polio vaccine.

Some of its top products are diabetes medications, weight loss drugs, obesity treatments, and antidepressants such as Prozac. In April 2026, the FDA approved Foundayo, Eli Lilly's GLP-1 weight loss pill.

2. Johnson & Johnson

Market cap: $546.90 billion (as of May 1)
Revenue (TTM): $96.4 billion
Gross profit (TTM): $65.4 billion
Five-year annualized return: 6.90%
Year founded: 1886

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NYSE: JNJ

Johnson & Johnson

Today's Change

(1.40%) $3.10

Current Price

$224.53

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$533B

Day's Range

$221.70 - $227.64

52wk Range

$146.12 - $251.71

Volume

187K

Avg Vol

8.1M

Gross Margin

67.96%

Dividend Yield

2.35%

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Johnson & Johnson is one of the leading pharmaceutical and medical device companies. Its two primary business segments are Innovative Medicine, which develops and markets prescription drugs, and MedTech, which manufactures medical devices, including Acuvue contact lenses.

Johnson & Johnson also used to have a robust consumer healthcare division that produced Tylenol and many other household names. It spun off that division into a new business in 2023.

3. AbbVie

Market cap: $365.43 billion (as of May 1)
Revenue (TTM): $62.8 billion
Gross profit (TTM): $44.4 billion
Five-year annualized return: 13.13%
Year founded: 2012

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NYSE: ABBV

AbbVie

Today's Change

(2.50%) $5.08

Current Price

$207.86

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$359B

Day's Range

$203.51 - $211.32

52wk Range

$176.57 - $244.81

Volume

6.7M

Avg Vol

6.9M

Gross Margin

70.58%

Dividend Yield

3.32%

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AbbVie is a biotechnology company that develops treatments for serious diseases. It has produced therapies for illnesses, including autoimmune diseases, plaque psoriasis, blood cancers, and advanced Parkinson's disease. It also acquired Capstan Therapeutics, a cell and gene therapy company, for $2.1 billion in mid-2025.

AbbVie is a relatively new company that was spun off from Abbott Laboratories (ABT +2.16%). It's now one of the better dividend stocks in the healthcare sector. It has regularly raised its dividend payout, resulting in a high dividend yield.

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NYSE: UNH

UnitedHealth Group

Today's Change

(3.11%) $11.95

Current Price

$396.39

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$349B

Day's Range

$382.01 - $397.42

52wk Range

$234.60 - $397.42

Volume

9.2M

Avg Vol

8.5M

Dividend Yield

2.30%

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UnitedHealth Group (UNH +3.17%) provides health insurance and healthcare services. It sells health insurance products through its UnitedHealthcare division and offers healthcare services through its Optum division.

Although UnitedHealth Group is one of the largest healthcare companies, it has faced several high-profile issues. A subsidiary, Change Healthcare, was responsible for the largest reported healthcare data breach in history in 2024. CEO Andrew Witty abruptly resigned in May 2025 for personal reasons, and the company also replaced its CFO in July 2025.

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5. AstraZeneca

Market cap: $286.40 billion (as of May 1)
Revenue (TTM): $60.4 billion
Gross profit (TTM): $49.4 billion
Five-year annualized return: 11.72%
Year founded: 1913 (Astra AB), Zeneca (1993), 1999 (merger of Astra AB and Zeneca)

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NASDAQ: AZN

AstraZeneca Plc

Today's Change

(0.00%) $0.00

Current Price

$0.00

Key Data Points

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AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) is a multinational biotech company formed through the 1999 merger of Astra, a Swiss company, and Zeneca, a British company. Its headquarters are in Cambridge, U.K.

This company manufactures prescription medications for many major diseases, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, renal disease, and rare diseases. It has 11 research and development (R&D) centers, 28 manufacturing sites, and a market presence in more than 130 countries.

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6. Novartis

Market cap: $279.67 billion (as of May 1)
Revenue (TTM): $56.6 billion
Gross profit (TTM): $42.6 billion
Five-year annualized return: 12.68%
Year founded: 1886 (Sandoz), 1970 (Ciba-Geigy), 1996 (merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz)

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NYSE: NVS

Novartis

Today's Change

(2.13%) $3.09

Current Price

$148.32

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$266B

Day's Range

$145.85 - $148.57

52wk Range

$104.93 - $170.46

Volume

27K

Avg Vol

Gross Margin

74.58%

Dividend Yield

3.26%

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Novartis (NVS +2.02%) is a Swiss pharmaceutical company. It manufactures prescription drugs for various diseases. Some of its bestselling products include Entresto, a medication used to treat heart failure; Cosentyx, a psoriasis treatment; and Kesimpta, a treatment for certain forms of multiple sclerosis (MS).

This Swiss company is incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) technology into its business. Novartis has partnered with Viz.ai to provide AI-powered care for cancer patients. It also acquired Avidity Biosciences in a $12 billion deal to improve its late-stage neuroscience pipeline.

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NYSE: MRK

Merck

Today's Change

(0.98%) $1.09

Current Price

$112.37

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$275B

Day's Range

$111.39 - $113.69

52wk Range

$73.31 - $125.14

Volume

9.1M

Avg Vol

9.8M

Gross Margin

73.44%

Dividend Yield

2.98%

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Merck (MRK +1.05%) is a pharmaceutical company known for its impressive oncology portfolio. That includes its leading drug, Keytruda, which is one of the best-selling drugs worldwide. Merck also makes diabetes medications, an HPV vaccine, and a chickenpox vaccine.

In March 2026, Merck reached an agreement to buy Terns Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TERN). The $6.7 billion deal bolsters Merck's oncology portfolio.

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8. Amgen

Market cap: $177.80 billion (as of May 1)
Revenue (TTM): $37.2 billion
Gross profit (TTM): $25.4 billion
Five-year annualized return: 6.60%
Year founded: 1980

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NASDAQ: AMGN

Amgen

Today's Change

(2.03%) $6.70

Current Price

$336.29

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$178B

Day's Range

$329.80 - $338.49

52wk Range

$261.43 - $391.29

Volume

3.1M

Avg Vol

2.6M

Gross Margin

71.51%

Dividend Yield

2.93%

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Amgen (AMGN +2.00%) is a biotechnology and pharmaceutical company with a presence in about 100 countries. It focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and on conditions with limited treatment options. The company develops treatments in the following therapeutic areas: general medicine, rare disease, inflammation, and oncology.

Some of Amgen's best-selling products include Enbrel, an anti-inflammatory medicine; Prolia, an osteoporosis treatment in women after menopause; and Otezla, a medicine for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

9. Thermo Fisher Scientific

Market cap: $174.37 billion (as of May 1)
Revenue (TTM): $45.2 billion
Gross profit (TTM): $18.4 billion
Five-year annualized return: -0.04%
Year founded: 1902 (Fisher Scientific), 1956 (Thermo Electron), 2006 (merged into Thermo Fisher Scientific)

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NYSE: TMO

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Today's Change

(1.36%) $6.14

Current Price

$458.74

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$168B

Day's Range

$452.25 - $463.15

52wk Range

$385.46 - $643.99

Volume

92K

Avg Vol

2.2M

Gross Margin

40.13%

Dividend Yield

0.39%

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Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO +1.48%) is a life science and research company. It has a large, diverse portfolio of products, including analytical equipment, diagnostic kits and instruments, and life science products used in medical research and diagnostics.

This Massachusetts-based company has operations worldwide. It also employs approximately 125,000 people. In September 2025, Thermo Fisher expanded its Life Sciences Solutions segment by acquiring the purification and filtration business of Solventum (SOLV +1.32%) for $4 billion. In October, it agreed to acquire life sciences company Clario for $9 billion.

10. Gilead Sciences

Market cap: $163.40 billion (as of May 1)
Revenue (TTM): $29.4 billion
Gross profit (TTM): $23.2 billion
Five-year annualized return: 15.71%
Year founded: 1987

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NASDAQ: GILD

Gilead Sciences

Today's Change

(1.16%) $1.55

Current Price

$135.07

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$166B

Day's Range

$132.77 - $137.51

52wk Range

$97.86 - $157.29

Volume

176K

Avg Vol

6.3M

Gross Margin

79.41%

Dividend Yield

2.39%

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Largest healthcare companies FAQ

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About the Author

Lyle Daly is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering information technology and cryptocurrency. Lyle has been a contributor at the financial services company since 2018. His work has been featured on USA Today, Yahoo Finance, MSN, Fox Business, and Nasdaq. Before joining The Motley Fool, he wrote for financial brands including Intuit.

TMFLyleDaly

@LyleDaly

Lyle Daly has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends AbbVie, Abbott Laboratories, Amgen, Kenvue, Merck, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. The Motley Fool recommends Johnson & Johnson, Solventum, and UnitedHealth Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The Largest Healthcare Companies by Market Cap in May 2026

Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, and AbbVie command the healthcare sector.

Key Points

Key Data Points

2. Johnson & Johnson

Key Data Points

3. AbbVie

Key Data Points

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5. AstraZeneca

Key Data Points

6. Novartis

Key Data Points

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8. Amgen

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9. Thermo Fisher Scientific

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10. Gilead Sciences

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Largest healthcare companies FAQ

What are the largest healthcare companies?

How to invest in healthcare stocks?

Is healthcare a good investment?

Largest companies by market cap in the healthcare sector

1. Eli Lilly

2. Johnson & Johnson

3. AbbVie

4. UnitedHealth Group

5. AstraZeneca

6. Novartis

7. Merck

8. Amgen

Related investing topics

FAQ

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

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9. Thermo Fisher Scientific

10. Gilead Sciences

Drug makers and diversified giants split the top of healthcare