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

NVO has the lower trailing P/E: MRK trades at 36.56 and NVO at 11.01. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, MRK or NVO?

Over the past five years, NVO grew revenue faster — MRK at a 8.60% CAGR versus NVO at 20.73%.

Does MRK or NVO pay a bigger dividend?

MRK yields 2.59% and NVO yields 3.83% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is MRK or NVO more profitable?

NVO runs the higher net margin — MRK at 13.62% versus NVO at 37.14%.

How have MRK and NVO total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, MRK delivered 12.24% and NVO delivered 7.59% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) vs Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO)

A side-by-side comparison of Merck & Co., Inc. and Novo Nordisk A/S 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.

MRK

Merck & Co., Inc.

$321.62B

$130.22HealthcareDelayed quote: Jul 31, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

NVO

Novo Nordisk A/S

$209.19B

$47.08HealthcareDelayed quote: Jul 31, 2026, 3:59 PM EDT

Total return — MRK vs NVO

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 30y

MRK +1016.8%NVO +10806.6%NVO compounded faster

Log scale — wide-divergence pair

MRK NVO

MRK vs NVO: by the numbers

•MRK is the larger company ($321.62B vs $209.19B market cap).
•NVO trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (11.01 vs 36.56 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•NVO converts more revenue to profit (37.14% vs 13.62% net margin).
•NVO grew revenue faster over the past five years (20.73% vs 8.60% CAGR).
•NVO pays the higher dividend yield (3.83% vs 2.59%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	MRK	NVO
P/E ratio	36.56	11.01
Forward P/E	46.95	N/A
P/S ratio	4.89	4.09
P/B ratio	6.99	6.69
PEG ratio	1.81	8.16
EV / EBITDA	15.06	8.62
FCF yield	4.40%	2.31%

Profitability

Metric	MRK	NVO
Gross margin	75.91%	81.83%
Operating margin	36.17%	45.21%
Net margin	13.62%	37.14%
ROE	19.48%	60.74%
ROIC	18.27%	29.53%

Dividends

Metric	MRK	NVO
Dividend yield	2.59%	3.83%
Payout ratio	46.03%	49.80%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	MRK	NVO
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	8.60%	20.73%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	21.21%	19.59%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	15.69%	-5.86%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	14.69%	2.46%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, MRK or NVO?: NVO has the lower trailing P/E: MRK trades at 36.56 and NVO at 11.01. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, MRK or NVO?: Over the past five years, NVO grew revenue faster — MRK at a 8.60% CAGR versus NVO at 20.73%.
Does MRK or NVO pay a bigger dividend?: MRK yields 2.59% and NVO yields 3.83% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is MRK or NVO more profitable?: NVO runs the higher net margin — MRK at 13.62% versus NVO at 37.14%.
How have MRK and NVO total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, MRK delivered 12.24% and NVO delivered 7.59% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full MRK analysis Full NVO analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Merck & P/E ratio Novo Nordisk A/S P/E ratio Merck & dividend yield Novo Nordisk A/S dividend yield Merck & ROE Novo Nordisk A/S ROE Merck & operating margin Novo Nordisk A/S operating margin Merck & revenue growth Novo Nordisk A/S revenue growth Merck & free cash flow Novo Nordisk A/S free cash flow

Merck & & Novo Nordisk A/S appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Fastest Revenue Growth Stocks Highest ROE Stocks Highest ROIC 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.