LIVE
GILD
Gilead Sciences, Inc. · Health Care - Biotechnology
$123.76
-5.16% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
MRK
Merck & Co., Inc. · Health Care - Pharmaceuticals
$113.87
-0.32% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
GILD
2
MRK
3
Comparison scoreboard
MRK LEADS 3/5AI Score
GILD 41.3
MRK ✓51.6
1Y Return
GILD +14.59%
MRK ✓+45.47%
Fwd P/E
GILD 12.99
MRK ✓12.45
Target Up.
GILD ✓+25.46%
MRK +8.98%
Op. Margin
GILD ✓39.28%
MRK 38.60%
Metrics last refreshed: 6/20/2026
Quick take
GILD vs MRK Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
MRK is currently the stronger revenue growth story powered by the world's best-selling cancer drug (Keytruda), while GILD offers a more stable, dividend-paying profile anchored by its HIV cash cow with a growing oncology portfolio. Both face significant revenue transitions — MRK's Keytruda patent cliff and GILD's long-term HIV franchise management.
GILD vs MRK compares two large-cap pharmaceutical income and growth investments: Gilead's stable HIV cash flow and dividend versus Merck's Keytruda oncology juggernaut approaching a major patent cliff.
Live analysis · updated 6/20/2026
MRK holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. MRK leads on both 1-year return (+45.47%) and forward P/E (12.45x vs 12.99x for GILD), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. On fundamentals, MRK is growing revenue faster (4.90%), while GILD maintains the higher operating margin (39.28%) — a classic growth-versus-profitability split. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for GILD (+25.46%) than for MRK (+8.98%).
Normalized 1Y performance
GILD
MRK
Recent returns
GILD
MRK
Analyst price targets & sentiment
GILD · 26 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (1.9/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$92.00
analyst mean$157.57
current price$123.76
+25.5% upside to analyst mean
MRK · 24 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (2.0/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$82.00
analyst high$138.00
analyst mean$129.74
current price$113.87
+9.0% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
GILD may suit investors who:
- →Want large-cap biotech exposure with a meaningful dividend yield
- →Value the stability of Gilead's HIV franchise as a cash generation engine
- →See upside in Trodelvy and Yescarta expanding the oncology portfolio
MRK may suit investors who:
- →Want exposure to the world's best-selling cancer drug and its continued indication expansion
- →Are comfortable with Keytruda concentration risk in exchange for near-term revenue growth
- →Believe Merck's pipeline and business development will successfully bridge the 2028 Keytruda patent cliff
Performance & AI score
| Metric | GILD | MRK |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 41.3 | 51.6 |
| AI rank | #967 | #369 |
| Latest close | $123.76 | $113.87 |
| 1M return | -5.16% | -0.32% |
| 6M return | +1.98% | +14.81% |
| 1Y return | +14.59% | +45.47% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | GILD | MRK |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $11.46K (+14.6%) started 2025-06-18 | $14.36K (+43.6%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $25.04K (+150.4%) started 2021-06-21 | $18.71K (+87.1%) started 2021-06-21 |
| 10Y ago | $29.99K (+199.9%) started 2016-06-20 | $37.38K (+273.8%) started 2016-06-20 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | GILD | MRK |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $155.93B | $294.03B |
| Trailing P/E | 17.09 | 33.54 |
| Forward P/E | 12.99 | 12.45 |
| Price/Sales | 4.87 | 3.10 |
| EV/Revenue | 5.66 | 5.13 |
| Analyst target | $157.57 | $129.74 |
| Target upside | +25.46% | +8.98% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | GILD | MRK |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 4.40% | 4.90% |
| Earnings growth | 54.80% | -19.30% |
| EPS growth | +54.80% | -19.30% |
| FCF margin | +26.68% | +21.36% |
| Operating margin | 39.28% | 38.60% |
| Profit margin | 30.99% | 13.59% |
| ROIC proxy | 43.36% | 18.94% |
| Return on equity | 43.36% | 18.94% |
| Dividend yield | 2.61% | 2.86% |
| Beta | 0.33 | 0.22 |
| Debt/equity | 94.64 | 106.94 |
| Current ratio | 1.97 | 1.30 |
| Quick ratio | 1.54 | 0.70 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
GILD max drawdown22.03%
MRK max drawdown11.90%
GILD max wkly drop5.98%
MRK max wkly drop7.12%
5Y risk snapshot
GILD max drawdown26.59%
MRK max drawdown43.44%
GILD max wkly drop9.78%
MRK max wkly drop13.42%
10Y risk snapshot
GILD max drawdown30.47%
MRK max drawdown43.44%
GILD max wkly drop12.29%
MRK max wkly drop13.71%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | GILD | MRK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +14.59% | +43.61% |
| CAGR | +14.61% | +43.69% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.48 | 1.31 | |
| Max drawdown | 22.03% | 11.90% | |
| Max daily drop | 4.28% | 4.44% | |
| Max wkly drop | 5.98% | 7.12% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +113.43% | +66.14% |
| CAGR | +16.40% | +10.70% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.56 | 0.36 | |
| Max drawdown | 26.59% | 43.44% | |
| Max daily drop | 10.15% | 9.86% | |
| Max wkly drop | 9.78% | 13.42% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +105.64% | +176.77% |
| CAGR | +7.48% | +10.72% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.23 | 0.36 | |
| Max drawdown | 30.47% | 43.44% | |
| Max daily drop | 10.15% | 9.86% | |
| Max wkly drop | 12.29% | 13.71% |
Business comparison
| Category | GILD | MRK |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Gilead Sciences, Inc. | Merck & Co., Inc. |
| Sector | Healthcare | Healthcare |
| Industry | Drug Manufacturers - General | Drug Manufacturers - General |
| Core business | Gilead Sciences is a large-cap biotechnology company with a dominant HIV antiretroviral franchise (Biktarvy), oncology portfolio (Trodelvy, Yescarta CAR-T), and significant antiviral history including hepatitis C treatments, paying a meaningful dividend. | Merck is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, with Keytruda (pembrolizumab) — the world's best-selling cancer immunotherapy — as its dominant franchise, alongside vaccines (Gardasil), HIV antiretrovirals (Islatravir), and other therapeutic areas. |
| Investor focus | Investors track Biktarvy's HIV revenue durability, Trodelvy's expansion in breast cancer, Yescarta's CAR-T performance, and Gilead's business development pipeline to supplement internal R&D. | Investors track Keytruda's sustained revenue growth across its expanding cancer indications, pipeline diversification to reduce Keytruda concentration risk, and the Keytruda patent cliff beginning in 2028. |
GILD strengths
- →Biktarvy is the leading HIV treatment with a large, stable recurring patient base providing durable cash generation
- →Meaningful dividend yield provides income alongside growth from the oncology portfolio
- →Oncology diversification through Trodelvy and Yescarta reduces single-franchise dependency
MRK strengths
- →Keytruda is the best-selling cancer drug globally, with approvals across dozens of cancer types and ongoing label expansion trials
- →Diverse pipeline including vaccines, cardiometabolic, and infectious disease complements the core Keytruda franchise
- →Strong manufacturing and global commercial infrastructure
Risks to watch — GILD
- →HIV franchise faces eventual competition from long-acting injectables and generics over a longer horizon
- →Trodelvy and Yescarta are still building their commercial scale versus Gilead's HIV franchise size
- →Acquisition track record has been mixed, with some deals (Immunomedics) under ongoing scrutiny
Risks to watch — MRK
- →Keytruda's U.S. composition-of-matter patents begin expiring in 2028, creating a significant revenue cliff from biosimilar competition
- →Heavy revenue concentration in Keytruda makes patent cliff risk particularly acute
- →Merck is under significant pipeline and BD pressure to fill the expected Keytruda revenue gap post-2028
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