MRK vs NVS
Merck & Co. and Novartis AG, both Healthcare
Novartis AG is the larger company at $296B against $281B. On trailing earnings NVS is the cheaper of the two at a P/E of 21.2 against 115.5, a gap that is only a bargain if the two are growing at similar rates. Over the past year MRK returned +83% against +20% for NVS. The RyuScore puts MRK ahead, 78 against 74 out of 100.
| Figure | MRK | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Last close | $146 | $144 |
| Market cap | $281B | $296B |
| Trailing P/Elower is cheaper for the same earnings, not automatically better | 115.5 | 21.2 |
| Dividend yield | 2.3% | n/a |
| 1-year return | +83% | +20% |
| 5-year return | +132% | +103% |
| RyuScoresector-relative, 1–10 | 78/100 | 74/100 |
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.
Merck & Co.
Revenue of $17B in Q2 2026, net income null. Its largest reported line is Keytruda, 49% of the disclosed total.
Novartis AG
Revenue of $27B in H2 2025, net income $6.3B.
Open these two in the interactive comparison to add more names, change the period or see the correlation.