AAPL vs MRK: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Apple Inc. and Merck & Co., Inc. — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-07-06.
Apple Inc. · Technology
$308.63
+5.6% upside to fair value
Grade B
High Quality
VS
Merck & Co., Inc. · Healthcare
$113.87
-12.1% upside to fair value
Grade D
High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
AAPL has more upside to fair value
(+5.6%).
MRK trades at a lower forward P/E
(32.0x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
AAPL |
MRK |
| Current Price |
$308.63 |
$113.87 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$325.93 |
$100.14 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
+5.6%
|
-12.1%
|
| Market Cap |
$4,533.0B |
$281.2B |
| Forward P/E |
37.2x
|
32.0x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
28.6x
|
17.3x
|
| Price / Sales |
10.0x
|
4.3x
|
| Price / FCF |
35.1x
|
19.9x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+16.6%
|
+4.3%
|
| Gross Margin |
47.9%
|
75.9%
|
| Operating Margin |
32.6%
|
27.6%
|
| Return on Equity |
146.7%
|
17.9%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
2.85%
|
5.02%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Buy
|
Hold
|
Investment Thesis
Apple Inc. is a leading technology company specializing in consumer electronics, software, and services, with a durable competitive moat driven by its integrated ecosystem of devices, operating systems, and services. The company benefits from strong brand loyalty, high margins with a gross margin of 47.9%, and consistent earnings growth, including a 19.4% increase in earnings in the most recent q…
Merck & Co., Inc. is a leading global healthcare company specializing in pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and animal health products. Its business quality is high, supported by a durable competitive moat anchored in the dominant global position of Keytruda in PD-1/PD-L1 oncology, a strong vaccines portfolio including Gardasil, and scale in R&D and manufacturing. The company benefits from a seasoned lea…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
AAPL |
MRK |
| Zone Low |
$244.45 |
$75.11 |
| Zone High |
$277.04 |
$85.12 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
No
|