Compare Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) vs Yum! Brands, Inc. (YUM) Price & Performance
Price performance (Past 24H)
Key statistics
Key statistics
Merck & Co., Inc. vs Yum! Brands, Inc. — how do they compare? Merck & Co., Inc. trades at $145.6 (market cap $351.28B), while Yum! Brands, Inc. trades at $144.69 (market cap $39.02B). The key difference: Merck & Co., Inc. is far larger — about 9× Yum! Brands, 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 Yum! Brands, Inc. for 132 Days on average.
| MRK | YUM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $351.28B | $39.02B |
Volume | 7,969,665 | 2,597,636 |
Sector | Health | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $156.43 | $168.16 |
52-Week Low | $82.49 | $135.77 |
Typical Hold Time | 98 Days | 132 Days |
Enterprise Value | $398.04B | $50.63B |
Dividend Yield | 2.39% | 2.1% |
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 $144.96, up 1.52% today, with a bearish technical signal despite recent earnings beats. The stock shows strong profitability with a 72.97% gross margin and 28.07% net income margin for 2025, though its P/E ratio of 113.9 indicates high valuation. Recent news highlights Merck's acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals to bolster its oncology pipeline, reflecting strategic growth initiatives amid competitive pressures.
The outlook is mixed: analyst consensus is bullish with a $158.78 price target, but technical indicators and a high P/E suggest near-term caution. Key risks include integration challenges from acquisitions and macroeconomic headwinds affecting pharmaceutical R&D investment. Revenue growth and pipeline execution remain critical for sustained upside.
YUM stock trades at $145.15, up 3.42% today, with a bullish technical signal and strong support at $141. Revenue grew to $8.21B in 2025, with net income of $1.56B and a 25.4% net margin. The company recently sold Pizza Hut for $1.5B, focusing on KFC and Taco Bell, and declared a $0.75 dividend payable September 18, 2026.
Outlook is positive with a consensus price target of $170.44, though high debt and competitive pressures pose risks. Earnings beat expectations in two of the last three quarters, and cash flow from operations is robust at $2.01B, supporting shareholder returns amid a hold-heavy analyst rating.
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
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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 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.
Read more on YUM →
