Compare Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) vs Yum! Brands, Inc. (YUM) Price & Performance

Merck & Co., Inc.Trade

Yum! Brands, Inc.Trade

Price performance (Past 24H)

Key statistics

Merck & Co., Inc. vs Yum! Brands, Inc. — how do they compare? Merck & Co., Inc. trades at $126.14 (market cap $307.25B), while Yum! Brands, Inc. trades at $148 (market cap $40.62B). The key difference: Merck & Co., Inc. is far larger — about 7.6× Yum! Brands, Inc.'s market cap, and Merck & Co., Inc. pays the higher dividend (2.73%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.

	MRK	YUM
Market Cap	$307.25B	$40.62B
Sector	Health	Consumer Cyclical
52-Week High	$129.52	$168.16
52-Week Low	$77.60	$138.21
Enterprise Value	$350.66B	$51.88B
Dividend Yield	2.73%	2.04%

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Aura AI Summary

Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice

Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck (MRK) trades at $126.27, down 0.96% on the day, with a neutral technical signal and strong fundamental performance. The company reported robust 2025 results with $65.01B revenue and $18.25B net income, beating EPS estimates in recent quarters. Recent news highlights Merck's acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals to bolster its oncology pipeline, while analyst consensus remains bullish with a $137.30 price target.

Outlook is positive driven by earnings momentum and strategic M&A, but risks include patent expirations and competitive pressures. The stock offers a dividend yield with upcoming payment, supporting income investors. Valuation multiples are elevated, requiring sustained growth to justify current levels amid macroeconomic uncertainties.

Yum! Brands, Inc.

No Aura AI signal available yet.

Aura AI is an analytical signal, not financial advice — do your own research.

Returns comparison

Trailing returns across standard periods

Top news

Latest headlines on both assets

MRK

Over 180 companies develop 200+ PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, reshaping cancer treatment landscape.Delveinsight · 5 hours agoBullish Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) remains a Buy for strong dividends and growth potential.Seeking Alpha · 2 days agoBullish Merck rated Strong Buy on oncology growth and new LIPFENDRA launch for cholesterol controlSeeking Alpha · 4 days agoBullish View details →

YUM

Yum! Brands faces cyclosporiasis outbreak but impact is mild with no deaths and ongoing recalls.Seeking Alpha · 15 hours agoBearish Taylor Farms recalls iceberg lettuce in 27 states over Cyclospora contamination riskCNBC · 3 days agoBearish Sweetgreen stock jumps 15% after diarrhea outbreak traced to Taco Bell, not salad chainNew York Post · 4 days agoNeutral View details →

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.

About Yum! Brands, Inc.

Yum Brands is a U.S.-based restaurant operator featuring a portfolio of four brands: KFC (26,930 global units), Pizza Hut (18,380 units), Taco Bell (7,790 units), and The Habit Burger (310 units) at year-end 2021. With $58 billion in 2021 systemwide sales, the firm is the second-largest restaurant company in the world, behind McDonald's ($112.5 billion) but ahead of Restaurant Brands International ($36 billion) and Starbucks ($25 billion). Yum is 98% franchised, with the largest franchisee, Yum China, created via a 2016 spinoff transaction (after which Yum China agreed to pay 3% royalties to Yum Brands in perpetuity). Yum is the newest evolution of Tricon Brands, formerly a division of PepsiCo, and generates the bulk of its revenue from franchise royalties and marketing contributions.