AbbVie Inc. vs Merck & Co., Inc.

Full side-by-side comparison — 2026

Data as of May 20, 2026 · Updated automatically

8
ABBV Wins
0
Tie
11
MRK Wins

ABBV

Price USD 215.58
P/E Ratio 103.2x
Div Yield 0.0320%
Beta 0.31
Sector Health Care

MRK

Price USD 115.93
P/E Ratio 31.7x
Div Yield 0.0298%
Beta 0.20
Sector Health Care

Price Overview

Metric ABBV MRK
Current Price 215.58 115.93
Previous Close 212.30 113.00

Valuation

Metric ABBV MRK
Trailing P/E 103.16 31.71
Forward P/E 12.90 11.77
Price / Book -55.59 6.06
Price / Sales 5.89 4.23
EV / EBITDA 14.49 10.89

Dividends & Income

Metric ABBV MRK
Dividend Yield 0.0320% 0.0298%
Dividend Rate (Annual) 6.74 3.32
5-Year Avg Yield 3.96% 2.95%
Payout Ratio 3.2476% 0.9212%

Risk & Financial Health

Metric ABBV MRK
Beta (Volatility) 0.31 0.20
Debt / Equity 4789.60 106.94
Quick Ratio 0.52 0.70
Current Ratio 0.80 1.30

Growth & Profitability

Metric ABBV MRK
Revenue Growth 0.1240% 0.0490%
Earnings Growth -0.4620% -0.1930%
Return on Equity 62.2500% 0.1894%
Revenue / Share 35.50 26.42
Trailing EPS 2.03 3.55
Forward EPS 16.23 9.57

Analyst Targets

Metric ABBV MRK
Analyst Mean Target 252.90 129.74
Analyst High Target 328.00 150.00
Analyst Low Target 184.00 100.00

Bottom Line: ABBV vs MRK

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) leads on 11 of 19 comparable metrics.

Merck & Co., Inc. is the stronger pick for value investors, while AbbVie Inc. may appeal to income investors.

AbbVie Inc. has a lower Price / Book (-55.59 vs 6.06), which may indicate the stock trades closer to its book value
AbbVie Inc. has a higher Return on Equity (6225.00% vs 18.94%), which suggests more efficient use of shareholder capital
Merck & Co., Inc. has a lower Debt / Equity (106.94 vs 4789.60), which generally indicates a stronger balance sheet

This comparison is based on publicly available financial data and is for informational purposes only. It is not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

ABBV AbbVie Inc.

Best for Income Investors
• Higher Dividend Yield: 3.20%
• Higher 5-Year Avg Yield: 3.96%
Best for Growth Investors
• Higher Revenue Growth: 12.40%
• Higher Return on Equity: 6225.00%
• Higher Forward EPS: 16.23

MRK Merck & Co., Inc.

Best for Value Investors
• Lower Trailing P/E: 31.71
• Lower Forward P/E: 11.77
• Lower Price / Sales: 4.23
Best for Conservative Investors
• Lower Beta (Volatility): 0.20
• Lower Debt / Equity: 106.94
• Higher Quick Ratio: 0.70

Watch Out

ABBV trades at 103.2x earnings vs MRK at 31.7x — a gap this large often reflects different growth expectations, not simple mispricing.

ABBV carries 4790x debt-to-equity — significantly higher than MRK's 107x. High leverage amplifies both gains and losses.

ABBV's earnings declined 46% — declining profits may mean current valuation metrics (PE, payout ratio) are misleading.

Analyst Upside / Downside

ABBV
+17.3%
MRK
+11.9%

Based on analyst mean price targets. Estimates are not guaranteed and may not reflect future performance.

About These Companies

AbbVie Inc. (ABBV)

Health Care · United States · NYQ

AbbVie Inc., a research-based biopharmaceutical company, engages in the research and development, manufacturing, commercializing, and sale of medicines and therapies worldwide. The company offers Skyrizi to treat autoimmune diseases; Rinvoq to treat inflammatory diseases; Imbruvica for the treatment of adult patients with blood cancers; Venclexta to treat blood cancers; Elahere to treat various cancer; and Epkinly to treat lymphoma; and Emrelis for the treatment of lung cancer. It also provides facial injectables, plastics and regenerative medicine, body contouring, and skincare …

View ABBV details →

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK)

Health Care · United States · NYQ

Merck & Co., Inc. operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It offers human health pharmaceutical for various areas under the Keytruda, Keytruda Qlex, Welireg, Gardasil, ProQuad, M-M-R II, Varivax, Vaxneuvance, Capvaxive, RotaTeq, Pneumovax 23, Bridion, Prevymis, Dificid, Zerbaxa, Winrevair, Adempas/ Verquvo, Ohtuvayre, Lagevrio, Isentress/Isentress HD, Delstrigo, Pifeltro, Belsomra, Januvia, and Janumet brands. The company also provides veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services, such as livestock products under the Nuflor, Bovilis/Vista, Bovilis Cryptium, Banamine, Estrumate, Matrix, Resflor, Zuprevo, …

View MRK details →

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has a better dividend yield, ABBV or MRK?
AbbVie Inc. currently has the higher dividend yield. AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) yields 3.20% while Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) yields 2.98%. Past dividends do not guarantee future payments.
Which is more volatile, ABBV or MRK?
AbbVie Inc. is more volatile based on beta. AbbVie Inc. has a beta of 0.30 and Merck & Co., Inc. has a beta of 0.20. A beta above 1.0 means higher volatility than the overall market.
Which is cheaper by P/E ratio, ABBV or MRK?
Merck & Co., Inc. has the lower trailing P/E ratio. AbbVie Inc. trades at 103.2x earnings while Merck & Co., Inc. trades at 31.7x. A lower P/E may suggest better relative value, but could also reflect lower growth expectations.
Which has more analyst upside, ABBV or MRK?
Based on mean analyst price targets, AbbVie Inc. has more upside potential. AbbVie Inc. has +17.3% upside and Merck & Co., Inc. has +11.9% upside from current prices. Analyst estimates are not guaranteed.
Can I track both ABBV and MRK in one portfolio?
Yes. AllInvestView lets you add both AbbVie Inc. and Merck & Co., Inc. to the same portfolio and monitor price changes, dividends, total return, and allocation — completely free.

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