Moody's Corporation vs Merck & Co., Inc. — how do they compare? Moody's Corporation trades at $477.37 (market cap $82.52B), while Merck & Co., Inc. trades at $133.72 (market cap $321.77B). The key difference: Merck & Co., Inc. is far larger — about 3.9× Moody's Corporation's market cap, and Merck & Co., Inc. pays the higher dividend (2.61%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| MCO | MRK | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $82.52B | $321.77B |
Sector | Financials | Health |
52-Week High | $539.61 | $131.84 |
52-Week Low | $412.23 | $77.60 |
Enterprise Value | $88.54B | $368.53B |
Dividend Yield | 0.86% | 2.61% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Moody's Corporation (MCO) trades at $478.14, showing modest daily gains of 0.08%. The stock demonstrates strong fundamental performance with consistent earnings beats and robust profitability metrics, including 34.25% net income margin and 80.15% ROE. Recent Q2 2026 results exceeded expectations with $4.68 EPS versus $4.26 expected, driven by strong analytics demand and debt issuance activity. Technical indicators remain neutral with support at $475 and resistance at $481.
MCO presents a compelling growth story with premium valuation justified by exceptional profitability and market leadership. The primary investment opportunity lies in sustained analytics growth and credit rating dominance, while risks include valuation sensitivity and potential debt market volatility. Analyst consensus remains bullish with $561.88 price target representing 17.5% upside potential from current levels.
Merck & Co. (MRK) trades at $133.64, up 2.09% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and strong institutional buying interest. The company reported solid earnings beats in recent quarters, with Q3 2026 EPS expected at $2.27. Revenue for 2025 reached $65.01B, and net income was $18.25B, though the P/E ratio of 104.34 suggests high valuation expectations. Recent news highlights Merck's acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals to bolster its oncology pipeline.
Outlook: MRK's growth is supported by strategic acquisitions and a dominant oncology franchise, but risks include high valuation multiples and competitive pressures. The consensus price target of $140.36 implies modest upside, with 68% of analysts rating it a Buy. Investors should monitor execution on the Terns integration and Q3 earnings results for catalysts.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Moody's, along with S&P Ratings, is a leading provider of credit ratings on fixed income securities. Moody's ratings segment, known as Moody's Investors Service or MIS, includes corporates, structured finance, financial institutions, and public finance ratings. MIS represents a majority of the firm's revenue and profits. Moody's other segment is Moody's Analytics and consists of Research, Data, and Analytics or RD&A and Enterprise Risk Solutions or ERS. RD&A's products include credit research, quantitative credit scores, economic research, business intelligence, know your customer (KYC) tools, commercial real estate data and analytical tools, and training services. ERS includes risk management software solutions to financial institutions.
Read more on MCO →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 →