Merck (MRK) Return on Capital Employed (2009 - 2026)
Merck (MRK) posted quarterly Return on Capital Employed of 5.22% for Q1 2026, down 1083.0% year-over-year from 0.53% in Q1 2025, and down 216.93% quarter-over-quarter from 4.47% in Q4 2025.
Merck (MRK) Return on Capital Employed (2009 - 2026) Analysis & Trends
Merck (MRK) has reported Return on Capital Employed for 18 consecutive years, with 5.22% the latest figure, recorded in Q1 2026.
- In Q1 2026, Return on Capital Employed fell 1083.0% year-over-year to 5.22%; the TTM figure through Mar 2026 stood at 5.22% (down 1083.0% YoY), while the FY2025 annual figure was 4.75%, down 93.0% from the prior year.
- Return on Capital Employed declined to 5.22% in Q1 2026 per MRK's latest filing, from 4.47% in the prior quarter.
- Across five years, Return on Capital Employed topped out at 7.54% in Q3 2025 and bottomed at 17.58% in Q4 2023.
- Historically, Return on Capital Employed has averaged 2.09% across 5 years, with a median of 0.67% in 2022.
- Annual changes were most pronounced in 2023 — Return on Capital Employed sank 1642 bps — and 2024, when it soared 2291 bps.
- Merck's Return on Capital Employed stood at 1.15% in 2022, then sank by 1425 bps to 17.58% in 2023, then surged by 130 bps to 5.34% in 2024, then slipped by 16 bps to 4.47% in 2025, then slumped by 217 bps to 5.22% in 2026.
- Business Quant data shows MRK's Return on Capital Employed at 5.22% in Q1 2026, 4.47% in Q4 2025, and 7.54% in Q3 2025.
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Peer Comparison
| # | Company | Market Cap | Enterprise Value | Gross Profit (Qtr) | ROCE (Qtr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johnson & Johnson | 652.20 Bn | 631.44 Bn | 17.26 Bn | 17.83% |
| 2 | AbbVie | 469.51 Bn | 462.94 Bn | 12.70 Bn | 17.92% |
| 3 | Merck | 376.81 Bn | 369.67 Bn | 12.21 Bn | 9.96% |
| 4 | Novartis Ag | 303.04 Bn | 295.35 Bn | 11.24 Bn | - |
| 5 | Astrazeneca | 257.61 Bn | 252.71 Bn | 12.86 Bn | 16.76% |
| 6 | Amgen | 237.37 Bn | 223.38 Bn | 7.24 Bn | 16.66% |
| 7 | Gilead Sciences | 181.73 Bn | 178.55 Bn | 6.22 Bn | -5.97% |
| 8 | Pfizer | 159.66 Bn | 147.96 Bn | 10.94 Bn | 11.86% |
| 9 | Gsk | 106.24 Bn | 102.07 Bn | 8.24 Bn | 11.42% |
| 10 | Sanofi | 55.07 Bn | 47.69 Bn | 10.79 Bn | 79.25% |
Historic Data
Download Data| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | -11.87% |
| Mar 31, 2026 | -5.22% |
| Dec 31, 2025 | 4.47% |
| Sep 30, 2025 | 7.54% |
| Jun 30, 2025 | 4.74% |
| Mar 31, 2025 | 5.60% |
| Dec 31, 2024 | 5.34% |
| Sep 30, 2024 | -1.82% |
| Jun 30, 2024 | -0.25% |
| Mar 31, 2024 | -14.58% |
| Dec 31, 2023 | -17.58% |
| Sep 30, 2023 | -10.48% |
| Jun 30, 2023 | -12.51% |
| Mar 31, 2023 | -0.85% |
| Dec 31, 2022 | -1.15% |
| Sep 30, 2022 | -0.67% |
| Jun 30, 2022 | 1.91% |
| Mar 31, 2022 | -0.07% |
| Dec 31, 2021 | 0.33% |
| Sep 30, 2021 | -10.76% |