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

CVS has the lower trailing P/E: CVS trades at 25.04 and MRK at 115.15. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, CVS or MRK?

Over the past five years, CVS grew revenue faster — CVS at a 8.32% CAGR versus MRK at 7.87%.

Does CVS or MRK pay a bigger dividend?

CVS yields 2.79% and MRK yields 2.32% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is CVS or MRK more profitable?

MRK runs the higher net margin — CVS at 1.18% versus MRK at 4.78%.

How have CVS and MRK total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, CVS delivered 3.54% and MRK delivered 12.68% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

CVS Health Corp. (CVS) vs Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK)

A side-by-side comparison of CVS Health Corp. and Merck & Co., Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of September 11, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

CVS

CVS Health Corp.

$120.78B

$94.66HealthcareDelayed quote: Sep 11, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

MRK

Merck & Co., Inc.

$355.49B

$143.94HealthcareDelayed quote: Sep 11, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — CVS vs MRK

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

CVS +39.3% (+3.4%/yr)MRK +228.7% (+12.6%/yr)MRK compounded faster over this window

CVS MRK

CVS vs MRK: by the numbers

•MRK is the larger company ($355.49B vs $120.78B market cap).
•CVS trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (25.04 vs 115.15 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•MRK converts more revenue to profit (4.78% vs 1.18% net margin).
•CVS grew revenue faster over the past five years (8.32% vs 7.87% CAGR).
•CVS pays the higher dividend yield (2.79% vs 2.32%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CVS	MRK
P/E ratio	25.04	115.15
Forward P/E	11.83	52.41
P/S ratio	0.29	5.35
P/B ratio	1.52	8.48
EV / EBITDA	14.50	22.76
FCF yield	9.74%	4.52%

Profitability

Metric	CVS	MRK
Gross margin	14.15%	75.38%
Operating margin	2.00%	36.17%
Net margin	1.18%	4.78%
ROE	6.16%	7.57%
ROIC	4.14%	5.80%

Dividends

Metric	CVS	MRK
Dividend yield	2.79%	2.32%
Payout ratio	70.37%	268.80%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CVS	MRK
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	8.32%	7.87%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-23.89%	21.21%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	-10.28%	23.61%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	6.05%	18.15%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, CVS or MRK?: CVS has the lower trailing P/E: CVS trades at 25.04 and MRK at 115.15. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, CVS or MRK?: Over the past five years, CVS grew revenue faster — CVS at a 8.32% CAGR versus MRK at 7.87%.
Does CVS or MRK pay a bigger dividend?: CVS yields 2.79% and MRK yields 2.32% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CVS or MRK more profitable?: MRK runs the higher net margin — CVS at 1.18% versus MRK at 4.78%.
How have CVS and MRK total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, CVS delivered 3.54% and MRK delivered 12.68% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CVS analysis Full MRK analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

CVS Health P/E ratio Merck P/E ratio CVS Health dividend yield Merck dividend yield CVS Health ROE Merck ROE CVS Health operating margin Merck operating margin CVS Health revenue growth Merck revenue growth CVS Health free cash flow Merck free cash flow

CVS Health & Merck appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Highest Operating Margin Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks Largest Companies by Market Cap

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 11, 2026.