Roche vs Visa: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Roche reported ~$76B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$15.5B of net income. Visa reported $40B of revenue in FY2025 and $20.1B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
Roche
Roche's 2025 group sales were ~$73.8 billion (CHF 61.5 billion), up 7% at constant exchange rates but only 2% in Swiss francs. Core operating profit grew 13% CER to ~$26.2 billion (CHF 21.8 billion), core EPS was CHF 19.46, and IFRS net income jumped to ~$16.6 billion (CHF 13.8 billion) from ~$11 billion (CHF 9.2 billion) in 2024, when impairments depressed profit. In H1 2026 core operating margin widened 1.7 points to 39.0%, while a strong franc pushed reported sales down 2%. The board raised the dividend to CHF 9.80, the 39th consecutive increase, and guided for mid-single-digit CER sales growth and high-single-digit core EPS growth in 2026.
Visa
Visa's fiscal year ends September 30. Fiscal 2025 net revenue was USD 40.0 billion, up 11% from USD 35.9 billion in fiscal 2024, and GAAP net income was USD 20.1 billion. Growth continued in fiscal 2026: in the third quarter (April to June 2026) net revenue rose 14% to USD 11.6 billion, quarterly payments volume passed USD 4 trillion for the first time, and Visa returned USD 6.2 billion to shareholders through buybacks and dividends. Fiscal 2026 full-year results are due in late October 2026.
Revenue and profit by year
Roche
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$76B | ~$15.5B | 20.3% | +1.5% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$74.9B | ~$9.9B | 13.3% | +3.2% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$72.5B | ~$13.8B | 19.0% | -8.2% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$79B | ~$14.9B | 18.9% | -0.1% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$79B | ~$16.7B | 21.2% | — | Source |
Visa
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $40B | $20.1B | 50.1% | +11.3% | Source |
| FY2024 | $35.9B | $19.7B | 55.0% | +10.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $32.7B | $17.3B | 52.9% | +11.4% | Source |
| FY2022 | $29.3B | $15B | 51.0% | +21.6% | Source |
| FY2021 | $24.1B | $12.3B | 51.1% | +10.3% | Source |
| FY2020 | $21.8B | $10.9B | 49.7% | -4.9% | Source |
| FY2019 | $23B | $12.1B | 52.6% | +11.5% | Source |
| FY2018 | $20.6B | $10.3B | 50.0% | +12.3% | Source |
| FY2017 | $18.4B | $6.7B | 36.5% | +21.7% | Source |
| FY2016 | $15.1B | $6B | 39.7% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Roche
- Prescription medicines
- Biologics and oncology drugs
- Diagnostic instruments
- Diagnostic reagents and tests
- Sequencing and molecular diagnostics
- Clinical data and companion diagnostics
Visa
- Service revenue
- Data processing revenue
- International transaction revenue
- Value-added services
- Visa Direct
- Fraud and risk tools
Business model and strategy
Roche
How it makes money
Roche makes money in two ways. The Pharmaceuticals Division (~$57.2 billion (CHF 47.7 billion) in 2025) sells patented medicines, mostly biologics, in oncology, neuroscience, immunology, ophthalmology and haemophilia; top growth drivers in 2025 were Phesgo, Xolair, Ocrevus, Hemlibra and Vabysmo.
Growth strategy
Roche is building a cardiovascular, renal and metabolic franchise through acquisitions of Carmot Therapeutics (2023, $2.7 billion upfront) and 89bio (2025, up to about $3.5 billion), the petrelintide partnership with Zealand Pharma, and a new Innovation Center in Boston opened in September 2026.
Competitive advantage
Roche's edge comes from three things: scale in both drugs and diagnostics, a long-horizon ownership structure, and a federated R&D model. The Hoffmann and Oeri family pool holds the majority of voting shares, which shields management from takeover pressure.
Visa
How it makes money
Visa earns fees from the banks and other clients that use its network, not interest from cardholders. Its reported revenue lines are service revenue (based on payments volume), data processing revenue (based on transactions authorized, cleared and settled over VisaNet), international transaction revenue (cross-border and currency conversion activity) and other revenue, including value-added services such as fraud and…
Growth strategy
Visa's growth strategy is to expand credentials, increase digital acceptance, grow cross-border and e-commerce volume, sell more value-added services, scale Visa Direct, support tap-to-pay and tokenized commerce, and embed Visa capabilities inside fintech and banking platforms.
Competitive advantage
Visa's moat is a three-sided network effect. Consumers use Visa because merchants accept it, merchants accept Visa because consumers carry it, and banks issue Visa credentials because both sides already participate. The company also has fraud data, global rules, brand trust, dispute standards, token infrastructure, and bank relationships built across decades. A competitor cannot simply copy the software;
Questions about Roche vs Visa
Which company has higher revenue — F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG or Visa Inc.?
F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG reported ~$76B (FY2025), while Visa Inc. reported $40.0B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG is the larger business, with Visa Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG vs Visa Inc.?
F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG's market capitalisation stands at $355.0B, while Visa Inc.'s is $676.0B. Visa Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG.
Which is more financially efficient — F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG or Visa Inc.?
F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG generates $674k / employee in revenue per employee, while Visa Inc. generates $1.17M / employee. Visa Inc. shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG and Visa Inc. make money?
F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG and Visa Inc. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG: Roche makes money in two ways. Visa Inc.: Visa earns fees from the banks and other clients that use its network, not interest from cardholders.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG or Visa Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG trades at 4.7x P/S and Visa Inc. at 16.9x P/S. Visa Inc. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG bigger than Visa Inc.?
By last reported revenue, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG (~$76B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Visa Inc. ($40.0B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Roche vs Visa overview