COP vs MRK: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of ConocoPhillips and Merck & Co., Inc. — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-09-22.
ConocoPhillips · Energy
$127.53
+32.1% upside to fair value
Med Conviction
Grade B
VS
Merck & Co., Inc. · Healthcare
$147.17
-4.1% upside to fair value
Med Conviction
Grade C
QuantHub Verdict
COP has more upside to fair value
(+32.1%).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
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Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
COP |
MRK |
| Current Price |
$127.53 |
$147.17 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$168.50 |
$141.07 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
+32.1%
|
-4.1%
|
| Market Cap |
$155.4B |
$363.5B |
| Forward P/E |
—
|
—
|
| EV / EBITDA |
6.2x
|
29.6x
|
| Price / Sales |
2.5x
|
5.5x
|
| Price / FCF |
7.9x
|
22.6x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+36.8%
|
+5.1%
|
| Gross Margin |
27.7%
|
75.4%
|
| Operating Margin |
21.9%
|
16.7%
|
| Return on Equity |
14.3%
|
6.6%
|
| Dividend Yield |
2.63% |
2.31% |
| FCF Yield |
12.66%
|
4.42%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Strong Buy
|
Buy
|
Investment Thesis
ConocoPhillips is a global exploration and production company with a portfolio spanning unconventional North American shale, conventional international assets, LNG ventures, and Canadian oil sands, run by a new leadership team after Andy O'Brien became CEO on September 1, 2026. The business quality is medium: it generates substantial cash, with $16.15 in free cash flow per share and a 14.3% retur…
Merck & Co., Inc. is a global healthcare leader with two core divisions, Pharmaceuticals and Animal Health, spanning oncology, vaccines, acute hospital care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular and diabetes, and it employs roughly 74,000 people under CEO Robert Davis. The business quality is medium: TTM gross margin of 75.4% and TTM operating margin of 16.7% reflect a genuinely hig…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
COP |
MRK |
| Zone Low |
$126.38 |
$105.80 |
| Zone High |
$143.22 |
$119.91 |
| In Buy Zone? |
Yes
|
No
|