Of all the business sectors, healthcare is one that rarely go out of demand.
Why? Because every stage of life, from birth to death, requires healthcare. That demand does not disappear even during recessions and uncertainty. That is exactly why many investors keep track of the big names in the industry, such as Johnson and Johnson and Abbott Laboratories
One common trait about these two companies is that they have both been operating for decades, weathering market headwinds all while consistently increasing their payments to their investors. But like with any investment, not everything is equal. So, which stock should you add to your portfolio?
Let’s start with Johnson & Johnson, the larger company of the two. The company operates in two segments: prescription drugs and medical devices and as a global presence across the healthcare industry and has a market cap of around $589 billion.
As of writing, Johnson & Johnson trades at around $244, up almost 18% year-to-date.
Abbott Labs is a diversified healthcare company that develops medical devices that help bring healthcare beyond hospitals and into the home.
Abbott currently has a market cap of around $179 billion. Its stock trades at roughly $102 per share, but unlike JNJ, it’s down about 18% since the start of 2026.
So, with Johnson & Johnson being bigger name and having had the better year so far, which company is the better buy?
Not quite.
These two healthcare giants are often grouped together, but their businesses are not identical.
Johnson & Johnson is more focused, with its core strengths in prescription drugs and healthcare technology.
Abbott, on the other hand, is more diversified. It operates across four business segments, with nutrition standing out as one of its most important areas.
To get a better sense of which stock may be the stronger investment, let’s compare their latest quarterly results.
Metric | Johnson & Johnson | Abbott Laboratories |
Sales | $24.56 billion | $11.46 billion |
Net Income | $5.12 billion | $1.78 billion |
P/E Ratio (Forward) | 21.01 | 18.00 |
Price/Sales | 6.20 | 4.00 |
JNJ generated $24.56 billion in sales, more than double Abbott’s $11.46 billion. That gap also shows up in profitability, with Johnson & Johnson posting $5.12 billion in net income, nearly three times Abbott’s $1.78 billion.
