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

GILD has the lower trailing P/E: GILD trades at 17.89 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, GILD or MRK?

Over the past five years, MRK grew revenue faster — GILD at a 3.07% CAGR versus MRK at 8.60%.

Does GILD or MRK pay a bigger dividend?

GILD yields 2.45% and MRK yields 2.59% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is GILD or MRK more profitable?

GILD runs the higher net margin — GILD at 30.99% versus MRK at 13.62%.

How have GILD and MRK total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, GILD delivered 8.94% and MRK delivered 12.17% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) vs Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK)

A side-by-side comparison of Gilead Sciences, Inc. and Merck & Co., Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of July 31, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

GILD

Gilead Sciences, Inc.

$162.99B

$131.28HealthcareDelayed quote: Jul 30, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

MRK

Merck & Co., Inc.

$320.56B

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

Total return — GILD vs MRK

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 30y

GILD +32553.7%MRK +1009.8%GILD compounded faster

Log scale — wide-divergence pair

GILD MRK

GILD vs MRK: by the numbers

•MRK is the larger company ($320.56B vs $162.99B market cap).
•GILD trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (17.89 vs 36.56 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•GILD converts more revenue to profit (30.99% vs 13.62% net margin).
•MRK grew revenue faster over the past five years (8.60% vs 3.07% CAGR).
•MRK pays the higher dividend yield (2.59% vs 2.45%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	GILD	MRK
P/E ratio	17.89	36.56
Forward P/E	N/A	46.80
P/S ratio	5.54	4.89
P/B ratio	7.00	6.99
PEG ratio	0.01	1.81
EV / EBITDA	12.68	15.06
FCF yield	6.22%	4.40%

Profitability

Metric	GILD	MRK
Gross margin	79.35%	75.91%
Operating margin	38.26%	36.17%
Net margin	30.99%	13.62%
ROE	39.19%	19.48%
ROIC	21.53%	18.27%

Dividends

Metric	GILD	MRK
Dividend yield	2.45%	2.59%
Payout ratio	47.08%	46.03%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	GILD	MRK
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	3.07%	8.60%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	133.83%	21.21%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	3.30%	15.69%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	18.19%	14.56%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, GILD or MRK?: GILD has the lower trailing P/E: GILD trades at 17.89 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, GILD or MRK?: Over the past five years, MRK grew revenue faster — GILD at a 3.07% CAGR versus MRK at 8.60%.
Does GILD or MRK pay a bigger dividend?: GILD yields 2.45% and MRK yields 2.59% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is GILD or MRK more profitable?: GILD runs the higher net margin — GILD at 30.99% versus MRK at 13.62%.
How have GILD and MRK total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, GILD delivered 8.94% and MRK delivered 12.17% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full GILD analysis Full MRK analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

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

Gilead Sciences & Merck & appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Highest ROE Stocks 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 31, 2026.