MRK vs NKE: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Merck & Co., Inc. and NIKE, Inc. — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-07-01.
Merck & Co., Inc. · Healthcare
$113.87
-12.1% upside to fair value
Grade D
High Quality
VS
NIKE, Inc. · Consumer Cyclical
$41.05
+45.0% upside to fair value
Grade B
High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
NKE has more upside to fair value
(+45.0%).
NKE trades at a lower forward P/E
(19.6x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
MRK |
NKE |
| Current Price |
$113.87 |
$41.05 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$100.14 |
$59.52 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
-12.1%
|
+45.0%
|
| Market Cap |
$281.2B |
$60.7B |
| Forward P/E |
32.0x
|
19.6x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
17.3x
|
14.2x
|
| Price / Sales |
4.3x
|
1.3x
|
| Price / FCF |
19.9x
|
57.9x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+4.3%
|
-1.1%
|
| Gross Margin |
75.9%
|
42.9%
|
| Operating Margin |
27.6%
|
8.2%
|
| Return on Equity |
17.9%
|
22.0%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
5.02%
|
1.73%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Hold
|
Hold
|
Investment Thesis
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…
NIKE, Inc. is a leading global athletic footwear and apparel company with a durable competitive moat supported by its strong brand, scale, and global distribution infrastructure. The company is currently led by CEO Elliott Hill, a seasoned Nike veteran who returned in October 2024 to navigate intensifying competition and channel complexity. Despite its market leadership and solid profitability me…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
MRK |
NKE |
| Zone Low |
$75.11 |
$44.64 |
| Zone High |
$85.12 |
$50.59 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
Yes
|