Compare Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) Price & Performance
Price performance (Past 24H)
Key statistics
Key statistics
Merck & Co., Inc. vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated — how do they compare? Merck & Co., Inc. trades at $142.3 (market cap $352.29B), while Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated trades at $503.25 (market cap $128.16B). The key difference: Merck & Co., Inc. is far larger — about 2.7× Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated's market cap, and Merck & Co., Inc. pays a 2.38% dividend while Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Merck & Co., Inc. for 98 Days and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated for 120 Days on average.
| MRK | VRTX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $352.29B | $128.16B |
Volume | 6,348,796 | 806,603 |
Sector | Health | Health |
52-Week High | $156.43 | $557.96 |
52-Week Low | $82.49 | $407.37 |
Typical Hold Time | 98 Days | 120 Days |
Enterprise Value | $399.05B | $122.29B |
Dividend Yield | 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
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.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) trades at $503.25, showing modest daily gains of 0.16%. The stock faces bearish technical signals with mixed earnings performance, missing Q4 2025 and Q2 2026 EPS estimates but beating Q1 2026. Strong fundamentals include 86% gross margins and 35% net income margins, with revenue projected to grow from $12B to $12.6B in 2026. Recent positive Phase II data for kidney disease drug inaxaplin highlights pipeline progress.
Outlook remains positive with 84% analyst buy ratings and $573 consensus target offering 14% upside. Key risks include reliance on cystic fibrosis franchise and competitive pressures. Earnings consistency and pipeline execution are critical for sustained growth amid current technical weakness.
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
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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 →About Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Vertex Pharmaceuticals is a global biotechnology company that discovers and develops small-molecule drugs for the treatment of serious diseases. Its key drugs are Kalydeco, Orkambi, Symdeko, and Trikafta/Kaftrio for cystic fibrosis, where Vertex therapies remain the standard of care globally. In addition to its focus on cystic fibrosis, Vertex is diversifying its pipeline through gene-editing therapies such as CTX001 for beta-thalassemia and sickle-cell disease, small-molecule inhibitors targeting acute and chronic pain using non-opioid treatments, and small-molecule inhibitors of APOL1-mediated kidney diseases. Vertex is also investigating cell therapies to deliver a potential functional cure for type 1 diabetes.
Read more on VRTX →
