Compare Stocks › LLY vs VRSN

Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) vs VeriSign, Inc. (VRSN): Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

As of 2026-06-19, LLY is fairly valued at $1099, with a DCF intrinsic value of $1143 and a margin of safety of 4%. VRSN is overvalued at $265, with an intrinsic value of $212 and a margin of safety of -25%. Of the two, LLY has the wider margin of safety.

LLY

Eli Lilly and Company

$1098.57

VRSN

VeriSign, Inc.

$264.64

Rewards

LLY

★Eli Lilly and Company has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
★Gross margin of 82.8% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
★Eli Lilly and Company scores 73/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.

VRSN

★Gross margin of 88.3% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
★VeriSign, Inc. scores 100/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.
★Share count has been reduced by 13% over the past 4 years through buybacks, increasing each share's claim on earnings.

Risks

LLY

⚠FCF yield of 0.9% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.
⚠Insiders have sold $18.6M worth of stock in the past 3 months — significant insider liquidation.

VRSN

⚠PEG ratio of 3.31 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.
⚠Altman Z-Score of -5.16 places the company in the distress zone — financial patterns resemble those of companies that experienced bankruptcy.
⚠Insiders have sold $4.0M worth of stock in the past 3 months — significant insider liquidation.

Key Valuation Metrics

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LLY

VRSN

Valuation

$9.16B

Free Cash Flow

$1.07B

0.93%

FCF Yield

4.44%

39.00

Trailing P/E

29.27

24.69

Forward P/E

24.76

Quality & Moat

37.80%

ROIC

50.72%

107.46%

ROE

N/A

82.83%

Gross Margin

88.35%

1.50

PEG Ratio

3.31

Balance Sheet Safety

1.22

Net Debt / Equity

N/A

Interest Coverage

N/A

1.05

Net Debt / EBITDA

1.06

0.56%

Dividend Yield

1.18%

LLY: 2Ties: 3VRSN: 5

LLYVRSN

Historical Fundamentals

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LLY

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.

VRSN

$1 Retained Earnings Test

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LLY

$27.49

created per $1 retained over 3 years

Exceptional Value Creator

Σ Retained

$22.34B

Δ Market Cap

+$614.01B

Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

VRSN

$0.31

created per $1 retained over 3 years

Value Destroyer

Σ Retained

$2.21B

Δ Market Cap

+$694.3M

Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis

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LLY

3.9% Margin of Safety

Price is 3.9% below estimated fair value

Current Price: $1098.57

Strongly undervalued

Undervalued

Fairly valued

Overvalued

Strongly overvalued

Fair Value: $1143.11

Strongly undervalued

Undervalued

Fairly valued

Overvalued

Strongly overvalued

VRSN

24.9% Overvalued

Price is 24.9% above estimated fair value

Current Price: $264.64

Strongly undervalued

Undervalued

Fairly valued

Overvalued

Strongly overvalued

Fair Value: $211.80

Strongly undervalued

Undervalued

Fairly valued

Overvalued

Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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LLY

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $1099?

+20.0%

Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth

Standard FCF implies +31.4%

The market implies +20.0% Owner Earnings growth, below historical trends — potential opportunity.

Standard FCF implies a more demanding +31.4%, reflecting heavy growth investment expected to generate future returns.

VRSN

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $265?

+13.4%

Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth

Standard FCF implies +10.0%

The market implies +13.4% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

Standard FCF implies a demanding +10.0%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

Economic Moat Score

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LLY

73/100

Wide Moat

70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat driven primarily by roic consistency. Reinvestment Efficiency is the area most vulnerable to competitive pressure.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 5 years of fundamental data.

VRSN

100/100

Wide Moat

70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. ROIC Consistency is the standout factor.

Forensic Accounting

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LLY

-1.83

Possible Manipulator

Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

VRSN

-3.13

Unlikely Manipulator

Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Ownership Breakdown

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LLY

Insiders 0.2%Institutions 85.3%Retail & Other 14.5%

No. of Institutional Holders5,580

High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

VRSN

Insiders 10.6%Institutions 88.9%Retail & Other 0.5%

No. of Institutional Holders1,234

High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

Insider Buying Activity

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LLY

Buys (3M)

Buys (12M)

Total value (12M): $4.54M

MONTARCE LUCAS E

Chief Financial Officer

$494,627

@ $691.79 · 2025-08-15

VAN NAARDEN JACOB S.

Officer

$647,360

@ $647.36 · 2025-08-13

ALVAREZ RALPH

Director

$500,473

@ $660.25 · 2025-08-13

FYRWALD J. ERIK

Director

$1.01M

@ $642.33 · 2025-08-12

RICKS DAVID A

Chief Executive Officer

$1.05M

@ $644.77 · 2025-08-12

SKOVRONSKY DANIEL

Officer

$634,405

@ $634.40 · 2025-08-12

SULZBERGER GABRIELLE

Director

$75,018

@ $641.18 · 2025-08-12

JACKSON JAMERE

Director

$127,913

@ $639.57 · 2025-08-08

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

VRSN

Buys (3M)

Buys (12M)

Total value (12M): $13,821

ARMSTRONG COURTNEY D.

Director

$4,929

@ $308.06 · 2026-05-27

ARMSTRONG COURTNEY D.

Director

$4,912

@ $223.27 · 2026-02-27

ARMSTRONG COURTNEY D.

Director

$3,980

@ $265.33 · 2025-11-25

GORELICK JAMIE S

Director

$16,051

@ $267.52 · 2025-05-29

ARMSTRONG COURTNEY D.

Director

$3,969

@ $283.50 · 2025-05-28

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$4.10M

@ $204.71 · 2025-01-03

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$15.57M

@ $203.62 · 2024-12-30

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$28.55M

@ $199.05 · 2024-12-24

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$45.40M

@ $193.77 · 2024-12-19

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.

Insider Selling Activity

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LLY

Sells (3M)

Sells (12M)

Total value (12M): $3.86B

YUFFA ILYA

Officer

$2.88M

@ $1150.77 · 2026-06-10

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$15.75M

@ $995.36 · 2026-05-06

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$322.38M

@ $1103.48 · 2026-01-07

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$1.51M

@ $1085.01 · 2026-01-05

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$3.90M

@ $1085.04 · 2025-12-29

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$2.85M

@ $1085.17 · 2025-12-24

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$260,409

@ $1085.04 · 2025-12-23

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$161.08M

@ $1095.35 · 2025-11-25

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$17.34M

@ $1109.30 · 2025-11-25

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$152.06M

@ $1068.52 · 2025-11-24

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$111.50M

@ $1058.66 · 2025-11-21

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$39.07M

@ $1051.66 · 2025-11-20

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$176.10M

@ $1051.17 · 2025-11-19

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$62.31M

@ $1034.78 · 2025-11-18

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$10.19M

@ $1030.68 · 2025-11-17

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$183.33M

@ $1028.25 · 2025-11-14

ZAKROWSKI DONALD A

Officer

$1.01M

@ $1010.50 · 2025-11-13

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$48.02M

@ $1030.26 · 2025-11-13

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$308.41M

@ $1011.18 · 2025-11-12

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$279.35M

@ $986.64 · 2025-11-11

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$16.41M

@ $972.52 · 2025-11-10

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$167.09M

@ $933.26 · 2025-11-05

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$38.47M

@ $951.56 · 2025-11-05

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$479,038

@ $910.72 · 2025-11-04

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$266.65M

@ $888.83 · 2025-11-03

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$260.17M

@ $863.35 · 2025-10-31

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$3.16M

@ $863.24 · 2025-10-10

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$9.04M

@ $852.49 · 2025-10-09

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$86.23M

@ $850.27 · 2025-10-08

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$22.72M

@ $848.01 · 2025-10-07

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$137.04M

@ $850.22 · 2025-10-06

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$161.22M

@ $837.93 · 2025-10-03

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$92.50M

@ $821.55 · 2025-10-02

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$107.36M

@ $794.15 · 2025-10-01

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$177.29M

@ $821.47 · 2025-10-01

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$86.79M

@ $763.39 · 2025-09-30

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$18.06M

@ $763.09 · 2025-09-19

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$81.53M

@ $764.65 · 2025-09-18

ZAKROWSKI DONALD A

Officer

$734,930

@ $734.93 · 2025-08-28

YUFFA ILYA

Officer

$783,762

@ $627.01 · 2025-08-11

LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$225.42M

@ $805.07 · 2025-07-24

ZAKROWSKI DONALD A

Officer

$716,410

@ $716.41 · 2025-05-27

YUFFA ILYA

Officer

$936,550

@ $749.24 · 2025-05-14

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

VRSN

Sells (3M)

Sells (12M)

Total value (12M): $37.92M

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$141,770

@ $283.54 · 2026-06-09

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$938,169

@ $284.29 · 2026-06-09

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$146,725

@ $293.45 · 2026-06-02

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$981,646

@ $297.47 · 2026-06-02

MCPHERSON DANNY R

Officer

$1.36M

@ $271.02 · 2026-04-28

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$134,490

@ $270.06 · 2026-04-14

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$136,452

@ $274.00 · 2026-04-07

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$124,500

@ $250.00 · 2026-03-25

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$79,886

@ $240.62 · 2026-03-10

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$115,426

@ $231.78 · 2026-03-03

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$36,394

@ $219.24 · 2026-02-10

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$124,042

@ $249.08 · 2026-02-03

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$2.24M

@ $248.45 · 2026-01-15

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$123,859

@ $248.71 · 2026-01-13

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$41,500

@ $250.00 · 2026-01-09

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$79,956

@ $240.83 · 2026-01-06

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$2.19M

@ $243.06 · 2025-12-18

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$2.20M

@ $244.00 · 2025-12-11

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$125,285

@ $250.07 · 2025-12-09

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$126,563

@ $252.62 · 2025-12-02

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$2.24M

@ $248.73 · 2025-11-20

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$2.25M

@ $249.88 · 2025-11-13

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$165,821

@ $248.24 · 2025-11-12

CALYS JOHN D

Chief Financial Officer

$242,955

@ $242.71 · 2025-11-07

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$81,670

@ $244.52 · 2025-11-04

MCPHERSON DANNY R

Officer

$592,175

@ $236.87 · 2025-10-31

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$2.36M

@ $262.18 · 2025-10-23

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$2.38M

@ $264.40 · 2025-10-16

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$131,723

@ $262.92 · 2025-10-14

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$135,706

@ $270.87 · 2025-10-07

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$575,925

@ $287.96 · 2025-09-18

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$2.01M

@ $287.67 · 2025-09-17

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$2.56M

@ $284.36 · 2025-09-11

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$141,422

@ $282.28 · 2025-09-09

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$135,500

@ $270.46 · 2025-09-02

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$2.43M

@ $269.68 · 2025-08-21

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$2.39M

@ $265.18 · 2025-08-14

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$132,514

@ $264.50 · 2025-08-12

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$135,020

@ $269.50 · 2025-08-05

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$2.54M

@ $281.70 · 2025-07-17

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$2.58M

@ $286.22 · 2025-07-10

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$143,837

@ $287.10 · 2025-07-08

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$145,373

@ $290.17 · 2025-07-01

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$2.55M

@ $282.87 · 2025-06-18

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$2.50M

@ $278.29 · 2025-06-12

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$140,541

@ $280.52 · 2025-06-10

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$137,995

@ $275.44 · 2025-06-03

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$141,282

@ $282.00 · 2025-05-27

BIDZOS DEMETRIOS JAMES

Chief Executive Officer

$2.53M

@ $280.73 · 2025-05-22

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$141,172

@ $281.78 · 2025-05-20

BUCHALTER YEHUDA ARI

Director

$170,274

@ $283.79 · 2025-05-06

CALYS JOHN D

Officer

$112,788

@ $281.97 · 2025-05-02

CALYS JOHN D

Officer

$103,590

@ $231.74 · 2025-02-24

MCPHERSON DANNY R

Officer

$1.27M

@ $230.73 · 2025-02-18

COTE KATHLEEN A

Director

$690,000

@ $230.00 · 2025-02-18

MCPHERSON DANNY R

Officer

$402,573

@ $192.43 · 2024-12-02

CALYS JOHN D

Officer

$198,800

@ $186.49 · 2024-11-07

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$233,320

@ $190.00 · 2024-10-15

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$466,640

@ $190.00 · 2024-09-27

INDELICARTO THOMAS C

General Counsel

$699,960

@ $190.00 · 2024-07-29

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.

🎭 Mr. Market's Mood

Learn more →

LLY

😏Greed(61/100)

"Market is optimistic — be cautious and ensure you have a margin of safety"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

VRSN

😐Neutral(47/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

⚖️ Buffett Signal

Learn more →

LLY

⚪Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Greed (61)

VRSN

⚪Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (47)

View LLY Full Analysis View VRSN Full Analysis

Frequently Asked Questions: LLY vs VRSN

Is Eli Lilly and Company or VeriSign, Inc. more undervalued in 2026?▼

Based on our discounted cash flow model, LLY trades at a 3.9% margin of safety (intrinsic value $1143 vs. price $1099), compared to VRSN's -24.9% margin of safety (intrinsic $212 vs. $265).

Which stock has a wider economic moat, Eli Lilly and Company or VeriSign, Inc.?▼

VRSN scores 100/100 (Wide moat), while LLY scores 73/100 (Wide moat). The moat score measures competitive advantage durability across ROIC consistency, margin stability, revenue predictability, and reinvestment efficiency.

Is VeriSign, Inc. in financial distress?▼

VRSN's Altman Z-Score of -5.2 places it in the Distress zone, signaling elevated bankruptcy risk. LLY scores 8.7 (Safe zone). The Altman Z-Score is a five-factor model that predicts insolvency within two years; scores below 1.81 indicate significant distress.

Which company has better free cash flow, Eli Lilly and Company or VeriSign, Inc.?▼

VeriSign, Inc. (VRSN) generates a 4.4% free cash flow yield, compared to Eli Lilly and Company's 0.9%. A higher FCF yield means the business converts more of its market value into cash that can be returned to shareholders or reinvested.

Which stock has higher return on invested capital, Eli Lilly and Company or VeriSign, Inc.?▼

VRSN earns 50.7% ROIC versus LLY's 37.8%. A higher ROIC means the company generates more profit per dollar of capital employed, a hallmark of durable competitive advantage in Buffett-style analysis.

Which dividend is safer, Eli Lilly and Company's or VeriSign, Inc.'s?▼

VRSN's dividend earns a safety score of 85/100 (Very Safe), compared to LLY's 64/100 (Safe). VRSN has raised its dividend for 0 consecutive years.