COMPARE · Data as of August 24, 2026
AZN vs MRK
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. AZN scored 74.5, MRK scored 37.3 — AZN leads.
Compare another set
Different reporting periods. MRK's fundamentals are as of June 2026, but AZN's are as of December 2025 — a 6-month gap. Growth, margin and valuation figures below therefore describe different windows and aren't strictly like-for-like.
AZN
AstraZeneca PLC
74.5
$166.71 · $258.5B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
37.2
AZN leads
MRK
Merck & Co., Inc.
37.3
$150.66 · $371.7B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- CheapestAZN24.9x
- Fastest growthAZN+8.6%
- Strongest balance sheetAZN0.64
- Highest qualityAZN78 / 100
- Largest discount to fair valueMRK-1%
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/E multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
AZN
stronger →← stronger
MRK
78
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
65
78
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
48
68
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
17
AZN is stronger on 3 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
AZN
MRK
$11.8bA-
FCF
$16.1bA-
+8.6%B
Rev
+4.6%C+
0.64C+
D/E
1.28C
24.9xB
P/E
121.5xD
1.43B
PEG
10.47D
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
AZN
MRK
20% above
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
1% below
~13%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~14%/yr
-27%
1-yr DCF upside
-23%
-17%
5-yr DCF upside
+1%
+0%
10-yr DCF upside
+52%
These two disagree on this pair: the Value pillar ranks cheapness against sector peers, while price-vs-fair-value is an absolute read. A name can be the better value in its sector and still the dearer one on cash flows.
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
AZN
Why this score
- Raising its dividend
MRK
The companies
AZNAstraZeneca PLC
Why now
Drug Manufacturers - General · market cap $258.5b. Down 22% from 52-week high of $212.71 — deep drawdown territory. 10 sell-side analysts rate this a Strong Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $213.99 (implying +28% upside).
Moat
Net margin 17% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. ROE 21% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately. FCF converts 115% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
Trial-readout binary — late-stage clinical trials carry approve/reject outcomes that swing valuation 30%+; the equity is effectively a portfolio of these binary events, not a steady cash-flow business.
MRKMerck & Co., Inc.
Why now
Drug Manufacturers - General · market cap $371.7b. Trading near 52-week high of $154.49 — momentum setup, limited technical margin of safety. 26 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $147.77 (implying -2% upside).
Moat
Free cash flow runs well ahead of reported net income — non-cash charges (depreciation, intangible amortization) are holding down GAAP earnings while cash generation stays strong. $371.7b market cap places it among the largest companies in the sector — distribution, R&D, and customer-acquisition costs amortize across a base peers can't replicate. Pharma moat is patent runway + pipeline depth — a single approved molecule funds the next generation of bets. Late-stage trials carry binary readouts that swing valuation 30%+.
Risk
Trailing P/E 121.5x prices in sustained high growth — any quarter that disappoints triggers sharp re-rating. Trading within 2% of the 52-week high — limited technical margin of safety; a momentum reversal would test conviction. Net margin 4.8% is thin — operating leverage cuts both ways; input-cost inflation or pricing pressure hits the bottom line first.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where AZN and MRK diverge
On the headline score the gap is 37.2 points in favor of AZN. The widest single difference is Value, where AZN leads by 50.9 points.
- ValueAZN 67.5 · MRK 16.6AZN +50.9
- GrowthAZN 78.5 · MRK 48.2AZN +30.3
- QualityAZN 78.1 · MRK 64.8AZN +13.3
Pillars run 0–100 against sector peers, so a score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.