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Relative Intelligence · Pharmaceuticals

How AbbVie (ABBV) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on ABBV alone. It places ABBV (AbbVie Inc.) against 20+ popular alternatives, its neighboring categories and the entire market of over 10,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, and surfaces what has done better on consistent outperformance, return for the risk taken, behavior in real market crashes and diversification. The result is a clearer view of where ABBV stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: ABBV's full trading record, from December 2012 through September 2026. The crash tests reach back to 2000 using older funds and the S&P 500. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 20, 2026.

Data as of October 20, 2026. Full tables and charts read best on a larger screen.

Rank the market against ABBV →Chart ABBV vs. 20 alternatives →
On this page12 sections

Key findings

How much would $10,000 in ABBV have grown?

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in ABBV over the past 13 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of ABBV over the same span and ABBV's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period. A second view covers the past 5 years, the period the better options further down the page are judged on. It shows not only where each investment ended up but also how smooth or uneven the path was.

Note: ABBV began trading on December 10, 2012, so the chart cannot reach back to the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or two other sell-offs. It covers the most recent 13 years of ABBV's record, starting at the end of September 2013.

Choose a period

From the end of September 2013 to the end of September 2026. The scale is logarithmic, so equal steps up the chart are equal percentage gains. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 179 of the 2,311 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of ABBV; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$10,000$100,000$1M2013201520172019202120232025$10,000$100,000$1M20132016201920222025
  • NVDA$6M+62,911% total · +64.2% a year
  • LLY$293,821+2,838% total · +29.7% a year
  • AAPL$227,163+2,172% total · +27.2% a year
  • MPC$178,765+1,688% total · +24.8% a year
  • GOOG$157,675+1,477% total · +23.6% a year
  • ABBV$97,598+876% total · +19.2% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$56,474+465% total · +14.2% a year
  • AMGN$54,013+440% total · +13.9% a year
  • BIIB$9,382−6.2% total · −0.5% a year
  • VTRS$5,805−41.9% total · −4.1% a year
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From the end of September 2021 to the end of September 2026. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 361 of the 3,628 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of ABBV; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$0$20,000$40,000$60,000$80,000202120222023202420252026$0$20,000$40,000$60,000$80,000202120222023202420252026
  • MPC$71,516+615% total · +48.2% a year
  • LLY$52,411+424% total · +39.3% a year
  • CAH$49,682+397% total · +37.8% a year
  • MCK$43,941+339% total · +34.5% a year
  • PSX$43,718+337% total · +34.3% a year
  • ABBV$29,134+191% total · +23.8% a year
  • AMGN$23,160+132% total · +18.3% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$19,000+90.0% total · +13.7% a year
  • VTRS$16,124+61.2% total · +10.0% a year
  • BIIB$7,982−20.2% total · −4.4% a year
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ABBV at a glance

This section summarizes the key facts about the stock, its returns over periods from one to ten years and the risk it has carried, with dividends reinvested throughout. These figures serve as the baseline for every comparison that follows.

Note: ABBV began trading on December 10, 2012, so every figure here, including its worst decline, covers only the time since then. None of them reflect the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or two other sell-offs.

The company

Market value
$511B
Industry
Drug Manufacturers - General
Price history from
December 2012

Returns

Past 1 year
+28.3%total return
Past 3 years
+118%+29.7% a year
Past 5 years
+218%+26.1% a year
Past 10 years
+603%+21.5% a year
Best calendar year
+60.7%2013
Worst calendar year
−6.5%2015
Losing years
3 of 13full calendar years

Risk

Volatility
23.4%typical yearly swing, 5 years
Sharpe ratio
1.11return per unit of risk, 5 years
Worst decline ever
−45.1%Jan 2018 to Aug 2019
From its all-time high
At its highwithin 1%

ABBV against the whole market

Where ABBV ranks among every stock and fund, and what across the market has done better.

How does ABBV rank among all stocks?

This section ranks ABBV on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every stock worth at least $300 million with enough history. Where the comparisons with its popular alternatives show how ABBV stacks up against its peers, these rankings show where it stands in the market as a whole.

Ranked against U.S.-listed stocks worth at least $300M that have enough history for each measure, so the count changes from row to row; smaller stocks are left out. Lower volatility and smaller declines rank higher.

MeasureABBVRankStanding
1-year return+28.3%1,021 of 3,287top 31%
3-year return+118%779 of 3,017top 26%
5-year return+218%279 of 2,893top 10%
10-year return+603%232 of 2,202top 11%
Volatility, 5 years23.4%229 of 2,893top 8%
Sharpe ratio, 5 years1.1146 of 2,893top 2%
Worst decline, past 10 years−45.1%291 of 2,187top 13%

What has beaten ABBV on both return and risk?

Each dot is an investment, placed by how much it earned a year over the past 5 years (higher is better) and how much its price swung, its volatility (further left is calmer). ABBV sits where the dashed lines cross. Anything in the green box above and to the left earned more than ABBV with smaller swings, a better trade-off over this period on both counts. Past results are no promise, but a name in the box is worth a closer look.

Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested, and volatility the annualized swing in daily prices, both over 5 years. Labeled dots are the strongest picks from the table below and the names called out above, colored by how close they sit to ABBV. 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million were screened. Hover over a dot for its figures.

15.0%17.5%20.0%22.5%25.0%27.5%30.0%32.5%35.0%37.5%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than ABBVABBV: +26.1% a year, volatility 23.4%SPY (S&P 500): +12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%LLY: +40.7% a year, volatility 32.8%MCK: +38.7% a year, volatility 25.0%CAH: +42.1% a year, volatility 24.7%MPC: +51.2% a year, volatility 33.4%PSX: +33.2% a year, volatility 32.9%SU: +33.1% a year, volatility 32.5%DXJ: +26.6% a year, volatility 19.1%CIB: +32.9% a year, volatility 32.9%VCTR: +28.1% a year, volatility 35.0%NHC: +32.0% a year, volatility 28.5%EPU: +29.5% a year, volatility 24.9%ABBVSPY (S&P 500)LLYMCKCAHMPCPSXSUDXJVCTRNHCEPU15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than ABBVABBV: +26.1% a year, volatility 23.4%SPY (S&P 500): +12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%LLY: +40.7% a year, volatility 32.8%MCK: +38.7% a year, volatility 25.0%CAH: +42.1% a year, volatility 24.7%MPC: +51.2% a year, volatility 33.4%PSX: +33.2% a year, volatility 32.9%SU: +33.1% a year, volatility 32.5%DXJ: +26.6% a year, volatility 19.1%CIB: +32.9% a year, volatility 32.9%VCTR: +28.1% a year, volatility 35.0%NHC: +32.0% a year, volatility 28.5%EPU: +29.5% a year, volatility 24.9%ABBVSPY (S&P 500)LLYMCKCAHMPCPSXSUDXJVCTRNHCEPU
  • Popular alternatives
  • Same and neighboring categories, and shared themes
  • The whole market

Is there a better investment than ABBV?

Investments that beat ABBV over the past 5 years on return, volatility, drawdowns, consistency, crash losses or fees, from its popular alternatives out to the whole market.

How this works

The table below lists investments that beat ABBV over the past 5 years on at least one of these measures: a higher annual return with lower volatility, a higher annual return at similar volatility, a similar return with lower volatility, a higher Sharpe ratio with a smaller worst decline, a higher total return in most periods from 3 months to 10 years, or smaller losses in recent market crashes. It checks ABBV's popular alternatives first, then the rest of its own and neighboring categories, then every stock and fund worth at least $500 million, and shows the strongest few in each group.

Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested. Annual return, volatility and the Sharpe ratio cover 5 years; the worst decline covers the past 10 years. Green marks a better figure than ABBV's. "On the frontier" means no other option shown or tested earned more with less volatility. Funds that hold the same thing are shown once. Beyond the popular alternatives, nothing with more than 1.5× ABBV's volatility counts as better.

These figures cover the past 5 years. Green marks a better figure than ABBV's.

Screen the whole market against ABBV for any period in BetterThanSPYOpen these 12 in EasyCompare
InvestmentWhy it is betterPast 5 yearsDownsideLong runFit
Annual return?higher is betterVolatility?lower is calmerSharpe?return per unit of riskWorst decline?past 10 years10Y returntotalCorr. with ABBV?lower diversifies moreExpenseper year
ABBVAbbVie Inc. · this page
+26.1%23.4%1.11−45.1%+603%1.00—
SPYState Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF · S&P 500
+12.7%17.1%0.79−33.7%+321%0.170.09%
Popular alternativesbest 1 shownThe investments people most often weigh against ABBV. 1 of 20 passed at least one test.
LLYEli Lilly and Company · Pharmaceuticals
Smaller losses in recent crashes+40.7%32.8%1.21−34.5%+1,807%0.25—
Same and neighboring categories, and shared themesbest 2 shownEverything else in Pharmaceuticals and the categories next to it (Biotechnology, Health Care Distribution, Life Sciences Tools, Medical Devices), plus ABBV's specific themes. 2 of 106 passed at least one test.
MCKMcKesson Corporation · Health Care Distribution
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+38.7%25.0%1.44−38.1%+586%0.07—
CAHCardinal Health, Inc. · Health Care Distribution
On the frontierHigher return, similar volatility+42.1%24.7%1.55−46.1%+349%0.07—
The whole marketbest 8 shownEvery other stock and fund worth at least $500 million. 8 of 3,507 passed at least one test.
MPCMarathon Petroleum Corporation · Oil & Gas
On the frontierHigher return in most periods+51.2%33.4%1.41−79.7%+1,387%0.13—
PSXPhillips 66 · Oil & Gas
Higher return in most periods+33.2%32.9%1.04−64.2%+430%0.22—
SUSuncor Energy Inc. · Integrated Oil & Gas
Higher return in most periods+33.1%32.5%1.05−73.5%+295%0.06—
DXJWisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund · International Equity
On the frontierHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+26.6%19.1%1.34−39.1%+428%0.110.48%
CIBGrupo Cibest S.A. · Banks
Higher return in most periods+32.9%32.9%1.03−70.4%+345%0.21—
VCTRVictory Capital Holdings, Inc. · Asset Management
Higher return in most periods+28.1%35.0%0.89−45.2%—-0.06—
NHCNational HealthCare Corporation · Medical - Care Facilities
Higher return in most periods+32.0%28.5%1.12−35.3%+394%0.19—
EPUiShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF · International
Higher return, similar volatility+29.5%24.9%1.17−51.0%+275%0.340.59%
What these numbers mean for ABBV
Annual return
ABBV returned 26.1% a year over the past 5 years with dividends reinvested, against 12.7% a year for the S&P 500. At that pace, $10,000 became about $31,800. Annual return is the steady yearly rate that would produce the same total result, so investments held over the same span compare fairly. Guide: What is performance and return? →
Volatility
ABBV's volatility over the past 5 years was 23.4%, 1.4 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, ABBV's return lands within 23.4% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump. Guide: Understanding and measuring risk (volatility) →
Sharpe ratio
ABBV's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 1.11, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so ABBV earned more for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings. Guide: Balancing reward with risk (Sharpe ratio) →
Worst decline
ABBV's worst fall from a peak to a low over the past 10 years was 45.1%, against 33.7% for the S&P 500. Losses and gains are not symmetric: climbing back from a 45.1% fall takes a 82.1% gain. Guide: Market crash risk and tail risk →
Correlation
Over the past 5 years, ABBV's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.17 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They are only loosely linked, which makes it a real diversifier next to an index fund. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against ABBV instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a ABBV holding. Guide: Correlation and diversification →

ABBV against its popular alternatives

The investments people most often weigh against ABBV, compared period by period and year by year.

How do ABBV's risk and return compare with its alternatives?

This map plots each investment's annual return over the past 5 years against its volatility, the size of its typical price swings. Investments toward the upper left earned more for a smoother ride, and those toward the lower right earned less for a rougher one. The dashed lines cross at ABBV, which divides the map into what did better or worse on each measure.

Green points earned more than ABBV with less volatility; red points earned less with more. Hover over a point for its figures. Total returns with dividends reinvested, annualized.

15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%−10.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilityABBV: 26.1% a year, volatility 23.4%SPY (S&P 500): 12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%VTRS: 10.4% a year, volatility 33.6%AMGN: 19.6% a year, volatility 24.9%BIIB: −1.8% a year, volatility 34.7%MRK: 16.3% a year, volatility 24.8%GILD: 22.8% a year, volatility 24.9%WST: −1.0% a year, volatility 40.7%IQV: 1.3% a year, volatility 34.7%REGN: 7.7% a year, volatility 31.1%PFE: −1.7% a year, volatility 25.4%TMO: 2.9% a year, volatility 27.8%BMY: 5.5% a year, volatility 24.9%AZN: 8.7% a year, volatility 35.7%NVO: −4.0% a year, volatility 39.1%GSK: 9.5% a year, volatility 24.5%SNY: 0.6% a year, volatility 25.3%LLY: 40.7% a year, volatility 32.8%TAK: 11.8% a year, volatility 19.4%JNJ: 12.7% a year, volatility 17.9%NVS: 17.2% a year, volatility 20.7%ABT: −1.7% a year, volatility 23.1%ABBVSPY (S&P 500)VTRSAMGNBIIBMRKGILDWSTIQVREGNPFETMOBMYAZNNVOGSKSNYLLYNVSABT15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%−10.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilityABBV: 26.1% a year, volatility 23.4%SPY (S&P 500): 12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%VTRS: 10.4% a year, volatility 33.6%AMGN: 19.6% a year, volatility 24.9%BIIB: −1.8% a year, volatility 34.7%MRK: 16.3% a year, volatility 24.8%GILD: 22.8% a year, volatility 24.9%WST: −1.0% a year, volatility 40.7%IQV: 1.3% a year, volatility 34.7%REGN: 7.7% a year, volatility 31.1%PFE: −1.7% a year, volatility 25.4%TMO: 2.9% a year, volatility 27.8%BMY: 5.5% a year, volatility 24.9%AZN: 8.7% a year, volatility 35.7%NVO: −4.0% a year, volatility 39.1%GSK: 9.5% a year, volatility 24.5%SNY: 0.6% a year, volatility 25.3%LLY: 40.7% a year, volatility 32.8%TAK: 11.8% a year, volatility 19.4%JNJ: 12.7% a year, volatility 17.9%NVS: 17.2% a year, volatility 20.7%ABT: −1.7% a year, volatility 23.1%ABBVSPY (S&P 500)VTRSAMGNBIIBMRKGILDWSTIQVREGNPFETMOBMYNVOGSKSNYLLYNVSABT
All figures
InvestmentAnnual returnVolatility
LLY Eli Lilly and Company+40.7%32.8%
ABBV This pageAbbVie Inc.+26.1%23.4%
GILD Gilead Sciences, Inc.+22.8%24.9%
AMGN Amgen Inc.+19.6%24.9%
NVS Novartis AG+17.2%20.7%
MRK Merck & Co., Inc.+16.3%24.8%
JNJ Johnson & Johnson+12.7%17.9%
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF+12.7%17.1%
TAK Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited+11.8%19.4%
VTRS Viatris Inc.+10.4%33.6%
GSK GSK plc+9.5%24.5%
AZN AstraZeneca PLC+8.7%35.7%
REGN Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.+7.7%31.1%
BMY Bristol-Myers Squibb Company+5.5%24.9%
TMO Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.+2.9%27.8%
IQV IQVIA Holdings Inc.+1.3%34.7%
SNY Sanofi+0.6%25.3%
WST West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.−1.0%40.7%
ABT Abbott Laboratories−1.7%23.1%
PFE Pfizer Inc.−1.7%25.4%
BIIB Biogen Inc.−1.8%34.7%
NVO Novo Nordisk A/S−4.0%39.1%
Open these 22 in EasyCompare

Has ABBV consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares ABBV with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over eight periods from one month to ten years. Counting how often an alternative earned more than ABBV helps separate lasting outperformance from a single strong stretch.

A green cell means the alternative earned more than ABBV over that period. "Qualified" marks those that did so in at least 3 of 5 short-term periods and 2 of 3 long-term periods.

InvestmentPeriods outperformed Short termLong termRisk · 5 yearsFund
1M3M6MYTD1Y3Y5Y10YVolatilitylower is calmerSharpehigher is betterWorst declinepast 10 yearsExpenseAssetsOverlapsame sectors
ABBV AbbVie Inc. (this page)—+9.9%+14.8%+43.8%+29.8%+28.3%+118%+218%+603%23.4%1.11−45.1%—$511B—
LLY Drug Manufacturers - GeneralEli Lilly and Company1/5 short3/3 long+10.2%+12.1%+40.0%+19.4%+59.7%+124%+451%+1,807%32.8%1.21−34.5%—$1.2T—
VTRS Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & GenericViatris Inc.2/5 short1/3 long+9.1%+10.6%+27.3%+53.1%+87.1%+127%+64.3%−38.0%33.6%0.47−82.0%—$21B—
AMGN Drug Manufacturers - GeneralAmgen Inc.4/5 short0/3 long+11.6%+21.2%+27.0%+36.7%+48.7%+72.2%+145%+266%24.9%0.85−24.9%—$237B—
BIIB Drug Manufacturers - GeneralBiogen Inc.4/5 short0/3 long+11.0%+21.6%+32.6%+36.7%+65.8%−5.6%−8.8%−18.9%34.7%0.11−72.7%—$36B—
MRK Drug Manufacturers - GeneralMerck & Co., Inc.3/5 short0/3 long−0.8%+19.9%+28.3%+42.2%+76.8%+58.3%+113%+241%24.8%0.74−43.4%—$366B—
GILD Drug Manufacturers - GeneralGilead Sciences, Inc.3/5 short0/3 long+4.0%+18.2%+16.6%+31.0%+30.3%+121%+180%+200%24.9%0.95−30.5%—$194B—
TAK Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & GenericTakeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited3/5 short0/3 long+8.6%+20.3%+16.9%+33.6%+48.2%+56.1%+75.1%+30.4%19.4%0.68−54.4%—$64B—
WST Medical - Instruments & SuppliesWest Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.2/5 short0/3 long+7.5%+10.4%+40.0%+41.0%+41.9%+7.8%−5.0%+455%40.7%0.19−59.3%—$27B—
IQV Medical - Diagnostics & ResearchIQVIA Holdings Inc.2/5 short0/3 long−0.8%+31.4%+51.5%+18.8%+26.3%+45.3%+6.5%+260%34.7%0.21−51.5%—$44B—
REGN BiotechnologyRegeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.2/5 short0/3 long+1.2%+20.3%+8.0%+4.4%+40.7%+0.8%+44.9%+120%31.1%0.40−59.7%—$83B—
PFE Drug Manufacturers - GeneralPfizer Inc.2/5 short0/3 long+8.5%+23.8%+13.2%+25.7%+30.5%+19.2%−8.3%+55.0%25.4%0.06−58.9%—$172B—
TMO Medical - Diagnostics & ResearchThermo Fisher Scientific Inc.1/5 short0/3 long+4.3%+30.7%+30.9%+16.3%+26.8%+49.5%+15.1%+366%27.8%0.24−40.9%—$254B—
JNJ Drug Manufacturers - GeneralJohnson & Johnson1/5 short0/3 long−3.8%+4.8%+13.6%+27.1%+36.9%+84.6%+82.1%+196%17.9%0.76−27.4%—$625B—
BMY Drug Manufacturers - GeneralBristol-Myers Squibb Company1/5 short0/3 long−0.5%+3.6%+6.6%+19.1%+47.8%+25.8%+30.6%+74.8%24.9%0.34−47.7%—$126B—
AZN Drug Manufacturers - GeneralAstraZeneca PLC0/5 short0/3 long+0.4%+3.3%−15.3%−7.0%+1.8%+38.8%+52.1%+257%35.7%0.41−28.7%—$262B—
NVS Drug Manufacturers - GeneralNovartis AG0/5 short0/3 long+9.0%+2.7%+1.8%+13.1%+18.8%+75.9%+121%+226%20.7%0.87−26.8%—$292B—
ABT Medical - DevicesAbbott Laboratories0/5 short0/3 long+0.3%+1.6%+8.4%−15.3%−18.7%+13.0%−8.0%+204%23.1%0.04−39.6%—$178B—
NVO Drug Manufacturers - GeneralNovo Nordisk A/S0/5 short0/3 long−1.1%−20.0%−1.5%−23.9%−28.5%−57.0%−18.5%+134%39.1%0.09−75.2%—$174B—
GSK Drug Manufacturers - GeneralGSK plc0/5 short0/3 long−0.9%+2.1%−10.1%+4.7%+18.9%+60.0%+57.2%+95.1%24.5%0.49−37.6%—$102B—
SNY Drug Manufacturers - GeneralSanofi0/5 short0/3 long−2.6%−5.9%−10.3%−10.7%−13.4%−10.0%+3.0%+61.5%25.3%0.15−33.5%—$99B—
Open these 21 in EasyCompare

How did ABBV do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 2013, along with where ABBV ranked among its popular alternatives each year. Annual results reveal how consistently each one kept pace with ABBV and how far its good and bad years diverged, detail that multiyear averages tend to smooth over.

Note: ABBV began trading on December 10, 2012, so the table starts with 2013, its first full calendar year, and cannot show how it fared during the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or two other sell-offs.

Newest year first. Green marks a year in which the fund came out ahead of ABBV; gray means the two finished within a fraction of a point. The rank row places ABBV among the alternatives that traded the full year; dark green is the top quarter and red the bottom quarter.

InvestmentYears ahead of ABBV2025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013
ABBV This pageAbbVie Inc.—+33.1%+18.9%−0.2%+24.0%+32.4%+27.7%+1.5%−1.0%+60.1%+9.8%−6.5%+27.9%+60.7%
Rank among alternativesTop quarter in 6 of 137 of 213 of 2114 of 213 of 217 of 216 of 2117 of 2114 of 211 of 215 of 2120 of 215 of 217 of 20
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF5 of 13+17.7%+24.9%+26.2%−18.2%+28.7%+18.3%+31.2%−4.6%+21.7%+12.0%+1.2%+13.5%+32.3%
LLY Eli Lilly and Company10 of 13+40.3%+33.3%+60.9%+34.3%+66.1%+31.0%+16.2%+40.5%+17.8%−10.4%+25.4%+39.8%+7.3%
VTRS Viatris Inc.4 of 13+5.0%+19.7%+2.0%−14.3%−26.2%−6.8%−26.6%−35.2%+10.9%−29.4%−4.1%+29.9%+58.1%
AMGN Amgen Inc.5 of 13+29.7%−6.8%+13.5%+20.4%+0.9%−2.0%+27.6%+15.2%+22.3%−7.6%+4.0%+42.3%+34.8%
BIIB Biogen Inc.1 of 13+15.1%−40.9%−6.6%+15.4%−2.0%−17.5%−1.4%−5.5%+12.3%−7.4%−9.8%+21.4%+91.0%
MRK Merck & Co., Inc.6 of 13+9.8%−6.3%+1.0%+49.4%+1.8%−7.2%+22.3%+40.0%−1.5%+15.0%−3.9%+16.9%+26.9%
GILD Gilead Sciences, Inc.4 of 13+36.6%+18.7%−2.0%+23.6%+29.9%−6.7%+7.9%−9.9%+3.0%−27.6%+8.6%+25.5%+105%
TAK Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited2 of 13+22.7%−3.2%−4.8%+20.1%−21.6%−3.0%+22.1%−38.8%+41.3%−14.0%+24.4%−6.5%+7.4%
WST West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.8 of 13−15.7%−6.8%+50.0%−49.7%+65.9%+89.0%+54.1%−0.1%+17.0%+41.9%+14.0%+9.5%+81.3%
IQV IQVIA Holdings Inc.6 of 12+14.7%−15.1%+12.9%−27.4%+57.5%+16.0%+33.0%+18.7%+28.7%+10.8%+16.6%+27.0%—
REGN Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.4 of 13+9.0%−18.9%+21.7%+14.2%+30.7%+28.7%+0.5%−0.7%+2.4%−32.4%+32.3%+49.0%+60.9%
PFE Pfizer Inc.3 of 13+0.6%−2.2%−41.3%−10.4%+66.7%+3.4%−6.7%+25.1%+16.1%+4.4%+7.3%+5.4%+26.5%
TMO Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.6 of 13+11.8%−1.7%−3.4%−17.3%+43.5%+43.7%+45.6%+18.2%+35.0%−0.1%+13.8%+13.1%+75.8%
JNJ Johnson & Johnson4 of 13+47.5%−4.8%−8.6%+6.0%+11.4%+10.8%+16.2%−5.1%+24.4%+15.3%+1.2%+17.3%+34.6%
BMY Bristol-Myers Squibb Company3 of 13+0.1%+15.8%−26.1%+19.0%+2.9%+0.4%+27.7%−12.9%+7.7%−13.5%+19.3%+14.2%+70.0%
AZN AstraZeneca PLC5 of 13+38.0%−1.2%+0.8%+20.4%+17.9%+2.9%+37.4%+13.9%+35.3%−16.7%+0.1%+24.6%+32.0%
NVS Novartis AG5 of 13+46.0%−0.5%+21.1%+6.6%−5.0%+2.2%+29.1%+6.2%+19.8%−11.8%−4.3%+19.4%+32.2%
ABT Abbott Laboratories4 of 13+12.9%+4.8%+2.3%−20.7%+30.5%+28.1%+22.1%+29.1%+52.0%−12.3%+1.9%+20.1%+24.3%
NVO Novo Nordisk A/S4 of 13−39.2%−15.9%+54.8%+22.6%+63.5%+23.3%+28.7%−11.8%+54.3%−36.6%+39.3%+16.7%+15.3%
GSK GSK plc5 of 13+51.3%−5.2%+9.8%−16.8%+27.1%−17.7%+29.2%+13.8%−3.0%+2.1%−0.3%−15.7%+28.9%
SNY Sanofi4 of 13+4.9%+1.1%+6.5%+0.5%+7.0%+0.4%+20.5%+6.0%+9.9%−1.2%−3.4%−11.9%+17.1%
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Risk and diversification

How ABBV has fallen, how it held up in crashes beside the S&P 500 and its popular alternatives, and what moves independently of it.

What were ABBV's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high. This section presents ABBV's five deepest drawdowns since it began trading in 2012, alongside the S&P 500's return over the same dates, and how long each took to recover. Together, these figures show how much an investor could have lost and how long it took to get back to even.

Note: ABBV began trading on December 10, 2012, so this list cannot include the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or two other sell-offs. The crash tests on this page show how older funds and the S&P 500 fared through those years.

Green means ABBV fell less than the S&P 500 over the same dates. Based on daily closing prices with dividends reinvested.

DuringABBV fellS&P 500, same datesPeakLowTime to the lowBack at the peakTime to recover
Late-2018 sell-off−45.1%+2.1%Jan 2018Aug 201919 monthsDec 202016 months
2015 China and oil sell-off−31.6%−1.4%Jul 2015Oct 20153 monthsMay 201719 months
2022 bear market−21.9%−19.5%Apr 2022Sep 20225 monthsJan 202416 months
No named crash−20.7%−8.1%Mar 2025Apr 20251 monthSep 20255 months
No named crash−19.8%−1.1%Dec 2014Feb 20152 monthsJun 20154 months

How did ABBV do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far ABBV, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000. A smaller decline means an investment held up better, and comparing results across crashes shows whether that resilience was consistent or a one-off.

Note: ABBV began trading on December 10, 2012, so its row reads "Not yet trading" for the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or two other sell-offs. The older alternatives and the S&P 500 show how those crashes played out.

Newest crash first. Each figure is the fund's deepest fall within the crash window; green means a smaller fall than ABBV.

InvestmentHeld up better2023 regional bank crisisMar 20232022 bear marketJan 2022Covid crashFeb 2020Late-2018 sell-offSep 2018February 2018 volatility shockFeb 20182015 China and oil sell-offAug 20152011 euro debt crisisJul 20112010 flash crashMay 20102008 financial crisisOct 2007Dot-com bustMar 2000
ABBV This pageAbbVie Inc.—−1.5%−21.9%−32.1%−18.1%−5.8%−29.8%Not yet tradingNot yet tradingNot yet tradingNot yet trading
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF1 of 6−3.4%−24.5%−33.7%−19.3%−6.5%−12.8%−17.9%−1.5%−55.2%−47.5%
LLY Eli Lilly and Company5 of 6−0.6%−11.7%−16.9%−10.2%−8.6%−19.6%−10.9%0.0%−50.0%−54.3%
VTRS Viatris Inc.0 of 6−6.9%−43.3%−37.3%−32.8%−6.8%−31.9%−32.4%−0.1%−64.4%−47.3%
AMGN Amgen Inc.4 of 6−1.2%−11.9%−18.3%−14.3%−7.4%−22.1%−12.6%−0.5%−31.3%−60.2%
BIIB Biogen Inc.2 of 6−2.5%−22.4%−21.2%−21.7%−9.3%−24.6%−19.4%−0.6%−52.7%−59.8%
MRK Merck & Co., Inc.4 of 6−2.4%−10.8%−19.3%−9.7%−6.6%−18.2%−17.4%−2.3%−63.3%−57.5%
GILD Gilead Sciences, Inc.3 of 6−1.6%−20.0%−13.7%−22.7%−5.5%−28.7%−18.2%−2.1%−34.3%−53.6%
TAK Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited4 of 6−0.6%−14.8%−31.5%−27.9%−6.5%−17.0%−5.6%−3.7%——
WST West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.2 of 6−1.6%−44.2%−26.2%−24.9%−8.5%−14.6%−23.1%−1.5%−45.1%−41.9%
IQV IQVIA Holdings Inc.2 of 6−6.8%−35.9%−48.9%−19.2%−5.3%−28.7%————
REGN Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.3 of 6−0.2%−25.8%−12.7%−17.3%−7.3%−37.7%−23.2%−7.2%−49.9%−71.6%
PFE Pfizer Inc.3 of 6−1.8%−24.6%−21.8%−12.3%−8.1%−18.2%−16.1%−1.8%−49.8%−46.0%
TMO Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.4 of 6−2.4%−19.8%−24.8%−17.2%−8.7%−14.7%−24.4%−3.6%−53.9%−41.8%
JNJ Johnson & Johnson4 of 6−1.1%−12.7%−25.4%−16.9%−8.2%−9.0%−9.8%−0.1%−34.4%−35.9%
BMY Bristol-Myers Squibb Company4 of 6−2.3%−16.0%−29.4%−22.9%−4.1%−16.3%−10.5%0.0%−39.2%−69.5%
AZN AstraZeneca PLC4 of 6−0.5%−25.7%−22.6%−11.4%−6.4%−18.0%−16.4%−1.1%−37.4%−43.5%
NVS Novartis AG3 of 6−1.1%−20.4%−25.5%−9.9%−6.6%−30.1%−14.5%−2.6%−41.7%−25.7%
ABT Abbott Laboratories3 of 6−2.5%−27.9%−29.7%−11.7%−8.8%−27.4%−11.5%−0.5%−22.3%−45.7%
NVO Novo Nordisk A/S5 of 6−1.1%−21.4%−23.7%−13.8%−3.9%−20.8%−23.1%−1.7%−40.9%−51.0%
GSK GSK plc5 of 6−0.3%−37.6%−26.5%−11.5%−4.3%−15.7%−12.4%−2.0%−46.6%−45.1%
SNY Sanofi3 of 6−0.5%−33.5%−25.2%−9.0%−9.8%−30.2%−20.7%−2.8%−46.6%—
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How closely does ABBV move with the S&P 500?

Upside capture measures how much of the S&P 500's gains an investment kept in the months the market rose, and downside capture how much of its losses it took in the months the market fell. An investment that captures more of the gains than the losses has compounded ahead of the market over time. This section compares ABBV with its popular alternatives on both measures, and on beta (how strongly each has moved with the market), over the past 10 years.

Monthly total returns over the past 10 years, measured against SPY. 100% capture or a beta of 1.00 means moving in line with the S&P 500. Green marks a better figure than ABBV's: more upside, less downside or a higher capture ratio. Sorted by capture ratio.

InvestmentUpside captureDownside captureCapture ratioBeta
ABBV This pageAbbVie Inc.92%57%1.620.54
LLY Eli Lilly and Company101%6%15.730.37
AZN AstraZeneca PLC60%39%1.520.39
GILD Gilead Sciences, Inc.52%36%1.440.35
MRK Merck & Co., Inc.64%46%1.390.30
JNJ Johnson & Johnson64%53%1.200.46
AMGN Amgen Inc.74%64%1.160.54
WST West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.107%99%1.091.08
NVS Novartis AG69%64%1.080.49
TMO Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.104%104%1.000.81
ABT Abbott Laboratories76%79%0.960.64
REGN Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.55%66%0.840.19
GSK GSK plc51%61%0.820.52
NVO Novo Nordisk A/S75%94%0.800.60
IQV IQVIA Holdings Inc.128%167%0.771.31
BMY Bristol-Myers Squibb Company55%75%0.730.41
SNY Sanofi53%74%0.720.46
PFE Pfizer Inc.52%81%0.650.54
TAK Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited34%58%0.580.44
VTRS Viatris Inc.74%179%0.411.14
BIIB Biogen Inc.35%91%0.380.28
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What diversifies ABBV?

Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions). This section lists large ETFs and stocks whose returns have had a low correlation with ABBV's. Because such investments tend not to fall at the same time, pairing ABBV with them can reduce a portfolio's overall swings.

Only ETFs with at least $1.0B in assets and stocks worth at least $10B, with a correlation below 0.5 over the past 5 years and a positive return, are included, ranked by Sharpe ratio; funds that hold the same thing are shown once. The year columns are the years in which ABBV lost money. The last two columns show a portfolio that is 80% ABBV and 20% the other investment, rebalanced monthly.

ETFs

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe20232018201580/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
ABBV AbbVie Inc. (this page)1.00+218%1.11−0.2%−1.0%−6.5%22.4%+23.8%
LVHI InternationalFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF0.27+119%1.48+17.4%−5.2%—18.5%+22.9%
DXJ InternationalWisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund0.11+225%1.34+42.0%−19.8%+7.7%18.4%+25.0%
EMLP Broad MarketFirst Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund0.19+101%1.04+8.0%−8.7%−25.3%18.7%+22.7%
HDV Dividend & IncomeiShares Core High Dividend ETF0.46+83.3%1.00+1.8%−3.0%−0.3%19.4%+21.8%
SMH TechnologyVanEck Semiconductor ETF0.05+323%0.97+73.4%−9.1%−0.3%19.5%+28.0%
DBEF InternationalXtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF0.25+85.0%0.96+20.1%−9.5%+4.1%18.6%+22.2%
GLD CommoditiesSPDR Gold Shares0.14+126%0.96+12.7%−1.9%−10.7%18.7%+23.4%
SPMO Broad MarketInvesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF0.23+136%0.93+17.6%−0.9%—19.3%+24.1%

Stocks

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe20232018201580/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
ABBV AbbVie Inc. (this page)1.00+218%1.11−0.2%−1.0%−6.5%22.4%+23.8%
CAH Medical - DistributionCardinal Health, Inc.0.07+479%1.55+34.1%−24.5%+12.6%19.0%+27.6%
CLS Hardware, Equipment & PartsCelestica Inc.-0.02+3,143%1.47+160%−16.3%−6.0%21.1%+41.7%
FIX Engineering & ConstructionComfort Systems USA, Inc.-0.02+1,636%1.46+79.6%+0.8%+67.7%19.9%+37.3%
MCK Medical - DistributionMcKesson Corporation0.07+413%1.44+24.1%−28.4%−4.5%18.9%+26.9%
MPC Oil & Gas Refining & MarketingMarathon Petroleum Corporation0.13+690%1.41+30.4%−8.2%+17.4%19.8%+29.7%
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Common questions

What was ABBV's worst drawdown?

ABBV's deepest decline since it began trading in 2012 was 45.1%, from January 2018 to August 2019. It took 16 months from the low to climb back to its old high. Because ABBV launched in December 2012, that record does not include the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or two other sell-offs.

What were ABBV's best and worst years?

Over 13 full calendar years, ABBV's best year was 2013, when it returned 60.7%. Its worst was 2015, with a return of -6.5%.

Is there a better investment than ABBV?

Among ABBV's popular alternatives, LLY fell less than ABBV in each recent sell-off and kept up with it over the past decade. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, MCK (health care distribution) earned more for the risk it took than ABBV over the past 5 years, and its worst fall in 10 years was 38.1%, against 45.1% for ABBV.

Is ABBV more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. ABBV's volatility over the past 5 years was 23.4%, 1.4 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, ABBV's return lands within 23.4% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.

What is ABBV's Sharpe ratio?

ABBV's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 1.11, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so ABBV earned more for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings.

How correlated is ABBV with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, ABBV's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.17 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They are only loosely linked, which makes it a real diversifier next to an index fund. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against ABBV instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a ABBV holding.

What are the best alternatives to ABBV?

None of the 20 popular alternatives we compared outperformed ABBV in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, which says more about ABBV's strength than about its alternatives.

Did ABBV outperform the S&P 500?

ABBV finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in eight of 13 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +33.1%, against +17.7% for the index.

How did ABBV do in stock market crashes?

ABBV fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in five of the six major crashes it has traded through, and further in one. The clearest case was the 2022 bear market, when ABBV fell 21.9% and the S&P 500 fell 24.5%.

What diversifies ABBV?

These had a low correlation with ABBV over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, LVHI (correlation 0.27), DXJ (correlation 0.11) and EMLP (correlation 0.19); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.07), CLS (correlation -0.02) and FIX (correlation -0.02). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

How we measure

More research

Popular alternatives to ABBV