Moody's Corporation vs Merck & Co., Inc. — how do they compare? Moody's Corporation trades at $460.67 (market cap $79.44B), while Merck & Co., Inc. trades at $144.83 (market cap $351.28B). The key difference: Merck & Co., Inc. is far larger — about 4.4× Moody's Corporation's market cap, and Merck & Co., Inc. pays the higher dividend (2.39%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Moody's Corporation for 132 Days and Merck & Co., Inc. for 98 Days on average.
| MCO | MRK | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $79.44B | $351.28B |
Volume | 526,684 | 7,969,665 |
Sector | Financials | Health |
52-Week High | $539.61 | $156.43 |
52-Week Low | $412.23 | $82.49 |
Typical Hold Time | 132 Days | 98 Days |
Enterprise Value | $85.46B | $398.04B |
Dividend Yield | 0.9% | 2.39% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
MCO trades at $460.91, up 2.51% today, with a bearish technical signal but strong fundamentals including a 34.25% net income margin and consistent earnings beats. Revenue grew from $5.5B in 2022 to $7.7B in 2025, with a consensus analyst price target of $536.40. Recent news highlights a Zacks upgrade to Buy and a minority stake acquisition in PhilRatings to expand Asia-Pacific presence.
The outlook is positive given robust profitability and growth, but risks include high valuation multiples and technical weakness. Analysts are predominantly bullish, with 56% Buy ratings, suggesting upside potential if earnings momentum continues, though investors should monitor debt levels and market sentiment shifts.
Merck (MRK) trades at $142.79, up 0.61% on the day, with a bearish technical signal despite beating earnings estimates in recent quarters. The company reported 2025 revenue of $65.01B and net income of $18.25B, with a high P/E ratio of 113.9 reflecting premium valuation. Recent news highlights Merck's acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals to bolster its oncology pipeline, while institutional investors have been increasing stakes.
The outlook is mixed: strong analyst consensus (68% buy ratings) and a $158.78 price target suggest upside, but high valuation and bearish technicals pose near-term risks. Key opportunities include pipeline expansion via M&A; risks involve integration challenges and patent pressures.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
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 →