The Largest Healthcare Companies by Market Cap in May 2026

Eli Lilly (LLY +1.83%) is the most valuable healthcare company, with Johnson & Johnson (JNJ +0.05%) and AbbVie (ABBV +0.61%) 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.

Image source: Getty Images.

Largest companies by market cap in the healthcare sector

(Editor’s note: Rankings are as of May 1, 2026.)

Name and ticker Market cap Current price Industry
Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) $910.7 billion $966.99 Pharmaceuticals
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) $533.0 billion $221.33 Pharmaceuticals
AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) $358.7 billion $202.80 Biotechnology
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) $349.1 billion $384.44 Healthcare Providers and Services
AstraZeneca Plc (NASDAQ:AZN) N/A N/A Pharmaceuticals
Merck (NYSE:MRK) $274.8 billion $111.28 Pharmaceuticals
Novartis (NYSE:NVS) $265.9 billion $145.23 Pharmaceuticals
Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) $177.9 billion $329.59 Biotechnology
Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO) $168.2 billion $452.60 Life Sciences Tools and Services
Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) $165.8 billion $133.52 Biotechnology

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

  1. Eli Lilly

  • Market cap: $862.01 billion (as of May 1)
  • Revenue (TTM): $72.2 billion
  • Gross profit (TTM): $59.8 billion
  • Five-year annualized return: 39.44%
  • Year founded: 1876

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NYSE: LLY

Eli Lilly

Today’s Change

(1.96%) $18.54

Current Price

$966.99

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$911B

Day’s Range

$943.26 - $995.00

52wk Range

$623.78 - $1133.95

Volume

4.3K

Avg Vol

3.1M

Gross Margin

82.83%

Dividend Yield

0.64%

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.

  1. 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

(0.01%) $0.01

Current Price

$221.33

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$533B

Day’s Range

$220.37 - $223.17

52wk Range

$146.12 - $251.71

Volume

23

Avg Vol

8.1M

Gross Margin

67.96%

Dividend Yield

2.35%

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.

  1. 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

(0.62%) $1.25

Current Price

$202.80

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$359B

Day’s Range

$201.85 - $205.38

52wk Range

$176.57 - $244.81

Volume

146K

Avg Vol

6.9M

Gross Margin

70.58%

Dividend Yield

3.32%

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 -2.05%). 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.

  1. UnitedHealth Group

  • Market cap: $334.93 billion (as of May 1)
  • Revenue (TTM): $447.6 billion
  • Gross profit (TTM): $82.9 billion
  • Five-year annualized return: -1.55%
  • Year founded: 1977

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NYSE: UNH

UnitedHealth Group

Today’s Change

(1.17%) $4.46

Current Price

$384.44

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$349B

Day’s Range

$376.07 - $384.81

52wk Range

$234.60 - $384.81

Volume

8.8K

Avg Vol

8.5M

Dividend Yield

2.30%

UnitedHealth Group (UNH +1.17%) 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.

  1. 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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  1. 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)

Expand

NYSE: NVS

Novartis

Today’s Change

(-0.55%) $-0.80

Current Price

$145.23

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$266B

Day’s Range

$144.75 - $147.28

52wk Range

$104.93 - $170.46

Volume

1.3K

Avg Vol

2M

Gross Margin

74.58%

Dividend Yield

3.26%

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  1. Merck

  • Market cap: $277.02 billion (as of May 1)
  • Revenue (TTM): $65.8 billion
  • Gross profit (TTM): $48.6 billion
  • Five-year annualized return: 9.56%
  • Year founded: 1891

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NYSE: MRK

Merck

Today’s Change

(-0.09%) $-0.10

Current Price

$111.28

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$275B

Day’s Range

$111.01 - $113.68

52wk Range

$73.31 - $125.14

Volume

2.1K

Avg Vol

9.8M

Gross Margin

73.44%

Dividend Yield

2.98%

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  1. 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

(-0.64%) $-2.11

Current Price

$329.59

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$178B

Day’s Range

$327.62 - $334.19

52wk Range

$261.43 - $391.29

Volume

1.9K

Avg Vol

2.6M

Gross Margin

71.51%

Dividend Yield

2.93%

Amgen (AMGN -0.64%) 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.

  1. 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)

Expand

NYSE: TMO

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Today’s Change

(-2.67%) $-12.40

Current Price

$452.60

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$168B

Day’s Range

$447.88 - $466.79

52wk Range

$385.46 - $643.99

Volume

132

Avg Vol

2.2M

Gross Margin

40.13%

Dividend Yield

0.39%

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NASDAQ: GILD

Gilead Sciences

Today’s Change

(1.67%) $2.19

Current Price

$133.52

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$166B

Day’s Range

$130.98 - $134.86

52wk Range

$97.86 - $157.29

Volume

3.4K

Avg Vol

6.3M

Gross Margin

79.41%

Dividend Yield

2.39%

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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

X@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.

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