GILD vs. MRK

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) and Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK).

Performance

GILD vs. MRK - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) and Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

GILD vs. MRK - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
GILD Gilead Sciences, Inc.	14.96%	36.59%	18.68%	-1.99%	23.63%	29.95%	-6.70%	7.88%	-9.92%	2.96%
MRK Merck & Co., Inc.	15.65%	9.79%	-6.26%	1.01%	49.42%	1.75%	-7.20%	22.27%	39.95%	-1.49%

Fundamentals

Market Cap GILD : $175.80B MRK : $300.65B
EPS GILD : $6.79 MRK : $7.30
PE Ratio GILD : 20.67 MRK : 16.55
PEG Ratio GILD : 0.05 MRK : 0.01
PS Ratio GILD : 5.98 MRK : 4.65
PB Ratio GILD : 7.77 MRK : 5.79
Total Revenue (TTM) GILD : $29.44B MRK : $65.01B
Gross Profit (TTM) GILD : $23.79B MRK : $52.98B
EBITDA (TTM) GILD : $12.90B MRK : $28.80B

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with GILD having a 14.96% return and MRK slightly higher at 15.65%. Over the past 10 years, GILD has underperformed MRK with an annualized return of 7.81%, while MRK has yielded a comparatively higher 12.36% annualized return.

GILD

• 1D: 0.67%
• 1M: -5.95%
• YTD: 14.96%
• 6M: 27.78%
• 1Y: 29.43%
• 3Y*: 23.25%
• 5Y*: 20.53%
• 10Y*: 7.81%

MRK

• 1D: 0.46%
• 1M: 0.27%
• YTD: 15.65%
• 6M: 36.22%
• 1Y: 43.74%
• 3Y*: 7.58%
• 5Y*: 13.97%
• 10Y*: 12.36%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

GILD vs. MRK — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

GILD

GILD Risk / Return Rank: 73
GILD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
GILD Sortino Ratio Rank: 70
GILD Omega Ratio Rank: 64
GILD Calmar Ratio Rank: 77
GILD Martin Ratio Rank: 78

MRK

MRK Risk / Return Rank: 81
MRK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 84
MRK Sortino Ratio Rank: 80
MRK Omega Ratio Rank: 78
MRK Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
MRK Martin Ratio Rank: 82

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

GILD vs. MRK - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) and Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	GILD	MRK	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.02	1.52	-0.50
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.63	2.17	-0.54
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.19	1.28	-0.09
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.07	2.52	-0.45
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.62	6.65	-1.03
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GILD vs. MRK - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GILD Sharpe Ratio is 1.02, which is lower than the MRK Sharpe Ratio of 1.52. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GILD and MRK, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	GILD	MRK	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.02	1.52	-0.50
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.86	0.60	+0.26
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.31	0.55	-0.24
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.39	0.49	-0.09

Correlation

The correlation between GILD and MRK is 0.27, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

GILD vs. MRK - Dividend Comparison

GILD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.27%, less than MRK's 2.75% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
GILD Gilead Sciences, Inc.	2.27%	2.57%	3.33%	3.70%	3.40%	3.91%	4.67%	3.88%	3.65%	2.90%	2.57%	1.27%
MRK Merck & Co., Inc.	2.75%	3.12%	3.14%	2.72%	2.52%	3.41%	3.03%	2.48%	2.60%	3.36%	3.14%	3.43%

Drawdowns

GILD vs. MRK - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GILD drawdown since its inception was -70.83%, roughly equal to the maximum MRK drawdown of -68.61%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GILD and MRK.

Drawdown Indicators

	GILD	MRK	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-70.83%	-68.61%	-2.22%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.77%	-15.16%	+1.39%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.59%	-43.44%	+16.85%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-36.01%	-43.44%	+7.43%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.44%	-3.60%	-5.84%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-22.20%	-18.88%	-3.32%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.08%	5.94%	-0.86%

Volatility

GILD vs. MRK - Volatility Comparison

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) has a higher volatility of 6.36% compared to Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) at 5.70%. This indicates that GILD's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than MRK based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	GILD	MRK	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.36%	5.70%	+0.66%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	18.91%	18.76%	+0.15%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	29.01%	29.07%	-0.06%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	23.90%	23.30%	+0.60%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.63%	22.68%	+2.95%

Financials

GILD vs. MRK - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Gilead Sciences, Inc. and Merck & Co., Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

GILD - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Gilead Sciences, Inc. reported a gross profit of 6.88B and revenue of 7.93B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 86.8%.

MRK - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Merck & Co., Inc. reported a gross profit of 15.20B and revenue of 16.40B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 92.7%.

GILD - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Gilead Sciences, Inc. reported an operating income of 2.96B and revenue of 7.93B, resulting in an operating margin of 37.4%.

MRK - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Merck & Co., Inc. reported an operating income of 8.74B and revenue of 16.40B, resulting in an operating margin of 53.3%.

GILD - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Gilead Sciences, Inc. reported a net income of 2.18B and revenue of 7.93B, resulting in a net margin of 27.6%.

MRK - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Merck & Co., Inc. reported a net income of 2.96B and revenue of 16.40B, resulting in a net margin of 18.1%.