Cigna Corp vs Merck & Co., Inc. — how do they compare? Cigna Corp trades at $272.72 (market cap $73.56B), while Merck & Co., Inc. trades at $130.17 (market cap $323.00B). The key difference: Merck & Co., Inc. is far larger — about 4.4× Cigna Corp's market cap, and Merck & Co., Inc. pays the higher dividend (2.6%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CI | MRK | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $73.56B | $323.00B |
Sector | Health | Health |
52-Week High | $311.00 | $131.84 |
52-Week Low | $244.41 | $77.60 |
Enterprise Value | $98.27B | $369.77B |
Dividend Yield | 2.24% | 2.6% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Cigna (CI) trades at $282.49, up 2.63% with strong earnings beats in recent quarters. The stock shows bearish technical signals but benefits from low valuation ratios like a P/E of 11.68 and P/S of 0.27. Recent Q2 2026 results exceeded expectations, with EPS of $7.78 beating estimates, and the company raised its full-year guidance to at least $30.45 adjusted EPS, reflecting robust growth in health services and insurance segments.
The outlook is positive due to consistent earnings outperformance and raised guidance, though technical weakness and competitive pressures pose risks. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with a $338.90 price target, indicating ~20% upside potential from current levels, supported by dividend payments and institutional accumulation.
MRK trades at $130.90, up 1.81% today, with a bullish technical signal and strong institutional buying interest. The stock shows robust fundamentals with revenue of $65.01B in 2025 and net income of $18.25B, though a high P/E of 104.74 indicates premium valuation. Recent news highlights Merck's acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals to bolster its oncology pipeline, reflecting strategic growth initiatives.
Outlook is positive with a consensus price target of $139.90, offering ~7% upside, supported by 67.57% analyst buy ratings. Risks include integration challenges from acquisitions and patent expirations, but strong cash flow and dividend payments provide stability. Investors may find value in Merck's market leadership and pipeline expansion, though valuation metrics warrant caution.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Cigna primarily provides pharmacy benefit management and health insurance services. Its PBM services were greatly expanded by its 2018 merger with Express Scripts and are mostly sold to health insurance plans and employers. Its largest PBM contract is the Department of Defense. In health insurance and other benefits, Cigna mostly serves employers through self-funding arrangements, but it also operates in government programs, such as Medicare Advantage. The company operates mostly in the U.S. with 15 million medical members covered as of the end of 2020, but its services extend internationally, covering another 2 million people.
Read more on CI →Merck makes pharmaceutical products to treat several conditions in a number of therapeutic areas, including cardiometabolic disease, cancer, and infections. Within cancer, the firm's immuno-oncology platform is growing as a major contributor to overall sales. The company also has a substantial vaccine business, with treatments to prevent hepatitis B and pediatric diseases as well as HPV and shingles. Additionally, Merck sells animal health-related drugs. From a geographical perspective, just under half of the firm's sales are generated in the United States.
Read more on MRK →