Compare Stocks › MRK vs NKE
Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) vs NIKE, Inc. (NKE)
MRK
Merck & Co., Inc.
$112.16
VS
NKE
NIKE, Inc.
$44.40
Rewards
MRK
- ★Gross margin of 76.6% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
- ★Each dollar of retained earnings has created $3.38 of earning power — management is an exceptional capital allocator.
- ★Dividend yield of 3.03% with a consistent or growing payout over the past 4 years.
NKE
- ★NIKE, Inc. has maintained ROIC above 10% for 4 consecutive years, suggesting solid business economics.
- ★NIKE, Inc. scores 72/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.
- ★Return on equity has consistently exceeded 20% over 4 years, indicating efficient use of shareholder capital.
Risks
MRK
- ⚠PEG ratio of 3.43 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.
- ⚠12 insider sales totaling $40.7M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
- ⚠Free cash flow has declined at a 5.6% CAGR over the past 4 years — a concerning trend.
NKE
- ⚠Free cash flow has declined at a 9.6% CAGR over the past 4 years — a concerning trend.
Key Valuation Metrics
Learn more →MRK
NKE
Valuation
N/A
Free Cash Flow
$3.27B
N/A
FCF Yield
4.97%
31.51
Trailing P/E
29.21
11.52
Forward P/E
24.05
Quality & Moat
19.18%
ROIC
10.10%
34.66%
ROE
22.85%
76.60%
Gross Margin
40.92%
3.43
PEG Ratio
1.37
Balance Sheet Safety
0.96
Debt / Equity
0.79
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
1.23
Net Debt / EBITDA
0.81
3.03%
Dividend Yield
3.69%
MRK: 4Ties: 1NKE: 5
MRKNKE
Historical Fundamentals
Learn more →MRK
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
NKE
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
$1 Retained Earnings Test
Learn more →MRK
$-1.72
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Market Cap Declined
Σ Retained
$12.28B
Δ Market Cap
$-21.09B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
NKE
$-11.96
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Market Cap Declined
Σ Retained
$7.51B
Δ Market Cap
$-89.79B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis
Learn more →MRK
78.5% Margin of Safety
Price is 78.5% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $112.16
Strongly undervalued
Fairly valued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $522.77
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
NKE
61.3% Margin of Safety
Price is 61.3% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $44.40
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $114.74
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth
Learn more →MRK
Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.
NKE
What growth rate is the market pricing in at $44?
+8.6%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +8.4%
The market implies +8.6% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.
Standard FCF implies a demanding +8.4%, reflecting heavy growth investment.
Economic Moat Score
Learn more →MRK
68/100
Narrow Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
Narrow moat with revenue predictability as the key competitive advantage. Improving margin stability would strengthen the moat.
Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
NKE
72/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. ROIC Consistency is the standout factor.
Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
Forensic Accounting
Learn more →MRK
-2.31
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone
M-Score Trend
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
NKE
-2.36
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone
M-Score Trend
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
Ownership Breakdown
Learn more →MRK
Insiders 0.1%Institutions 81.3%Retail & Other 18.6%
No. of Institutional Holders4,628
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
NKE
Insiders 1.5%Institutions 82.2%Retail & Other 16.3%
No. of Institutional Holders2,715
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
Insider Buying Activity
Learn more →MRK
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
THULIN INGE G
Director
$250,000
@ $88.28 · 2025-02-06
BAKER DOUGLAS M JR
Director
$1.33M
@ $88.50 · 2025-02-05
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
NKE
5
Buys (3M)
9
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $9.19M
HILL ELLIOTT
Chief Executive Officer
$1.00M
@ $42.27 · 2026-04-13
HILL ELLIOTT
Chief Executive Officer
$1.00M
@ $42.27 · 2026-04-13
COOK TIMOTHY D
Director
$1.06M
@ $42.43 · 2026-04-10
ROGERS JOHN W JR
Director
$173,360
@ $43.34 · 2026-04-09
SWAN ROBERT HOLMES
Director
$500,002
@ $42.44 · 2026-04-07
HILL ELLIOTT
Chief Executive Officer
$1.00M
@ $61.10 · 2025-12-29
COOK TIMOTHY D
Director
$2.95M
@ $58.97 · 2025-12-22
SWAN ROBERT HOLMES
Director
$500,080
@ $57.54 · 2025-12-22
KNUDSTORP JORGEN VIG
Director
$1.00M
@ $62.09 · 2025-11-07
SWAN ROBERT HOLMES
Director
$502,756
@ $58.46 · 2025-04-04
ROGERS JOHN W JR
Director
$191,624
@ $76.65 · 2024-12-27
SWAN ROBERT HOLMES
Director
$226,516
@ $77.02 · 2024-06-28
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.
Insider Selling Activity
Learn more →MRK
12
Sells (3M)
14
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $42.04M
GUINDO CHIRFI
Officer
$1.21M
@ $121.46 · 2026-02-12
LI DEAN Y
Officer
$1.20M
@ $117.52 · 2026-02-10
GUINDO CHIRFI
Officer
$1.18M
@ $118.41 · 2026-02-09
ZACHARY JENNIFER L
General Counsel
$14.49M
@ $119.15 · 2026-02-09
DELUCA RICHARD ROBERT JR.
Officer
$4.56M
@ $120.92 · 2026-02-06
WILLIAMS DAVID MICHAEL
Chief Technology Officer
$609,525
@ $121.91 · 2026-02-06
OOSTHUIZEN JOHANNES JACOBUS
Officer
$1.83M
@ $121.87 · 2026-02-06
GUINDO CHIRFI
Officer
$2.44M
@ $121.88 · 2026-02-05
LI DEAN Y
Officer
$1.79M
@ $118.77 · 2026-02-04
DAVIS ROBERT M
Chief Executive Officer
$5.60M
@ $118.04 · 2026-02-04
LITCHFIELD CAROLINE
Chief Financial Officer
$5.02M
@ $119.61 · 2026-02-04
SMART DALTON E. III
Officer
$765,920
@ $119.67 · 2026-02-04
DOWNING CRISTAL N.
Officer
$616,395
@ $87.00 · 2025-11-10
WILLIAMS DAVID MICHAEL
Chief Technology Officer
$720,040
@ $83.59 · 2025-11-03
SMART DALTON E. III
Officer
$352,723
@ $82.76 · 2025-04-25
OOSTHUIZEN JOHANNES JACOBUS
Officer
$714,745
@ $84.09 · 2025-02-19
WILLIAMS DAVID MICHAEL
Chief Technology Officer
$512,057
@ $85.34 · 2025-02-13
DOWNING CRISTAL N.
Officer
$209,551
@ $88.76 · 2025-02-06
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
NKE
1
Sells (3M)
10
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $30.93M
LEINWAND ROBERT
Officer
$565,021
@ $62.33 · 2026-02-12
PARKER MARK G
Officer and Director
$5.58M
@ $64.80 · 2025-11-14
HEINLE TREASURE
Officer
$306,461
@ $71.27 · 2025-10-06
LEINWAND ROBERT
Officer
$52,367
@ $75.13 · 2025-10-02
LEINWAND ROBERT
Officer
$76,058
@ $74.64 · 2025-09-05
PARKER MARK G
Officer and Director
$6.54M
@ $75.93 · 2025-08-14
MCCARTNEY PHILIP
Officer
$244,138
@ $77.21 · 2025-08-13
LEINWAND ROBERT
Officer
$123,152
@ $74.91 · 2025-08-05
PARKER MARK G
Officer and Director
$7.95M
@ $72.29 · 2025-07-16
PARKER MARK G
Officer and Director
$9.49M
@ $62.05 · 2025-05-14
NIELSEN JOHANNA
Officer
$7,978
@ $57.81 · 2025-04-24
PARKER MARK G
Officer and Director
$12.36M
@ $72.83 · 2025-02-14
LEINWAND ROBERT
Officer
$328,082
@ $72.81 · 2025-02-13
O NEILL HEIDI
Officer
$1.01M
@ $71.18 · 2025-02-11
PARKER MARK G
Officer and Director
$3.46M
@ $76.64 · 2024-11-14
PARKER MARK G
Officer and Director
$4.09M
@ $78.00 · 2024-08-14
FRIEND MATTHEW
Chief Financial Officer
$394,281
@ $72.88 · 2024-08-07
PARKER MARK G
Officer and Director
$8.03M
@ $72.97 · 2024-07-18
FRIEND MATTHEW
Chief Financial Officer
$889,185
@ $95.10 · 2024-06-05
PARKER MARK G
Officer and Director
$15.68M
@ $93.14 · 2024-05-14
NIELSEN JOHANNA
Officer
$26,406
@ $93.64 · 2024-05-09
MATHESON MONIQUE SUZETTE
Officer
$4.24M
@ $94.16 · 2024-05-07
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.
🎭 Mr. Market's Mood
Learn more →MRK
😐Neutral(55/100)
"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"
Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
NKE
😨Fear(36/100)
"Market is pessimistic — investigate whether fears are temporary or structural"
Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
⚖️ Buffett Signal
Learn more →MRK
⚪Awaiting DCF Data
The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (55)
NKE
⚪Awaiting DCF Data
The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Fear (36)