RA Williams Distributors Valuation Multiples

Eli Lilly is a drug firm with a focus on neuroscience, cardiometabolic, cancer, and immunology. Lilly's key products include Verzenio for cancer; Mounjaro, Zepbound, Jardiance, Trulicity, Humalog, and Humulin for cardiometabolic; and Taltz and Olumiant for immunology.

Johnson & Johnson is the world's largest and most diverse healthcare firm. It has two divisions: innovative medicine and medtech. These now represent all of the company's sales following the divestment of the consumer business, Kenvue, in 2023. After restructurings in 2023-24, the drug division focuses on three main therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, and neurology. Geographically, just over half of total revenue is generated in the United States.

AbbVie is a pharmaceutical firm with a strong exposure to immunology (with Humira, Skyrizi, and Rinvoq) and oncology (with Imbruvica and Venclexta). The company was spun off from Abbott in early 2013. The 2020 acquisition of Allergan added several new products and drugs in aesthetics, including Botox. The 2024 acquisitions of Cerevel (neuroscience) and ImmunoGen (oncology) help supplement AbbVie's portfolio.

Roche is a Swiss biopharmaceutical and diagnostic company. The firm's bestselling pharmaceutical products include a variety of oncology therapies from acquired partner Genentech, and its diagnostics group was bolstered by the acquisition of Ventana in 2008. Oncology products account for 50% of pharmaceutical sales, and centralized and point-of-care diagnostics for more than half of diagnostic-related sales.

Merck makes pharmaceutical products to treat several conditions in a number of therapeutic areas, including cardiometabolic disease, cancer, and infections. Within cancer, the firm's immuno-oncology platform, led by Keytruda, is a major contributor to overall sales. The company also has a substantial vaccine business aimed at preventing pediatric diseases, as well as Gardasil for human papillomavirus. Additionally, Merck sells animal health-related drugs. From a geographical perspective, 47% of the company's sales are generated from US human health (pharmaceuticals and vaccines).

Novartis develops and manufactures innovative drugs. Key areas of drug development are oncology, immunology, neuroscience, respiratory, and cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic. It also has an established medicines business, which includes off-patent franchises. The company sells its products globally, with the United States constituting close to one-third of total revenue.

A merger between Astra of Sweden and Zeneca Group of the United Kingdom formed AstraZeneca in 1999. The firm sells branded drugs across a number of major therapeutic areas, including oncology (about 40% of total revenue), cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic (25%), rare disease (17%), and respiratory and immunology (15%). The majority of sales comes from international markets, with the United States representing close to one third of its sales.

With roughly one-third of the global branded diabetes treatment market, Novo Nordisk is the leading provider of diabetes care products in the world. Based in Denmark, the company manufactures and markets a variety of human and modern insulins, injectable diabetes treatments such as GLP-1 therapy, oral antidiabetic agents, and obesity treatments. Novo also has a biopharmaceutical segment (contributing less than 10% of revenue) that specializes in protein therapies for hemophilia and other disorders.

Amgen is a leader in biotechnology-based human therapeutics. Flagship drugs include red blood cell boosters Epogen and Aranesp, immune system boosters Neupogen and Neulasta, and Enbrel and Otezla for inflammatory diseases. Amgen introduced its first cancer therapeutic, Vectibix, in 2006 and markets bone-strengthening drugs Prolia/Xgeva (approved 2010) and Evenity (2019). The acquisition of Onyx Pharmaceuticals bolstered the firm's therapeutic oncology portfolio with Kyprolis. Recent launches include Repatha (cholesterol-lowering), Aimovig (migraine), Lumakras (lung cancer), and Tezspire (asthma). The 2023 Horizon acquisition brought several rare-disease drugs, including thyroid eye disease drug Tepezza. Amgen also has a growing biosimilar portfolio.

Gilead Sciences develops and markets therapies to treat and prevent life-threatening infectious diseases, with the core of its portfolio focused on HIV and hepatitis B and C. Gilead's acquisition of Pharmasset brought rights to hepatitis C drug Sovaldi, which is also part of newer combination regimens that remain standards of care. Gilead is also growing its presence in the oncology market via acquisitions, led by CAR-T cell therapy Yescarta/Tecartus (from Kite) and breast and bladder cancer therapy Trodelvy (from Immunomedics).

Pfizer is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical firms, with annual sales of roughly $60 billion. While it historically sold many types of healthcare products and chemicals, now prescription drugs and vaccines account for the majority of sales. Top sellers include pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar 13 and cardiology drugs Vyndaqel and Eliquis. Pfizer sells these products globally, with international sales representing 40% of total sales. Within international sales, emerging markets are a major contributor.

Parker Hannifin started out in 1917 as Parker Appliance, selling pneumatic brakes. Through the acquisition of branded components, the firm has expanded into aerospace engines, agricultural and construction machinery, freight and passenger vehicles, and industrial automation equipment. Within these larger systems, Parker sells a wide array of small, critical pieces such as hydraulic, electromechanical, climate control, and filtration components. Many of its products are designed to work together, resulting in a high rate of cross-selling.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals is a global biotechnology company that discovers and develops small-molecule drugs for the treatment of serious diseases. Its key drugs are Kalydeco, Orkambi, Symdeko, and Trikafta/Kaftrio, and Alyftrek for cystic fibrosis, where Vertex therapies remain the standard of care globally. Vertex has diversified its portfolio through Casgevy, a gene-editing therapy for beta thalassemia and sickle-cell disease, and Journavx, a non-opioid pain medication approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acute pain in adults. Additionally, Vertex is evaluating small-molecule inhibitors of APOL1-mediated kidney diseases. Vertex is also investigating cell therapies to deliver a potential functional cure for type 1 diabetes.

Bristol Myers Squibb discovers, develops, and markets drugs for various therapeutic areas, such as cardiovascular, cancer, and immune disorders. A key focus for Bristol is immuno-oncology, where the firm is a leader in drug development. Bristol derives close to 70% of total sales from the US, showing a higher dependence on the US market than most of its peer group.

In the pharmaceutical industry, GSK ranks as one of the largest firms by total sales. The company wields its might across several therapeutic classes, including respiratory, antiviral, and vaccines, and has been growing its presence in oncology and immunology, as well. GSK uses joint ventures to gain additional scale in certain markets like HIV.

Sanofi develops and markets drugs with a concentration in immunology, vaccines, and rare diseases. Although the company offers a diverse array of drugs, its highest revenue generator, Dupixent, accounts for approximately 30% of total sales. Profits for this immunology blockbuster drug are shared with Regeneron. About 45% of total revenue comes from the United States, 20% from Europe, and 6% from China.

McKesson Corp is one of three leading pharmaceutical wholesalers in the US engaged in sourcing and distributing branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail order), hospitals networks, and healthcare providers. Along with Cencora and Cardinal Health, the three account for over 90% of the US pharmaceutical wholesale industry. Outside the US market, McKesson engages in pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution in Canada. Additionally, the company supplies medical-surgical products and equipment to healthcare facilities and provides a variety of technology solutions for pharmacies.

Chugai Pharmaceutical is a Japanese drug developer and subsidiary of Roche Holding, which owns roughly 60% of the company. Founded in 1925, Chugai deals primarily in the Japanese market, where it generates roughly half of its revenue. It has been the leader in Japan’s oncology market for the past decade, largely due to drugs licensed from its parent’s portfolio. The company also develops its own innovative medicines. It is an industry leader in antibody technology with several flagship therapies, including Hemlibra for hemophilia A patients and Actemra for treating rheumatoid arthritis and covid patients.

Merck KGaA operates in three main segments: Life Science, Electronics, and Healthcare. The Life Science segment provides laboratory consumables and instruments to researchers in academia and applied fields, including the biopharmaceutical industry. The Electronics segment offers specialty materials to manufacture a variety of products, such as semiconductors and flat-screen televisions. In the healthcare segment, Merck develops, manufactures, and sells branded pharmaceuticals with significant therapeutic concentrations in oncology, multiple sclerosis, and fertility. In 1995, the E. Merck KG family publicly sold part of the company, resulting in the current 30% public ownership of the firm.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals discovers, develops, and commercializes products that fight eye disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammation. The company has several marketed products, including low-dose Eylea and Eylea HD, approved for wet age-related macular degeneration and other eye diseases; Dupixent in immunology; Praluent for LDL cholesterol lowering; Libtayo in oncology; and Kevzara in rheumatoid arthritis. Regeneron is also developing monoclonal and bispecific antibodies with Sanofi, other collaborators, and independently, and has early-stage partnerships that bring new technology to the pipeline, including RNAi (Alnylam) and Crispr-based gene editing (Intellia).

Founded in 1927, W.W. Grainger originally distributed various motors via a mail-order catalogue. Over the course of the 20th century, the firm expanded into new industrial product categories and launched its first digital catalogue in 1995. Today, the company organizes itself into two segments focused on different customer bases. Its larger segment, high-touch solutions, offers a vast array of maintenance, repair, and operations, or MRO, supplies and bespoke inventory management services to larger businesses. Its smaller segment, endless assortment, operates two online platforms, Zoro and MonotaRO, that offer comprehensive catalogues of MRO supplies to smaller businesses. Grainger has operations throughout the world but primarily generates sales within the US.

Cencora is one of three leading domestic pharmaceutical wholesalers. It sources and distributes branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail order), hospital networks, and healthcare providers. It and McKesson and Cardinal Health hold over 90% share of the US pharmaceutical wholesale industry. Cencora also provides commercialization services for manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, global specialty drug logistics (World Courier), and animal health product distribution (MWI Animal Health). Cencora expanded its international presence in 2021 by purchasing Alliance Healthcare, one of the leading drug wholesalers in Europe.

UCB is a Belgium-based biopharma firm focused on the development of novel therapies for the treatment of central nervous system and immunologic diseases. Historically, revenue was derived from allergy medicine Zyrtec and epilepsy drug Keppra, which have both lost patent protection. The firm's key products are Cimzia (immunology), Vimpat (epilepsy), Neupro (Parkinson's disease and restless leg syndrome), Briviact (epilepsy), Bimzelx (psoriasis), Evenity (osteoporosis), Nayzilam (cluster seizures), Fintepla (Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome), and Kygevvi (rare mitochondrial disease).

Cardinal Health is one of three leading pharmaceutical wholesalers in the US, engaged in sourcing and distributing of branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail order), hospital networks, and healthcare providers. Cardinal, Cencora, and McKesson hold well over 90% of the US pharmaceutical wholesale industry. Cardinal Health also supplies medical-surgical products and equipment to healthcare facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Fastenal began as an industrial retailer, expanding its product portfolio from nuts and bolts to cutting tools, safety equipment, and janitorial supplies. It transitioned into a distributor by building out a dense network of branches close to its business customers. Once a customer becomes large enough, Fastenal installs vending machines and its own personnel on-site. Today, these on-site locations exceed Fastenal’s branch count and remain the firm’s main focus for expansion. Fastenal acts as a one-stop outsourcing partner for its industrial customers, offering value-added services along with a wide breadth of maintenance, repair, and operations supplies.

Argenx is a Dutch biopharmaceutical company focused on developing antibody-based therapies for rare autoimmune diseases. The company's lead product, Vyvgart (efgartigimod), was approved by the FDA in December 2021 for the treatment of generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG). In 2022, Argenx also received FDA approval for Vyvgart Hytrulo, a subcutaneous formulation of Vyvgart, offering a more convenient option compared with Vyvgart's intravenous administration. In 2024, the FDA approved Vyvgart Hytrulo for Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy, a rare immune-mediated neuromuscular disorder of the peripheral nervous system. Argenx is focused on innovation and developing its pipeline for treatments such as primary immune thrombocytopenia, thyroid eye disease, and Sjogren's Disease.

Rheinmetall is an international group active in various markets with leading technological products and services. The sales focus is on the security technology and mobility segments. Since February 2021, the group structure has been made up of five divisions-vehicle systems, weapons and ammunition, electronic solutions, sensors and actuators, and materials and trade. The vehicle systems, weapons and ammunition, and electronic solutions divisions are among the defense and security industry's leading suppliers of innovative products to German and international defense forces. The sensors and actuators and materials and trade divisions' core area of expertise is the reduction of emissions, pollutants and fuel consumption.

Takeda Pharmaceutical is Japan’s largest pharmaceutical company, with revenue of JPY 4.6 trillion in fiscal 2024. The company’s five core therapeutic areas are oncology, gastroenterology, neuroscience, rare diseases, and plasma-derived therapies, which account for more than 80% of revenue. Its geographic footprint is well diversified, with over 50% derived from the US, 20% from Japan, 20% from Europe and Canada.

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co Ltd is a biopharmaceutical company that engages in the research, development, manufacture, and sale of drugs. It is engaged in the field of cancer treatment drugs, surgical medicines, endocrine therapy drugs, cardiovascular drugs, and anti-infection medications. The company specializes in the research and development of new medicines in areas of antineoplastics, endocrine system, cardiovascular, and the immune system.

Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd is India's generic pharmaceutical manufacturing company. The company’s substantial markets are the U.S. and India to make up the majority of revenue. The remaining is spread across both emerging and developed markets. In addition to generics, the company also produces and distributes name-brand formulas to specific geographies. It maintains manufacturing and research and development facilities globally to serve its markets but is majorly based in India.

Ferguson distributes plumbing and HVAC products to North American repair, maintenance and improvement, new construction, and civil infrastructure markets. It serves over 1 million customers and sources products from 36,000 suppliers. Ferguson engages customers through approximately 1,800 North American branches, over the phone, online, and in residential showrooms. According to Modern Distribution Management, Ferguson is the largest plumbing distributor and second-largest HVAC distributor (next to Watsco) in North America. The firm sold its UK business in 2021 and is now solely focused on the North American market.

Lonza Group is a contract development and manufacturing organization. It operates under four segments: small molecules, biologics, cell and gene, and capsules and health ingredients. Lonza derives its revenue primarily from long-term supply agreements with pharmaceutical customers. The company provides development and manufacturing services throughout the entire lifecycle of a product, from drug research to commercial supply. The majority of Lonza's customers are pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, and government research organizations.

Sumitomo Corp. is a general trading house, or sogo shosha, a type of conglomerate unique to Japan. Its core role is that of a trading intermediary in a variety of industrial sectors, including resources businesses such as energy and metals as well as nonresources businesses, both industrial ones like machinery and non-industrial ones like food, media, and retail. In addition to acting as a trading intermediary (including midstream processing functions to convert inputs into final products), Sumitomo also participates in upstream production businesses and downstream distribution businesses.

Bayer is a German healthcare and agriculture conglomerate. Healthcare provides close to half of the company's sales and includes pharmaceutical drugs (39% of total sales in 2024) as well as vitamins and other consumer healthcare products (13% of total). The firm's crop science business (49% of total) sells seeds, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, which was expanded through its 2018 acquisition of Monsanto.

Teva Pharmaceutical, based in Israel, is the leading generic drug manufacturer in the world. Teva derives half of its sales from North America and makes up a high-single-digit percentage of the total number of generic prescriptions in the US. It also has a significant presence in Europe, Japan, Russia, and Israel. Besides generics, Teva has a portfolio of innovative medicines and biosimilars in three main therapeutic areas: the central nervous system with Copaxone, Ajovy, and Austedo; respiratory with Qvar and ProAir; and oncology with Truxima, Herzuma, and Bendeka/Treanda. Teva also sells active pharmaceutical ingredients, offers contract manufacturing services, and owns Anda, a US-based generic and specialty drug distributor.

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals is a leader in the study of RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics. RNAi is a naturally occurring biological pathway in cells that enables sequence-specific silencing and regulation of gene expression. Alnylam has five drugs on the market: Onpattro and Amvuttra for hATTR amyloidosis, Givlaari for acute hepatic porphyria, Oxlumo for primary hyperoxaluria type 1, and Leqvio for hypercholesterolemia. It also has several clinical programs across various therapeutic areas: genetic medicines; cardio-metabolic diseases; hepatic infectious diseases, and CNS/ocular diseases. Upfront fees from research partnerships have boosted Alnylam's cash levels, and the company stands to see additional milestones and royalties from drugs commercialized under collaboration partnerships.

Sandoz is one of the largest generic pharmaceutical manufacturers in the world, generating over $11 billion annually from off-patent drugs. Once part of Novartis, Sandoz spun off and went public in October 2023. Generics, including small molecules and complex injectables, make up roughly 75% of Sandoz’s total sales, and the firm has a significant presence in Europe, the United States, and other key international markets. Sandoz generates its remaining sales from biosimilars and is among the leaders in the space. Sandoz launched Europe’s first biosimilar, Omnitrope, in 2006, as well as the first US biosimilar, Zarxio, in 2015. It has over 10 launched biosimilars in a number of markets and over 20 assets in its pipeline.

CSL is one of the largest global biotech companies and has three main segments. CSL Behring either uses plasma-derived proteins or recombinants to treat conditions including immunodeficiencies, bleeding disorders, and neurological indications. CSL Seqirus is the world’s second-largest influenza vaccination business and was acquired in fiscal 2016. CSL Vifor is an iron deficiency and nephrology business and was acquired in fiscal 2023. CSL has a strong R&D track record, and the product portfolio and pipeline include nonplasma products as the firm continues to broaden its scope. Originally formed in Australia as a government-owned entity, CSL now earns roughly half its revenue in North America and a quarter in Europe.

Sysco is the largest US foodservice distributor with 18% share of the highly fragmented $377 billion domestic market. It distributes roughly 500,000 food and nonfood products to restaurants (60% of fiscal 2025 revenue), education and government buildings (8%), healthcare facilities (8%), travel and leisure (7%), and other locations (17%) where individuals consume away-from-home meals. In fiscal 2025, 70% of the firm’s revenue was derived from its US foodservice operations, while its international (18%), quick-service logistics (10%), and other (2%) segments contributed the rest.

Revolution Medicines Inc is a clinical-stage precision oncology company developing novel targeted therapies for RAS-addicted cancers. The Company possesses structure-based drug discovery capabilities built upon chemical biology and cancer pharmacology know-how and proprietary technologies that enable the creation of small molecules tailored to unconventional binding sites. Its research and development pipeline comprises inhibitors that bind directly to RAS variants (RAS(ON) Inhibitors), designed to be used as monotherapy, in combination with other RAS(ON) Inhibitors and/or other therapeutic agents.

Otsuka Holdings Co Ltd is a Japan-based company that operates in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and consumer products. It operates through four reportable segments: Medical-related Business, Nutraceutical-related Business, Consumer-related Business, and Other Business. The Medical Business manufactures and sells therapeutic drugs and infusions, the Nutraceutical Business produces functional foods, beverages, and nutritional supplements, the Consumer Business offers mineral water, beverages, and foods, while the Other Business provides storage services and manufactures chemicals and analytical equipment. It generates the majority of its revenue from the medical-related business segment.

Zoetis sells anti-infectives, vaccines, parasiticides, diagnostics, and other health products for animals. The firm earns roughly 35% of total revenue from production animals (cattle, pigs, poultry, and so on) and nearly 65% from companion animal (dogs, horses, cats) products. Its USA business is skewed even more heavily toward companion animals, while its international business is slightly skewed toward production animals. The firm has the largest market share in the industry and was previously Pfizer's animal health unit.

BeOne Medicines Ltd is a holding company. Through its subsidiaries, it operates as an oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of treatments for cancer. Its portfolio includes BRUKINSA (a Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor), sonrotoclax (a B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) inhibitor, and a BTK chimeric degradation activation compound (BTK-CDAC). The company develops and commercializes wholly owned therapeutic assets targeting multiple mechanisms of action in oncology. The company operates in one segment: pharmaceutical products. It generates the majority of its revenue from the sale of its biopharmaceutical products.

Biogen is an established biopharmaceutical company focused on treatments for neurodegenerative and rare diseases. Its declining multiple sclerosis franchise is its largest revenue generator and contributed 40% of total revenue in 2025. Biogen also generates significant revenue from its CD20 collaboration agreements with Roche (19% of total in 2025), which includes oncology drugs Rituxan and Gazyva and multiple sclerosis drug Ocrevus. Biogen's newer franchises include Spinraza (spinal muscular atrophy, with partner Ionis), Leqembi (Alzheimer's disease, collabroation revenue from its partner Eisai), Skyclarys (Friedreich's ataxia, Reata), Zurzuvae (postpartum depression, Sage), and Qalsody (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Ionis).

Daiichi Sankyo was established by the merger of Daiichi Pharmaceuticals and Sankyo in 2005. As of 2024, approximately one quarter of revenue comes from its Japan businesses, which will shrink in the future as the company expands its global footprint. Its primary growth driver is its leading platform of antibody drug conjugates, or ADCs. Its three lead ADCs are Enhertu (HER2), Datroway (TROP2), I-DXd (B7-H3), HER3-DXd (HER3), and R-DXd (CDH6). Enhertu entered the clinic in 2015 and received its first US approval in December 2019 for third-line late-stage HER2-positive breast cancer. It is also approved for HER2-positive stomach cancers and HER2 mutant non-small cell lung cancer.

Celltrion Inc is a biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the research, development, and manufacture of biosimilars and novel biopharmaceuticals. The company's operating segments include Biopharmaceuticals and Chemical medicine segment. Its Biopharmaceuticals segment includes products and commodities such as biopharmaceutical drugs and related product-support services. The Chemical Medicine segment covers products and commodities including various chemical medicines. It generates the majority of its revenue from the Biopharmaceuticals segment.

Roivant Sciences Ltd is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the delivery of healthcare to patients. It also incubates discovery-stage companies and health technology startups complementary to its biopharmaceutical business. Its drug candidate VTAMA (tapinarof) is a treatment of plaque psoriasis in adult patients and is in its commercial stage. The other drug candidates in their different stages of development are; Batoclimab, IMVT-1402, Brepocitinib, Namilumab, and others.

Royalty Pharma PLC is the largest buyer of biopharmaceutical royalties. The firm has a portfolio of royalties that entitles it to payments based on the sales of biopharma products. Royalty Pharma receives royalties on more than 35 commercial products, including AbbVie and Johnson & Johnson's Imbruvica (for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and other blood cancers), Biogen's Tysabri (for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis), Vertex's cystic fibrosis franchise, and 10 development-stage product candidates.