NVCR vs. MRK

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about NovoCure Limited (NVCR) and Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK).

Performance

NVCR vs. MRK - Performance Comparison

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

NVCR vs. MRK - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NVCR NovoCure Limited	-16.16%	-56.61%	99.60%	-79.65%	-2.30%	-56.61%	105.34%	151.70%	65.74%	157.32%
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 NVCR : $1.21B MRK : $300.65B
EPS NVCR : -$1.22 MRK : $7.30
PS Ratio NVCR : 1.85 MRK : 4.65
PB Ratio NVCR : 3.55 MRK : 5.79
Total Revenue (TTM) NVCR : $655.35M MRK : $65.01B
Gross Profit (TTM) NVCR : $488.47M MRK : $52.98B
EBITDA (TTM) NVCR : -$130.60M MRK : $28.80B

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NVCR achieves a -16.16% return, which is significantly lower than MRK's 15.65% return. Over the past 10 years, NVCR has underperformed MRK with an annualized return of -2.62%, while MRK has yielded a comparatively higher 12.36% annualized return.

NVCR

• 1D: -0.55%
• 1M: -19.82%
• YTD: -16.16%
• 6M: -22.46%
• 1Y: -38.13%
• 3Y*: -43.51%
• 5Y*: -39.46%
• 10Y*: -2.62%

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

NVCR vs. MRK — Risk / Return Rank

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

NVCR

NVCR Risk / Return Rank: 16
NVCR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 17
NVCR Sortino Ratio Rank: 18
NVCR Omega Ratio Rank: 19
NVCR Calmar Ratio Rank: 11
NVCR Martin Ratio Rank: 15

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.

NVCR vs. MRK - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for NovoCure Limited (NVCR) 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.

	NVCR	MRK	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.55	1.52	-2.07
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.50	2.17	-2.67
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.94	1.28	-0.34
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.81	2.52	-3.33
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-1.29	6.65	-7.94
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NVCR vs. MRK - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NVCR Sharpe Ratio is -0.55, which is lower than the MRK Sharpe Ratio of 1.52. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NVCR 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

	NVCR	MRK	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.55	1.52	-2.07
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.49	0.60	-1.09
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.04	0.55	-0.58
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.07	0.49	-0.55

Correlation

The correlation between NVCR and MRK is 0.17, 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

NVCR vs. MRK - Dividend Comparison

NVCR has not paid dividends to shareholders, while MRK's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.75%.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
NVCR NovoCure Limited	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
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

NVCR vs. MRK - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NVCR drawdown since its inception was -95.55%, which is greater than MRK's maximum drawdown of -68.61%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NVCR and MRK.

Drawdown Indicators

	NVCR	MRK	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-95.55%	-68.61%	-26.94%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-48.30%	-15.16%	-33.14%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-95.55%	-43.44%	-52.11%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-95.55%	-43.44%	-52.11%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-95.19%	-3.60%	-91.59%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-51.47%	-18.88%	-32.59%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	30.35%	5.94%	+24.41%

Volatility

NVCR vs. MRK - Volatility Comparison

NovoCure Limited (NVCR) has a higher volatility of 16.85% compared to Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) at 5.70%. This indicates that NVCR'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

	NVCR	MRK	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	16.85%	5.70%	+11.15%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	51.80%	18.76%	+33.04%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	69.42%	29.07%	+40.35%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	81.31%	23.30%	+58.01%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	71.60%	22.68%	+48.92%

Financials

NVCR vs. MRK - Profitability Comparison

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

NVCR - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, NovoCure Limited reported a gross profit of 132.19M and revenue of 174.35M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 75.8%.

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%.

NVCR - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, NovoCure Limited reported an operating income of -40.39M and revenue of 174.35M, resulting in an operating margin of -23.2%.

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%.

NVCR - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, NovoCure Limited reported a net income of -24.50M and revenue of 174.35M, resulting in a net margin of -14.1%.

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%.