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

HUM has the lower trailing P/E: HUM trades at 38.81 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, HUM or MRK?

Over the past five years, HUM grew revenue faster — HUM at a 12.61% CAGR versus MRK at 7.87%.

Does HUM or MRK pay a bigger dividend?

HUM yields 0.88% and MRK yields 2.32% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is HUM or MRK more profitable?

MRK runs the higher net margin — HUM at 0.88% versus MRK at 4.78%.

How have HUM and MRK total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, HUM delivered 9.46% and MRK delivered 12.68% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Humana Inc. (HUM) vs Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK)

A side-by-side comparison of Humana Inc. 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.

HUM

Humana Inc.

$49.21B

$409.85HealthcareDelayed 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 — HUM vs MRK

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

HUM +147.2% (+9.5%/yr)MRK +228.7% (+12.6%/yr)MRK compounded faster over this window

HUM MRK

HUM vs MRK: by the numbers

•MRK is the larger company ($355.49B vs $49.21B market cap).
•HUM trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (38.81 vs 115.15 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•MRK converts more revenue to profit (4.78% vs 0.88% net margin).
•HUM grew revenue faster over the past five years (12.61% vs 7.87% CAGR).
•MRK pays the higher dividend yield (2.32% vs 0.88%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	HUM	MRK
P/E ratio	38.81	115.15
Forward P/E	44.77	52.41
P/S ratio	0.34	5.35
P/B ratio	2.56	8.48
EV / EBITDA	20.40	22.76
FCF yield	N/A	4.52%

Profitability

Metric	HUM	MRK
Gross margin	13.65%	75.38%
Operating margin	1.39%	36.17%
Net margin	0.88%	4.78%
ROE	6.65%	7.57%
ROIC	4.52%	5.80%

Dividends

Metric	HUM	MRK
Dividend yield	0.88%	2.32%
Payout ratio	33.52%	268.80%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	HUM	MRK
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	12.61%	7.87%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-17.27%	21.21%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	-17.19%	23.61%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	0.94%	18.15%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, HUM or MRK?: HUM has the lower trailing P/E: HUM trades at 38.81 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, HUM or MRK?: Over the past five years, HUM grew revenue faster — HUM at a 12.61% CAGR versus MRK at 7.87%.
Does HUM or MRK pay a bigger dividend?: HUM yields 0.88% and MRK yields 2.32% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is HUM or MRK more profitable?: MRK runs the higher net margin — HUM at 0.88% versus MRK at 4.78%.
How have HUM and MRK total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, HUM delivered 9.46% and MRK delivered 12.68% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full HUM analysis Full MRK analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

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

Humana & 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.