Merck & Co., Inc. vs Okta, Inc. — how do they compare? Merck & Co., Inc. trades at $148.16 (market cap $363.98B), while Okta, Inc. trades at $172.8 (market cap $30.20B). The key difference: Merck & Co., Inc. is far larger — about 12.1× Okta, Inc.'s market cap, and Merck & Co., Inc. pays a 2.3% dividend while Okta, Inc. pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| MRK | OKTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $363.98B | $30.20B |
Sector | Health | Technology |
52-Week High | $156.43 | $173.04 |
52-Week Low | $77.60 | $62.93 |
Enterprise Value | $410.75B | $27.95B |
Dividend Yield | 2.3% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
MRK trades at $148.49, down 1.23% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and support near $147. The company reported strong earnings beats in recent quarters, with Q3 2026 EPS expected at $2.22. Revenue reached $65.01B in 2025, and the acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals aims to bolster its oncology pipeline.
Outlook remains positive with a consensus price target of $157, offering ~6% upside. Risks include high P/E of 118.77 and competitive pressures in pharma. Institutional buying and a 67.57% buy rating from analysts support a constructive view, though net income margin of 4.77% warrants monitoring.
OKTA trades at $167.60, down 1.76% on the day but up 94% year-to-date, driven by strong earnings beats and AI-driven demand for cybersecurity. The stock is in a bullish technical trend with support at $166 and resistance at $170. Fundamentals show improving profitability, with Q2 2026 EPS of $1.05 beating estimates, revenue growth accelerating to $2.61 billion in 2025, and a net income margin turning positive to 9.63% in 2026 projections. Analyst sentiment remains overwhelmingly positive with a $181.61 consensus target.
The outlook for OKTA is bullish, supported by robust earnings momentum, AI security adoption, and strong institutional backing. Key opportunities include expanding AI-agent security offerings and sustained revenue growth. Risks involve intense competition from CrowdStrike and Microsoft, high valuation multiples, and insider selling activity. The stock's proximity to its 52-week high suggests cautious entry points may be warranted despite positive catalysts.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →Okta is a cloud-native security company that focuses on identity and access management. The San Francisco-based firm went public in 2017 and focuses on two key client stakeholder groups: workforces and customers. Okta's workforce offerings enable a company's employees to securely access its cloud-based and on-premises resources. The firm's customer offerings allow its clients' customers to securely access the client's applications.
Read more on OKTA →