ABBV vs MRK vs JNJ Stock Comparison

AbbVie, Merck and Johnson & Johnson Prices as of Nov 4, 2026 Peers: Industry group
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ABBV AbbVie Inc.
$294.90 +11.0% 1M +36.6% 1Y
Market cap
$521.27B
P/E
50.4x
Revenue (TTM)
$66.01B
Div. yield
2.35%
Pharmaceuticals Healthcare
6 wins
MRK Merck & Co., Inc.
$150.37 +7.8% 1M +79.3% 1Y
Market cap
$370.99B
P/E
117.1x
Revenue (TTM)
$66.57B
Div. yield
2.26%
Pharmaceuticals Healthcare
1 win
JNJ Johnson & Johnson
$276.33 +9.3% 1M +47.9% 1Y
Market cap
$665.21B
P/E
41.4x
Revenue (TTM)
$99.34B
Div. yield
1.91%
Pharmaceuticals Healthcare
5 wins

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

AbbVie leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (AbbVie 6, Johnson & Johnson 5, Merck 1). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionABBVMRKJNJLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $521.27B $370.99B $665.21B JNJ
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 50.4x 117.1x 41.4x JNJ
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 22.0x 60.6x 25.8x ABBV
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +10.7% +4.6% +7.8% ABBV
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 15.7% 4.8% 16.2% JNJ
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 24.3% 3.6% 17.6% ABBV
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 2.4x 3.6x 0.8x JNJ
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 2.35% 2.26% 1.91% ABBV
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +36.6% +79.3% +47.9% MRK
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +20.3%/yr +13.0%/yr +11.1%/yr ABBV
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 25.5% 29.9% 21.2% JNJ
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 70/100 61/100 67/100 ABBV

Percentile Scorecard

ABBVMRKJNJ

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisABBVMRKJNJ
Valuation 91 #60 of 634 80 #130 of 634 86 #91 of 634
Growth 68 #194 of 607 37 #386 of 607 41 #357 of 607
Profitability 96 #23 of 557 91 #53 of 557 94 #35 of 557
Financial Health 16 #550 of 654 21 #520 of 654 41 #386 of 654
Shareholder Returns 80 #81 of 400 79 #83 of 400 75 #99 of 400
Overall 70 61 67
  • ABBV ranked among 671 companies in Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
  • MRK ranked among 671 companies in Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
  • JNJ ranked among 671 companies in Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodABBVMRKJNJSPY
1 month +11.0%+7.8%+9.3% -1.0%
3 months +19.8%+17.2%+7.3% -0.4%
6 months +43.8%+32.4%+23.0% +4.5%
Year to date +29.1%+42.9%+33.5% +12.4%
1 year +36.6%+79.3%+47.9% +13.6%
3 years +108.5%+45.5%+82.6% +76.4%
3 years, per year +27.8%+13.3%+22.2% +20.8%
5 years +151.7%+84.3%+69.1% +63.7%
5 years, per year +20.3%+13.0%+11.1% +10.4%
10 years +426.2%+155.6%+140.1% +267.7%
10 years, per year +18.1%+9.8%+9.2% +13.9%

Risk

MeasureABBVMRKJNJSPY
Volatility, 1Y 25.5%29.9%21.2% 12.8%
Downside volatility, 1Y 23.8%24.3%20.1% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y -0.100.13-0.16 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 1.432.662.26 1.06
Max drawdown, 5Y -24.3%-44.7%-23.6% -25.4%
From 52-week high 0.0%-3.9%-0.8% -1.6%
52-week high $294.90$156.45$278.47 $779.14
52-week low $197.38$83.86$186.00 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleABBVMRKJNJ
P/E now vs peer median 50.4xmedian 18.0x 117.1xmedian 18.0x 41.4xmedian 18.0x
P/S now vs peer median 7.9xmedian 9.1x 5.6xmedian 9.1x 6.7xmedian 9.1x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 20.4xmedian 16.2x 31.9xmedian 16.2x 20.8xmedian 16.2x
P/FCF now vs peer median 27.6xmedian 21.7x 23.1xmedian 21.7x 32.3xmedian 21.7x
P/B now vs peer median -113.7xmedian 2.2x 8.8xmedian 2.2x 8.2xmedian 2.2x
PEG now vs peer median 3.03median 0.38 73.68median 0.38 -1.93median 0.38

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsABBVMRKJNJ
Revenue $66.01B $66.57B $99.34B
Gross profit $48.67B $48.57B $67.11B
Operating income $21.23B $6.38B $25.19B
Net income $10.35B $3.17B $16.10B
Free cash flow $18.87B $16.06B $20.59B
R&D $9.96B $30.45B $16.08B
EPS (diluted) $5.84 $1.28 $6.57
Cash & equivalents $10.77B $6.85B $16.91B
Total debt $80.90B $53.91B $44.65B
Shares (diluted) 1.77B 2.47B 2.45B
Enterprise value $489.32B $325.42B $585.07B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricABBVMRKJNJ
P/E 50.4x 117.1x 41.4x
P/FCF 27.6x 23.1x 32.3x
P/Operating cash flow 25.9x 18.6x 25.4x
P/S 7.9x 5.6x 6.7x
P/B -113.7x 8.8x 8.2x
P/Tangible book -8.5x 21.8x 19.1x
EV/EBITDA 20.4x 31.9x 20.8x
EV/EBIT 27.9x 65.5x 27.5x
EV/Revenue 9.0x 6.3x 7.0x
EV/FCF 31.3x 26.0x 33.6x
EV/Operating cash flow 29.4x 20.9x 26.5x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 3.03 73.68 -1.93

Growth

14 metrics
MetricABBVMRKJNJ
Revenue growth (1Y) 10.7% 4.6% 7.8%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 6.2% 4.5% 5.9%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 17.0% -0.3% 7.0%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 10.3% 4.5% 5.1%
Operating income growth (1Y) 134.9% -66.6% 7.4%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 12.1% 1.9% 1.4%
Net income growth (1Y) 331.9% -80.7% -35.9%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 16.6% 0.5% -22.5%
EPS growth (1Y) 333.1% -80.3% -36.4%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 16.6% 1.6% -21.5%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) -3.7% 7.7% 8.1%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -7.7% 9.8% 12.4%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) -4.1% 9.1% 5.1%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -8.6% 14.0% 14.5%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricABBVMRKJNJ
Gross margin 73.7% 73.0% 67.6%
EBITDA margin 43.9% 19.7% 33.5%
Operating margin 32.2% 9.6% 25.4%
Pretax margin 19.4% 8.9% 17.9%
Net margin 15.7% 4.8% 16.2%
FCF margin 28.6% 24.1% 20.7%
Operating cash flow margin 30.4% 30.0% 26.3%
Return on equity – 7.2% 19.3%
Return on assets 7.3% 2.5% 8.1%
Return on invested capital 24.3% 3.6% 17.6%
Return on capital employed 21.6% 6.3% 17.5%
Asset turnover 0.5x 0.5x 0.5x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 1.9x 6.3x 1.6x
Stock comp / revenue 1.4% 1.3% 1.4%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricABBVMRKJNJ
Debt / assets 54.8% 41.5% 22.6%
Debt / equity -17.7x 1.3x 0.5x
Net debt / EBITDA 2.4x 3.6x 0.8x
Debt / FCF 4.3x 3.4x 2.2x
Liabilities / assets 103.1% 67.7% 58.7%
Equity / assets -3.1% 32.3% 41.3%
Interest coverage – – 25.6x
Current ratio 0.9x 1.3x 1.0x
Quick ratio 0.6x 0.7x 0.7x
Cash ratio 0.2x 0.3x 0.3x
Altman Z-score 2.78 3.97 5.57

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricABBVMRKJNJ
Dividend yield 2.3% 2.3% 1.9%
Net buyback yield 0.3% 1.1% 0.6%
Shareholder yield 2.6% 3.3% 2.5%
Payout ratio (earnings) – 261.8% 79.0%
Payout ratio (FCF) – 51.7% 61.8%
Dividend growth (1Y) – 3.3% 3.9%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – 4.7% 1.0%

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusABBVMRKJNJ
Forward P/E 22.0xFY2026 60.6xFY2026 25.8xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $13.38FY2026 $2.48FY2026 $10.72FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +33.8%FY2026 -72.4%FY2026 -0.6%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +25.8% +257.3% +5.9%
Revenue, next fiscal year $69.55BFY2026 $69.45BFY2026 $106.54BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +13.7%FY2026 +6.8%FY2026 +13.1%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after -0.6% -3.8% +7.0%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersABBVMRKJNJ
Held by institutions 74.9% 79.9% 74.7%
Institutions holding 4,181 3,803 4,697
Change in shares held, QoQ +2.6% +2.6% +1.8%
Institutions buying 2,205 1,844 2,296
Institutions selling 1,506 1,468 1,899
Buyers to sellers 1.46 1.26 1.21

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

ABBVMRKJNJ
ABBV 1.00 0.43 0.52
MRK 0.43 1.00 0.49
JNJ 0.52 0.49 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, ABBV, MRK and JNJ?

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) is the largest by market capitalisation: AbbVie (ABBV) $521.27B, Merck (MRK) $370.99B, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) $665.21B.

Which stock is cheaper, ABBV, MRK and JNJ?

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (AbbVie (ABBV) 50.4x, Merck (MRK) 117.1x, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) 41.4x). On next year's consensus earnings, AbbVie (ABBV) is cheapest (AbbVie (ABBV) 22.0x, Merck (MRK) 60.6x, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) 25.8x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

AbbVie (ABBV) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: AbbVie (ABBV) +10.7%, Merck (MRK) +4.6%, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) +7.8%.

Which company is more profitable?

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) has the highest net margin (AbbVie (ABBV) 15.7%, Merck (MRK) 4.8%, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) 16.2%). On return on invested capital, AbbVie (ABBV) leads (AbbVie (ABBV) 24.3%, Merck (MRK) 3.6%, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) 17.6%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Merck (MRK) returned the most: AbbVie (ABBV) +36.6%, Merck (MRK) +79.3%, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) +47.9%. Over five years, AbbVie (ABBV) compounded fastest (AbbVie (ABBV) +20.3%/yr, Merck (MRK) +13.0%/yr, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) +11.1%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

AbbVie (ABBV) has the highest dividend yield: AbbVie (ABBV) 2.35%, Merck (MRK) 2.26%, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) 1.91%.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) has been the steadiest (AbbVie (ABBV) 25.5%, Merck (MRK) 29.9%, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) 21.2%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, ABBV, MRK and JNJ?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, AbbVie (ABBV) leads on 6. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.