LLY vs MRK

Lilly (Eli) and Merck & Co., both Healthcare

Lilly (Eli) is the larger company at $980B against $281B. On trailing earnings LLY is the cheaper of the two at a P/E of 39.9 against 121.6, a gap that is only a bargain if the two are growing at similar rates. Over the past year MRK returned +99% against +61% for LLY. Ryufin's sector-relative Smart Score puts LLY ahead, 9/10 against 8/10.

Lilly (Eli) and Merck & Co.compared on valuation, return and Ryufin’s Smart Score
FigureLLYMRK
Last close$1190$153
Market cap$980B$281B
Trailing P/Elower is cheaper for the same earnings, not automatically better39.9121.6
Dividend yield0.5%2.1%
1-year return+61%+99%
5-year return+412%+133%
Ryufin Smart Scoresector-relative, 1–109/108/10

Figures from SEC filings and end-of-day closes. Highlighting marks the higher or lower number, which is not the same as the better investment, a low P/E can be a warning and a high one can be deserved.

Lilly (Eli)

Revenue of $23B in Q2 2026, net income $7.1B. Its largest reported line is Cardiometabolic Health, 47% of the disclosed total.

Merck & Co.

Revenue of $17B in Q2 2026, net income null. Its largest reported line is Keytruda, 49% of the disclosed total.

Open these two in the interactive comparison to add more names, change the period or read the correlation.