Competitive view
MRK vs. two close competitors
This section compares the current company against two nearby peers on valuation, growth, margins, balance-sheet strength, and investment setup. Green generally marks the strongest relative figure for that row, while red marks the weakest.
YouTube
Latest video
Q1 2026
Growth profile looks mature or currently muted, which can cap multiple expansion unless execution improves.
Profitability is a real strength here, with healthy operating margins helping support resilience through weaker cycles.
Valuation looks more grounded than many growth names, which can improve the risk/reward if fundamentals hold up.
Balance-sheet leverage is elevated, so investors should watch refinancing costs and how much flexibility management really has.
YouTube
Johnson & Johnson
JNJ
Latest video
Q1 2026
Growth is positive but not explosive, which usually supports a steadier compounding case than a hyper-growth story.
Profitability is serviceable, but it does not obviously dominate peers on margin or cash conversion alone.
Valuation sits in a middle zone where future upside likely depends more on quarterly execution than on multiple re-rating alone.
Risk profile looks relatively manageable compared with many peers, especially if operating execution remains stable.
YouTube
AbbVie Inc.
ABBV
Latest video
Q1 2026
Growth is positive but not explosive, which usually supports a steadier compounding case than a hyper-growth story.
Profitability is a real strength here, with healthy operating margins helping support resilience through weaker cycles.
Valuation looks more grounded than many growth names, which can improve the risk/reward if fundamentals hold up.
Risk profile looks relatively manageable compared with many peers, especially if operating execution remains stable.
Market Cap
More scale can mean deeper resources and resilience, although bigger does not automatically mean better upside.
MRK
$294.03B
Merck & Co.
JNJ
$579.83B
Johnson & Johnson
ABBV
$402.35B
AbbVie Inc.
Trailing P/E
Lower trailing P/E can indicate a cheaper valuation relative to trailing earnings, but it may also reflect slower growth or higher perceived risk.
MRK
33.5x
Merck & Co.
JNJ
27.9x
Johnson & Johnson
ABBV
111.1x
AbbVie Inc.
Forward P/E
Forward P/E is often a better read on what investors are paying for the next year of earnings power.
MRK
12.4x
Merck & Co.
JNJ
18.9x
Johnson & Johnson
ABBV
14.0x
AbbVie Inc.
Revenue Growth
Higher revenue growth usually signals stronger demand, market share gains, or a business still in expansion mode.
MRK
4.9%
Merck & Co.
JNJ
9.9%
Johnson & Johnson
ABBV
12.4%
AbbVie Inc.
Earnings Growth
Faster earnings growth matters because it shows management is converting sales momentum into shareholder value.
MRK
—
Merck & Co.
JNJ
-52.9%
Johnson & Johnson
ABBV
-46.2%
AbbVie Inc.
Operating Margin
Higher operating margin suggests better operating discipline, pricing power, or a structurally stronger business model.
MRK
38.6%
Merck & Co.
JNJ
27.4%
Johnson & Johnson
ABBV
32.2%
AbbVie Inc.
Gross Margin
Gross margin helps show how much product-level pricing power and unit economics a company has before overhead.
MRK
76.7%
Merck & Co.
JNJ
68.0%
Johnson & Johnson
ABBV
72.0%
AbbVie Inc.
Net Margin
Higher net margin means more of each dollar of revenue reaches the bottom line after all costs.
MRK
13.6%
Merck & Co.
JNJ
21.8%
Johnson & Johnson
ABBV
5.8%
AbbVie Inc.
Return on Equity
ROE shows how efficiently management turns shareholder capital into profits, though leverage can inflate it.
MRK
18.9%
Merck & Co.
JNJ
26.4%
Johnson & Johnson
ABBV
—
AbbVie Inc.
Free Cash Flow Yield
Higher free cash flow yield can indicate a stronger cash return relative to the stock's market value.
MRK
4.8%
Merck & Co.
JNJ
2.2%
Johnson & Johnson
ABBV
5.2%
AbbVie Inc.
Debt to Equity
Lower leverage usually means less balance-sheet risk, though capital-intensive sectors naturally run higher debt loads.
MRK
106.94x
Merck & Co.
JNJ
67.73x
Johnson & Johnson
ABBV
—
AbbVie Inc.
Current Ratio
A stronger current ratio usually signals better short-term liquidity and more room to absorb shocks.
MRK
1.30x
Merck & Co.
JNJ
1.02x
Johnson & Johnson
ABBV
0.80x
AbbVie Inc.
Beta
Lower beta often means lower volatility versus the market, while higher beta usually brings a rougher ride.
MRK
0.22
Merck & Co.
JNJ
0.26
Johnson & Johnson
ABBV
0.31
AbbVie Inc.
Dividend Yield
Dividend yield matters for income-focused investors, but a high yield can also reflect a stressed stock price.
MRK
2.7%
Merck & Co.
JNJ
2.2%
Johnson & Johnson
ABBV
3.0%
AbbVie Inc.
Analyst Upside
Higher analyst upside suggests the Street still sees room between current price and consensus fair value.
MRK
9.0%
Merck & Co.
JNJ
5.0%
Johnson & Johnson
ABBV
11.3%
AbbVie Inc.