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

PFE has the lower trailing P/E: MRK trades at 36.56 and PFE at 19.02. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, MRK or PFE?

Over the past five years, MRK grew revenue faster — MRK at a 8.60% CAGR versus PFE at 8.22%.

Does MRK or PFE pay a bigger dividend?

MRK yields 2.59% and PFE yields 6.90% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is MRK or PFE more profitable?

MRK runs the higher net margin — MRK at 13.62% versus PFE at 11.83%.

How have MRK and PFE total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, MRK delivered 12.17% and PFE delivered 1.34% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) vs Pfizer Inc. (PFE)

A side-by-side comparison of Merck & Co., Inc. and Pfizer Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of July 30, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

MRK

Merck & Co., Inc.

$320.56B

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

PFE

Pfizer Inc.

$141.97B

$24.91HealthcareDelayed quote: Jul 30, 2026, 4:02 PM EDT

Total return — MRK vs PFE

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 30y

MRK +1009.8%PFE +553.0%MRK compounded faster

MRK PFE

MRK vs PFE: by the numbers

•MRK is the larger company ($320.56B vs $141.97B market cap).
•PFE trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (19.02 vs 36.56 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•MRK converts more revenue to profit (13.62% vs 11.83% net margin).
•MRK grew revenue faster over the past five years (8.60% vs 8.22% CAGR).
•PFE pays the higher dividend yield (6.90% vs 2.59%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	MRK	PFE
P/E ratio	36.56	19.02
Forward P/E	46.80	8.46
P/S ratio	4.89	2.25
P/B ratio	6.99	1.58
PEG ratio	1.81	N/A
EV / EBITDA	15.06	9.79
FCF yield	4.40%	6.64%

Profitability

Metric	MRK	PFE
Gross margin	75.91%	69.35%
Operating margin	36.17%	23.45%
Net margin	13.62%	11.83%
ROE	19.48%	8.31%
ROIC	18.27%	8.84%

Dividends

Metric	MRK	PFE
Dividend yield	2.59%	6.90%
Payout ratio	46.03%	126.47%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	MRK	PFE
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	8.60%	8.22%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	21.21%	-3.78%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	15.69%	-3.79%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	14.56%	-5.37%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, MRK or PFE?: PFE has the lower trailing P/E: MRK trades at 36.56 and PFE at 19.02. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, MRK or PFE?: Over the past five years, MRK grew revenue faster — MRK at a 8.60% CAGR versus PFE at 8.22%.
Does MRK or PFE pay a bigger dividend?: MRK yields 2.59% and PFE yields 6.90% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is MRK or PFE more profitable?: MRK runs the higher net margin — MRK at 13.62% versus PFE at 11.83%.
How have MRK and PFE total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, MRK delivered 12.17% and PFE delivered 1.34% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full MRK analysis Full PFE analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

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

Merck & & Pfizer appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Highest ROIC Stocks 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 July 30, 2026.