CAT vs MRK: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Caterpillar Inc. and Merck & Co., Inc. — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-07-08.
Caterpillar Inc. · Industrials
$940.12
-39.4% upside to fair value
Grade C
High Quality
VS
Merck & Co., Inc. · Healthcare
$113.87
-12.1% upside to fair value
Grade D
High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
MRK has more upside to fair value
(-12.1%).
MRK trades at a lower forward P/E
(32.0x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
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Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
CAT |
MRK |
| Current Price |
$940.12 |
$113.87 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$569.47 |
$100.14 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
-39.4%
|
-12.1%
|
| Market Cap |
$433.1B |
$281.2B |
| Forward P/E |
46.6x
|
32.0x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
29.7x
|
17.3x
|
| Price / Sales |
6.1x
|
4.3x
|
| Price / FCF |
37.8x
|
19.9x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+22.2%
|
+4.3%
|
| Gross Margin |
32.5%
|
75.9%
|
| Operating Margin |
16.6%
|
27.6%
|
| Return on Equity |
47.5%
|
17.9%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
2.64%
|
5.02%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Hold
|
Hold
|
Investment Thesis
Caterpillar Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of agricultural and construction machinery, operating within the Industrials sector. The company demonstrates high business quality with a durable competitive moat supported by strong brand recognition, cost advantages, and intangible assets. It posted robust revenue growth of 22.2% and earnings growth of 27.3% in the most recent quarter, reflecti…
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 |
CAT |
MRK |
| Zone Low |
$427.10 |
$75.11 |
| Zone High |
$484.05 |
$85.12 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
No
|