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

ABT has the lower trailing P/E: ABT trades at 32.81 and MRK at 114.68. 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 7.87%.

Does ABT or MRK pay a bigger dividend?

ABT yields 2.43% and MRK yields 2.33% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is ABT or MRK more profitable?

ABT runs the higher net margin — ABT at 11.65% versus MRK at 4.78%.

How have ABT and MRK total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, ABT delivered 11.61% and MRK delivered 12.62% 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 September 13, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

ABT

Abbott Laboratories

$176.57B

$102.04HealthcareDelayed quote: Sep 15, 2026, 10:30 AM EDT

MRK

Merck & Co., Inc.

$354.05B

$143.35HealthcareDelayed quote: Sep 15, 2026, 10:30 AM EDT

Total return — ABT vs MRK

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

ABT +193.7% (+11.4%/yr)MRK +226.9% (+12.6%/yr)MRK compounded faster over this window

ABT MRK

ABT vs MRK: by the numbers

•MRK is the larger company ($354.05B vs $176.57B market cap).
•ABT trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (32.81 vs 114.68 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•ABT converts more revenue to profit (11.65% vs 4.78% net margin).
•MRK grew revenue faster over the past five years (7.87% vs 2.98% CAGR).
•ABT pays the higher dividend yield (2.43% vs 2.33%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	ABT	MRK
P/E ratio	32.81	114.68
Forward P/E	18.50	52.20
P/S ratio	3.79	5.33
P/B ratio	3.45	8.44
EV / EBITDA	18.74	22.68
FCF yield	4.49%	4.54%

Profitability

Metric	ABT	MRK
Gross margin	56.80%	75.38%
Operating margin	17.03%	36.17%
Net margin	11.65%	4.78%
ROE	10.61%	7.57%
ROIC	6.07%	5.80%

Dividends

Metric	ABT	MRK
Dividend yield	2.43%	2.33%
Payout ratio	79.74%	268.80%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	ABT	MRK
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	2.98%	7.87%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	8.22%	21.21%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	0.18%	23.61%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-2.69%	18.01%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, ABT or MRK?: ABT has the lower trailing P/E: ABT trades at 32.81 and MRK at 114.68. 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 7.87%.
Does ABT or MRK pay a bigger dividend?: ABT yields 2.43% and MRK yields 2.33% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is ABT or MRK more profitable?: ABT runs the higher net margin — ABT at 11.65% versus MRK at 4.78%.
How have ABT and MRK total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, ABT delivered 11.61% and MRK delivered 12.62% 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 Operating Margin Stocks Highest FCF Yield 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 September 13, 2026.