Which has the lower trailing P/E, ABT or MRK?

ABT has the lower trailing P/E: ABT trades at 33.96 and MRK at 36.56. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, ABT or MRK?

Over the past five years, MRK grew revenue faster — ABT at a 2.98% CAGR versus MRK at 8.60%.

Does ABT or MRK pay a bigger dividend?

ABT yields 2.31% and MRK yields 2.59% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is ABT or MRK more profitable?

MRK runs the higher net margin — ABT at 11.65% versus MRK at 13.62%.

How have ABT and MRK total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, ABT delivered 11.03% and MRK delivered 12.17% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Abbott Laboratories (ABT) vs Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK)

A side-by-side comparison of Abbott Laboratories and Merck & Co., Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of July 30, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

ABT

Abbott Laboratories

$183.98B

$105.63HealthcareDelayed quote: Jul 30, 2026, 3:59 PM EDT

MRK

Merck & Co., Inc.

$320.56B

$129.79HealthcareDelayed quote: Jul 30, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — ABT vs MRK

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 30y

ABT +1949.2%MRK +1009.8%ABT compounded faster

ABT MRK

ABT vs MRK: by the numbers

•MRK is the larger company ($320.56B vs $183.98B market cap).
•ABT trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (33.96 vs 36.56 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•MRK converts more revenue to profit (13.62% vs 11.65% net margin).
•MRK grew revenue faster over the past five years (8.60% vs 2.98% CAGR).
•MRK pays the higher dividend yield (2.59% vs 2.31%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	ABT	MRK
P/E ratio	33.96	36.56
Forward P/E	19.15	46.80
P/S ratio	3.95	4.89
P/B ratio	3.54	6.99
PEG ratio	4.13	1.81
EV / EBITDA	21.39	15.06
FCF yield	4.00%	4.40%

Profitability

Metric	ABT	MRK
Gross margin	56.80%	75.91%
Operating margin	17.03%	36.17%
Net margin	11.65%	13.62%
ROE	10.42%	19.48%
ROIC	8.43%	18.27%

Dividends

Metric	ABT	MRK
Dividend yield	2.31%	2.59%
Payout ratio	65.24%	46.03%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	ABT	MRK
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	2.98%	8.60%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	8.22%	21.21%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	5.26%	15.69%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-0.77%	14.56%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, ABT or MRK?: ABT has the lower trailing P/E: ABT trades at 33.96 and MRK at 36.56. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, ABT or MRK?: Over the past five years, MRK grew revenue faster — ABT at a 2.98% CAGR versus MRK at 8.60%.
Does ABT or MRK pay a bigger dividend?: ABT yields 2.31% and MRK yields 2.59% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is ABT or MRK more profitable?: MRK runs the higher net margin — ABT at 11.65% versus MRK at 13.62%.
How have ABT and MRK total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, ABT delivered 11.03% and MRK delivered 12.17% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full ABT analysis Full MRK analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Abbott Laboratories P/E ratio Merck & P/E ratio Abbott Laboratories dividend yield Merck & dividend yield Abbott Laboratories ROE Merck & ROE Abbott Laboratories operating margin Merck & operating margin Abbott Laboratories revenue growth Merck & revenue growth Abbott Laboratories free cash flow Merck & free cash flow

Abbott Laboratories & Merck & appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks 25+ Year Dividend Growers Highest ROIC Stocks Highest Operating Margin Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified July 30, 2026.