Compare Estee Lauder Companies Inc (EL) vs Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Price & Performance
Price performance (Past 24H)
Key statistics
Key statistics
Estee Lauder Companies Inc vs Merck & Co., Inc. — how do they compare? Estee Lauder Companies Inc trades at $93.37 (market cap $34.22B), while Merck & Co., Inc. trades at $141.84 (market cap $352.29B). The key difference: Merck & Co., Inc. is far larger — about 10.3× Estee Lauder Companies Inc's market cap, and Merck & Co., Inc. pays the higher dividend (2.38%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Estee Lauder Companies Inc for 122 Days and Merck & Co., Inc. for 98 Days on average.
| EL | MRK | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $34.22B | $352.29B |
Volume | 2,303,792 | 6,348,796 |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Health |
52-Week High | $119.61 | $156.43 |
52-Week Low | $67.23 | $82.49 |
Typical Hold Time | 122 Days | 98 Days |
Enterprise Value | $39.97B | $399.05B |
Dividend Yield | 1.48% | 2.38% |
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Estée Lauder (EL) trades at $94.45, up 1.17% with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The company shows mixed fundamentals with a high P/E ratio of 188.9 but strong gross margins of 75.5%. Recent earnings beats in Q4 2025 and Q1 2026 contrast with a net loss of $1.13B in 2025. Analyst consensus is positive with 47.8% buy ratings and a $103 price target. Recent developments include AI partnerships and leadership changes.
Outlook remains cautiously optimistic as the company navigates profitability challenges while investing in digital transformation. Key opportunities include margin recovery and AI-driven growth initiatives, balanced against competitive pressures and execution risks in the beauty sector. The stock offers potential upside to analyst targets if turnaround efforts succeed.
Merck (MRK) trades at $142.79, up 0.61% today, with a bearish technical signal but strong fundamental performance. The company reported revenue of $65.01B in 2025 with a net income margin of 28.07%, and recent quarterly EPS have consistently beaten expectations. Merck is actively expanding its pipeline through acquisitions, such as the pending $6.7B purchase of Terns Pharmaceuticals announced in April 2026.
The outlook is supported by solid profitability and analyst optimism, with a consensus price target of $158.78 implying upside. Key risks include integration challenges from acquisitions and competitive pressures in the oncology sector. Cash flow trends show variability, with a projected net cash outflow of $1.2B in 2026 due to significant investing activities.
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Investor sentiment on Pluang
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
Investor sentiment on Pluang
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
Top news
Latest headlines on both assets
Top news
Latest headlines on both assets
About Estee Lauder Companies Inc
Estee Lauder is the world leader in the global prestige beauty market, participating across skincare (56% of fiscal 2022 sales), makeup (26%), fragrance (14%), and haircare (4%) categories, with popular brands such as Estee Lauder, Clinique, MAC, La Mer, Jo Malone, Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Too Faced, Origins, Dr. Jart+, and The Ordinary. The firm operates in 150 countries, with 26% of fiscal 2022 revenue stemming from the Americas, 43% from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and 31% from Asia-Pacific. The company sells its products through department stores, travel retail, multi-brand specialty beauty stores, brand-dedicated freestanding stores, e-commerce, salons/spas, and perfumeries.
Read more on EL →About Merck & Co., Inc.
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 →
