Merck (MRK) vs Novartis (NVS)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 7, 2026.
Summary
Merck (MRK) has outperformed Novartis (NVS) over the past year, gaining 63.0% versus a gain of 9.0%. Over five years, MRK leads with a +82.3% price change compared with +72.1% for NVS. Merck is the larger company by market cap ($352.29 billion vs $272.33 billion), about 1.3 times the size.
On valuation, Novartis trades at a lower forward P/E (14.6x vs 15.1x for Merck). Novartis offers the higher dividend yield (3.26% vs 2.33%).
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | MRK | NVS |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $142.79 | $143.28 |
| Market cap | $352.29B | $272.33B |
| 1-day change | +0.60% | +1.77% |
| YTD return | +35.65% | +4.01% |
| 1-year return | +62.98% | +9.01% |
| 5-year return | +82.29% | +72.09% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 113.33 | 21.64 |
| Forward P/E | 15.08 | 14.63 |
| EPS (TTM) | $1.26 | $6.62 |
| Dividend yield | 2.33% | 3.26% |
| Annual dividend | $3.32 | $4.67 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $65.01B | — |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +1.31% | — |
| Net income (latest FY) | $18.25B | $13.98B |
| Gross margin | 74.80% | — |
| Net margin | 28.08% | — |
| 52-week high | $156.92 | $170.46 |
| 52-week low | $82.01 | $121.57 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -9.00% | -15.95% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | hold |
| Avg. price target upside | +9.45% | +8.19% |
| Average volume | 9.79M | 1.96M |
| Shares outstanding | 2.47B | 1.90B |
| Employees | 73,000 | 75,267 |
| Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| Industry | Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations | Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- MRK has outperformed NVS by 54.0 percentage points over the past year.
- Merck trades at a higher earnings multiple (113.3x vs 21.6x trailing P/E).
About Merck
MRK stock →Merck & Co., Inc. operates as a healthcare company worldwide.
Health Care · Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations · 73,000 employees
About Novartis
NVS stock →Novartis AG researches, develops, manufactures, distributes, markets, and sells pharmaceutical medicines in Switzerland and internationally. The company offers Entresto, an angiotensin receptorneprilysin inhibitor to treat symptomatic chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF); Cosentyx to treat plaque psoriasis, pso riatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and nonradiographic axial spondy loarthritis; Kisqali, a selective oral cyclin dependent inhibitor of kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6); Promacta/Revolade to treat immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), thrombocytopenia, and patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA); Tafinlar+Mekinist, an oral combination therapy to treat patients with certain types of cancers; and Jakavi for the treatment of myelofibrosis, polycythemia vera, and acute or chronic graftversushost disease (GvHD).
Health Care · Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations · 75,267 employees
MRK vs NVS FAQ
Which is bigger, Merck or Novartis?
Merck (MRK) is larger, with a market capitalization of $352.29B compared with $272.33B for Novartis (NVS).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, MRK or NVS?
MRK returned +62.98% over the past 12 months, compared with +9.01% for NVS (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, MRK or NVS?
NVS has the lower trailing P/E at 21.6, versus 113.3 for MRK. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Which pays a higher dividend, Merck or Novartis?
Novartis has the higher yield at 3.26%, compared with 2.33% for Merck.
Are Merck and Novartis in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Preparations industry within the Health Care sector.