Merck & Co., Inc. vs Pfizer Inc., two Drug Manufacturers stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where MRK and PFE diverge most: on implied growth (priced in), MRK reads +6.2% and PFE reads -4.3%; on ev/ebitda, MRK reads 600.7 and PFE reads 30.6. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. On valuation, today's MRK price has a different growth bar priced in than PFE (+6.2% implied for MRK vs -4.3% for PFE); the higher figure is the steeper assumption to clear, not a better or worse stock. What MRK's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). What PFE's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | MRK | PFE |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $123.48 | $24.19 |
| Market cap | $305.2B | $138.6B |
| Sector | Drug Manufacturers | Drug Manufacturers |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +6.2% | -4.3% |
| P/E | 34.8 | 18.5 |
| P/B | 6.65 | 1.53 |
| P/S | 4.64 | 2.19 |
| EV/EBITDA | 600.7 | 30.6 |
| Revenue growth | +2.9% | +2.1% |
| Net margin | 13.6% | 11.8% |
| Return on equity | 19.4% | 8.3% |
| Return on assets | 6.9% | 3.6% |
| FCF yield | 4.6% | 6.8% |
| Dividend yield | 2.7% | 7.1% |
| Debt / equity | 1.07 | 0.71 |
| Current ratio | 1.30 | 1.25 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 7.31 | 1.85 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 6 / 9 | 6 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.