Merck (MRK) Return on Capital Employed (2009 - 2026)
Merck (MRK) reported 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% on a QoQ basis from 4.47% in Q4 2025.
Merck (MRK) has 18 years of Return on Capital Employed data on file, last reported at 5.22% in Q1 2026.
- Quarterly Return on Capital Employed fell 1083.0% year-over-year to 5.22% in Q1 2026, while the trailing twelve-month figure through Mar 2026 was 5.22% (down 1083.0% YoY) and the FY2025 annual result came in at 4.75%, down 93.0% from the prior year.
- Return on Capital Employed slipped 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.
- The 5-year median for Return on Capital Employed is 0.67% (2022), against an average of 2.09%.
- The widest annual swing landed in 2023, when Return on Capital Employed tumbled 1642 bps; it then jumped 2291 bps in 2024.
- Tracing MRK's Return on Capital Employed over 5 years: stood at 1.15% in 2022, then slumped by 1425 bps to 17.58% in 2023, then surged by 130 bps to 5.34% in 2024, then fell by 16 bps to 4.47% in 2025, then tumbled by 217 bps to 5.22% in 2026.
- Per Business Quant, the three latest MRK Return on Capital Employed figures stand at 5.22% (Q1 2026), 4.47% (Q4 2025), and 7.54% (Q3 2025).
Peer Comparison
| # | Company | Market Cap | Enterprise Value | Gross Profit (Qtr) | ROCE (Qtr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Novartis Ag | 107,124,802.25 Bn | 107,124,802.25 Bn | - | - |
| 2 | Eli Lilly | 969.00 Bn | 963.72 Bn | 16.22 Bn | 42.94% |
| 3 | Johnson & Johnson | 539.46 Bn | 517.41 Bn | 15.96 Bn | 28.18% |
| 4 | AbbVie | 376.92 Bn | 367.57 Bn | 10.78 Bn | 16.47% |
| 5 | Merck | 285.00 Bn | 279.35 Bn | 12.09 Bn | -5.22% |
| 6 | Amgen | 177.58 Bn | 165.55 Bn | 5.87 Bn | 15.87% |
| 7 | Gilead Sciences | 163.22 Bn | 155.50 Bn | 5.52 Bn | 21.53% |
| 8 | Pfizer | 145.86 Bn | 133.09 Bn | -1.21 Bn | -10.20% |
| 9 | Bristol Myers Squibb | 111.90 Bn | 101.44 Bn | 8.07 Bn | -6.84% |
| 10 | Gsk | 88.34 Bn | 83.66 Bn | - | - |
Historic Data
Download Data| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| 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% |
| Jun 30, 2021 | -13.77% |
| Mar 31, 2021 | -12.49% |
| Dec 31, 2020 | -11.62% |
| Sep 30, 2020 | -4.10% |
| Jun 30, 2020 | -6.40% |
| Mar 31, 2020 | -7.08% |
| Dec 31, 2019 | -7.86% |
| Sep 30, 2019 | -3.90% |
| Jun 30, 2019 | -2.80% |
| Mar 31, 2019 | -4.62% |
| Dec 31, 2018 | -7.80% |
| Sep 30, 2018 | -8.55% |
| Jun 30, 2018 | -11.63% |
| Mar 31, 2018 | -10.26% |
| Dec 31, 2017 | -8.98% |
| Sep 30, 2017 | -13.27% |
| Jun 30, 2017 | -9.31% |
| Mar 31, 2017 | -11.12% |
| Dec 31, 2016 | -11.76% |
| Sep 30, 2016 | -9.26% |
| Jun 30, 2016 | -10.18% |
| Mar 31, 2016 | -11.24% |
| Dec 31, 2015 | -11.59% |
| Sep 30, 2015 | 1.85% |
| Jun 30, 2015 | 0.22% |
| Mar 31, 2015 | 0.17% |
| Dec 31, 2014 | 0.63% |
| Sep 30, 2014 | -14.79% |
| Jun 30, 2014 | -12.64% |
| Mar 31, 2014 | -12.78% |
| Dec 31, 2013 | -12.94% |
| Sep 30, 2013 | -12.27% |
| Jun 30, 2012 | -8.53% |
| Mar 31, 2012 | -9.85% |
| Dec 31, 2011 | -10.65% |
| Sep 30, 2011 | -13.46% |
| Jun 30, 2011 | -15.26% |
| Mar 31, 2011 | -16.05% |
| Dec 31, 2010 | -12.61% |
| Sep 30, 2010 | -9.01% |
| Jun 30, 2010 | -2.98% |
| Mar 31, 2010 | 1.99% |
| Dec 31, 2009 | 4.28% |
| Sep 30, 2009 | 38.91% |