Merck & Co., Inc. vs Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. — how do they compare? Merck & Co., Inc. trades at $142.58 (market cap $351.28B), while Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. trades at $465.13 (market cap $2.07T). The key difference: Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. is far larger — about 5.9× Merck & Co., Inc.'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 Merck & Co., Inc. for 98 Days and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. for 110 Days on average.
| MRK | TSM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $351.28B | $2.07T |
Volume | 7,969,665 | 13,244,224 |
Sector | Health | Technology |
52-Week High | $156.43 | $485.80 |
52-Week Low | $82.49 | $275.06 |
Typical Hold Time | 98 Days | 110 Days |
Enterprise Value | $398.04B | $1.99T |
Dividend Yield | 2.39% | 0.89% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
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.
TSM trades at $472.20, down 2.09% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and strong fundamentals including a 49.92% net income margin and consecutive quarterly EPS beats. Revenue grew to $3.81 trillion in 2025, with robust cash flow from operations of $2.27 trillion. The stock is supported by positive analyst sentiment and upcoming dividend payments.
Outlook remains positive driven by AI demand and technological leadership, with a consensus price target of $578.43 implying 22% upside. Risks include geopolitical tensions and high valuation multiples. The company's scale and profitability position it for sustained growth, though investors should monitor execution and macro conditions.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, is the world's largest dedicated chip foundry, with over 57% market share in 2021 per Gartner. TSMC was founded in 1987 as a joint venture of Philips, the government of Taiwan, and private investors. It went public as an ADR in the U.S. in 1997. TSMC's scale and high-quality technology allow the firm to generate solid operating margins, even in the highly competitive foundry business. Furthermore, the shift to the fabless business model has created tailwinds for TSMC. The foundry leader has an illustrious customer base, including Apple, AMD and Nvidia, that looks to apply cutting-edge process technologies to its semiconductor designs.
Read more on TSM →