What are the largest healthcare companies?

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

How to invest in healthcare stocks?

Investing in healthcare stocks is the same as investing in any other publicly traded company. All you need to do is login to your brokerage account, look up the healthcare company you want to invest in, and fill out 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 March 2026

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

By Lyle Daly – Updated Jan 8, 2026 at 4:24 PM EST | Fact-checked by Parker Hicks

Key Points

Eli Lilly leads as the most valuable healthcare company with a market cap of $949 billion.
Pharmaceutical firms dominate top spots, making up half of the largest healthcare entities.
Investors might consider healthcare stocks for dividends and resilience in market downturns.

Eli Lilly (LLY +0.70%) is the most valuable healthcare company, with Johnson & Johnson (JNJ +0.43%) and AbbVie (ABBV -0.88%) 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.

Loading paragraph...

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

Loading image...

Loading paragraph...

Ticker Information Table
Name and ticker	Market cap	Current price	Industry
Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY)	$934.2 billion	$990.18	Pharmaceuticals
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)	$579.3 billion	$240.66	Pharmaceuticals
AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV)	$406.9 billion	$230.31	Biotechnology
AstraZeneca Plc (NASDAQ:AZN)	N/A	N/A	Pharmaceuticals
Merck (NYSE:MRK)	$286.3 billion	$115.87	Pharmaceuticals
Novartis (NYSE:NVS)	$305.5 billion	$160.12	Pharmaceuticals
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH)	$260.0 billion	$286.48	Healthcare Providers and Services
Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO)	$186.5 billion	$501.97	Life Sciences Tools and Services
Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT)	$190.4 billion	$109.73	Healthcare Equipment and Supplies
Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN)	$199.2 billion	$369.47	Biotechnology

Data as of Mar 7, 2026. Showing 10 of 10 tickers.

Loading ticker_table...

Loading paragraph...

NYSE: LLY

Eli Lilly

Today's Change

(0.70%) $6.92

Current Price

$990.18

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$934B

Day's Range

$966.67 - $991.21

52wk Range

$623.78 - $1133.95

Volume

132K

Avg Vol

3.2M

Gross Margin

83.04%

Dividend Yield

0.63%

Loading company_card...

Market cap: $992.49 billion (as of Feb. 4)
Revenue (TTM): $59.4 billion
Gross profit (TTM): $49.3 billion
Five-year annualized return: 42.04%
Year founded: 1876

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 2024, Eli Lilly partnered with Amazon (AMZN -2.61%) to offer home delivery of select medications. In November 2025, it agreed to a deal with the Trump administration to offer reduced pricing on some of its drugs, including weight-loss blockbuster Zepbound.

2. Johnson & Johnson

Loading paragraph...

NYSE: JNJ

Johnson & Johnson

Today's Change

(0.43%) $1.03

Current Price

$240.66

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$579B

Day's Range

$235.45 - $240.81

52wk Range

$141.50 - $251.71

Volume

303K

Avg Vol

8.9M

Gross Margin

67.97%

Dividend Yield

2.16%

Loading company_card...

Market cap: $564.91 billion (as of Feb. 4)
Revenue (TTM): $94.2 billion
Gross profit (TTM): $63.9 billion
Five-year annualized return: 10.45%
Year founded: 1886

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

Until 2023, Johnson & Johnson also had a robust consumer healthcare division that produced Tylenol, Band-Aid, and many other household names. It spun off that division into a new business, Kenvue (KVUE +0.77%), which agreed in late 2025 to be purchased by consumer goods giant Kimberly-Clark (KMB +1.00%) in a $48.7 billion deal.

3. AbbVie

Loading paragraph...

NYSE: ABBV

AbbVie

Today's Change

(-0.88%) $-2.04

Current Price

$230.31

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$407B

Day's Range

$226.90 - $232.35

52wk Range

$164.39 - $244.81

Volume

211K

Avg Vol

6.7M

Gross Margin

70.12%

Dividend Yield

2.89%

Loading company_card...

Market cap: $383.72 billion (as of Feb. 4)
Revenue (TTM): $59.6 billion
Gross profit (TTM): $41.6 billion
Five-year annualized return: 19.31%
Year founded: 2012

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 started as a spinoff of Abbott Laboratories. 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.

Loading paragraph...

NYSE: MRK

Merck

Today's Change

(-0.17%) $-0.20

Current Price

$115.87

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$286B

Day's Range

$113.82 - $116.36

52wk Range

$73.31 - $125.14

Volume

352K

Avg Vol

13M

Gross Margin

74.21%

Dividend Yield

2.83%

Loading company_card...

Market cap: $295.56 billion (as of Feb. 4)
Revenue (TTM): $65.0 billion
Gross profit (TTM): $48.6 billion
Five-year annualized return: 13.37%
Year founded: 1891

Merck (MRK -0.17%) 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.

This company has made several major acquisitions recently. In 2024 alone, it acquired Harpoon Therapeutics, Abceutics, EyeBio, and Modifi Biosciences. In 2025, it acquired SpringWorks Therapeutics for $3.4 billion. Merck is also going through a leadership transition; CEO Belen Garijo will step down at the end of April 2026. Her successor will be Kai Beckmann, head of the company's Electronics business.

5. Novartis

Loading paragraph...

NYSE: NVS

Novartis

Today's Change

(-0.55%) $-0.89

Current Price

$160.12

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$306B

Day's Range

$156.18 - $160.54

52wk Range

$97.72 - $170.46

Volume

3.8M

Avg Vol

2.2M

Gross Margin

75.02%

Dividend Yield

2.49%

Loading company_card...

Market cap: $293.40 billion (as of Feb. 4)
Revenue (TTM): $56.4 billion
Gross profit (TTM): $43.0 billion
Five-year annualized return: 16.73%
Year founded: 1886 (Sandoz), 1970 (Ciba-Geigy), 1996 (merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz)

Novartis (NVS -0.55%) 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 treatment for psoriasis; 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 agreed to acquire Avidity Biosciences (RNA -4.20%) in a $12 billion deal to improve its late-stage neuroscience pipeline.

6. AstraZeneca

Loading paragraph...

NASDAQ: AZN

AstraZeneca Plc

Today's Change

(0.00%) $0.00

Current Price

$0.00

Key Data Points

Loading company_card...

Loading paragraph...

NYSE: UNH

UnitedHealth Group

Today's Change

(-0.79%) $-2.29

Current Price

$286.48

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$260B

Day's Range

$283.05 - $291.32

52wk Range

$234.60 - $606.36

Volume

6.8M

Avg Vol

8.9M

Dividend Yield

3.05%

Loading company_card...

Market cap: $249.94 billion (as of Feb. 4)
Revenue (TTM): $435.2 billion
Gross profit (TTM): $85.7 billion
Five-year annualized return: -1.31%
Year founded: 1977

UnitedHealth Group (UNH -0.66%) 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 a number of 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 replaced its CFO in July.

Loading paragraph...

8. Thermo Fisher Scientific

Loading paragraph...

NYSE: TMO

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Today's Change

(-3.25%) $-16.87

Current Price

$501.97

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$186B

Day's Range

$500.00 - $514.38

52wk Range

$385.46 - $643.99

Volume

1.6M

Avg Vol

2.2M

Gross Margin

40.25%

Dividend Yield

0.34%

Loading company_card...

Market cap: $212.36 billion (as of Feb. 4)
Revenue (TTM): $44.6 billion
Gross profit (TTM): $18.5 billion
Five-year annualized return: 3.06%
Year founded: 1902 (Fisher Scientific), 1956 (Thermo Electron), 2006 (merged into Thermo Fisher Scientific)

Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO -3.27%) is a life science and research company. It has a large, diverse portfolio of products that includes analytical equipment, diagnostic kits and instruments, and life science products used in medical research and diagnostics.

This Massachusetts-based company has a global presence with operations around the world. 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 -2.16%) for $4 billion. In October, it agreed to acquire life sciences company Clario for $9 billion.

9. Amgen

Loading paragraph...

NASDAQ: AMGN

Amgen

Today's Change

(0.51%) $1.87

Current Price

$369.47

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$199B

Day's Range

$361.94 - $369.68

52wk Range

$261.43 - $391.29

Volume

97K

Avg Vol

2.9M

Gross Margin

70.47%

Dividend Yield

2.61%

Loading company_card...

Market cap: $197.19 billion (as of Feb. 4)
Revenue (TTM): $36.0 billion
Gross profit (TTM): $23.8 billion
Five-year annualized return: 10.81%
Year founded: 1980

Amgen (AMGN +0.51%) is a biotechnology and pharmaceutical company with a presence in about 100 countries. It focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and conditions for which there are 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.

10. Abbott Laboratories

Loading paragraph...

NYSE: ABT

Abbott Laboratories

Today's Change

(-1.18%) $-1.31

Current Price

$109.73

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$190B

Day's Range

$108.35 - $110.97

52wk Range

$105.27 - $139.15

Volume

431K

Avg Vol

9.3M

Gross Margin

52.72%

Dividend Yield

2.19%

Loading company_card...

Market cap: $188.32 billion (as of Feb. 4)
Revenue (TTM): $44.3 billion
Gross profit (TTM): $25.0 billion
Five-year annualized return: -0.05%
Year founded: 1888

Abbott Laboratories (ABT -1.33%) manufactures healthcare products and medical equipment. It has four main business segments: established pharmaceutical products, diagnostic products, nutritional products, and medical devices. In November 2025, this healthcare company announced an agreement to buy Exact Sciences (EXAS +0.17%), a company that specializes in the detection of early-stage cancers, for approximately $21 billion.

Like its spinoff AbbVie, Abbott Laboratories is popular among dividend investors. It has raised its dividend for more than 50 consecutive years, putting it on the list of Dividend Kings.

Loading paragraph...

Largest Healthcare Companies FAQ

Loading faq...

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, Amazon, AstraZeneca Plc, Intuitive Surgical, 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 March 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

Key Data Points

5. Novartis

Key Data Points

6. AstraZeneca

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

8. Thermo Fisher Scientific

Key Data Points

9. Amgen

Key Data Points

10. Abbott Laboratories

Key Data Points

Related investing topics

10 Companies Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Meaningful Ways

Biotech vs. Pharma: What's the Difference?

These Are Billionaires’ Favorite Healthcare Stocks

Pharmaceutical tariffs: Which countries does the U.S. import the most from?

Largest Healthcare Companies FAQ

About the Author

Stocks Mentioned

Premium Investing Services

10 Companies Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Meaningful Ways

Biotech vs. Pharma: What's the Difference?

These Are Billionaires’ Favorite Healthcare Stocks

Pharmaceutical tariffs: Which countries does the U.S. import the most from?

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

4. Merck

8. Thermo Fisher Scientific

Healthcare sector takeaways for investors

Related investing topics

FAQ

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

2. Johnson & Johnson

3. AbbVie

5. Novartis

6. AstraZeneca

9. Amgen

10. Abbott Laboratories

7. UnitedHealth Group