Merck (MRK) Return on Sales [ROS] (2009 - 2026)
Merck's Return on Sales [ROS] came in at -3.52% for Q2 2026, down 35.10 percentage points from 31.58% a year earlier but up 17.34 percentage points from the prior quarter.
Merck (MRK) Return on Sales [ROS] (2009 - 2026) Analysis & Trends
Over the trailing twelve months to Jun 30, 2026, Merck reported Return on Sales [ROS] of 9.58%, down 20.42 percentage points year-over-year; for FY2025, it came in at 32.64%, up 1.61 percentage points from FY2024.
- Return on Sales [ROS] carries a five-year change of +20.66 percentage points (FY2020 to FY2025).
- Going back by year, Return on Sales [ROS] was 31.03% in FY2024 (-14.52 pp), 45.56% in FY2023 (+15.29 pp), 30.27% in FY2022 (+4.53 pp) and 25.74% in FY2021 (+13.77 pp).
- The five-year range for quarterly Return on Sales [ROS] is -34.34% (Q2 2023) to 37.79% (Q1 2025).
- Year-over-year, Return on Sales [ROS] has declined for three consecutive quarters, with an average year-over-year change of -10.91 percentage points over the last eight quarters.
- The fastest year-over-year change in Return on Sales [ROS] over five years came in Q2 2024 (a gain of 71.88 percentage points), and the weakest in Q2 2023 (a drop of 68.09 percentage points).
- Business Quant data shows MRK's Return on Sales [ROS] at -20.85% (Q1 2026), 23.49% (Q4 2025) and 37.66% (Q3 2025) in the three quarters before Q2 2026.
Peer Comparison
| # | Company | Market Cap | Enterprise Value | Gross Profit (Qtr) | ROS (Qtr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eli Lilly | 1,076.25 Bn | 1,044.84 Bn | 19.71 Bn | 51.16% |
| 2 | Johnson & Johnson | 617.18 Bn | 535.70 Bn | 17.26 Bn | 28.21% |
| 3 | AbbVie | 464.58 Bn | 437.73 Bn | 12.70 Bn | 37.86% |
| 4 | Merck | 356.04 Bn | 310.47 Bn | 12.21 Bn | -3.52% |
| 5 | Novartis Ag | 269.07 Bn | 224.94 Bn | 11.24 Bn | 32.97% |
| 6 | Astrazeneca | 243.21 Bn | 216.77 Bn | 12.86 Bn | 20.57% |
| 7 | Amgen | 217.88 Bn | 173.28 Bn | 7.24 Bn | 34.95% |
| 8 | Gilead Sciences | 179.62 Bn | 153.74 Bn | 6.22 Bn | -133.21% |
| 9 | Pfizer | 158.45 Bn | 105.40 Bn | 10.94 Bn | 28.37% |
| 10 | Vertex Pharmaceuticals | 127.87 Bn | 99.88 Bn | 2.84 Bn | 37.40% |
Historic Data
| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | -3.52% |
| Mar 31, 2026 | -20.85% |
| Dec 31, 2025 | 23.49% |
| Sep 30, 2025 | 37.66% |
| Jun 30, 2025 | 31.58% |
| Mar 31, 2025 | 37.79% |
| Dec 31, 2024 | 27.50% |
| Sep 30, 2024 | 23.58% |
| Jun 30, 2024 | 37.54% |
| Mar 31, 2024 | 35.73% |
| Dec 31, 2023 | 14.76% |
| Sep 30, 2023 | 36.00% |
| Jun 30, 2023 | -34.34% |
| Mar 31, 2023 | 25.81% |
| Dec 31, 2022 | 24.86% |
| Sep 30, 2022 | 26.82% |
| Jun 30, 2022 | 33.75% |
| Mar 31, 2022 | 35.02% |
| Dec 31, 2021 | 26.44% |
| Sep 30, 2021 | 36.61% |
Merck Return on Sales [ROS] API
Pull this series into your own models, spreadsheets and apps with the Business Quant
Historical Metrics API. The request below matches the chart above — change the
frequency, period or values and it follows. Swap YOUR_API_KEY for your own key.
https://data.businessquant.com/historic?slug=return-on-sales-%5Bros%5D&ticker=MRK&period=max&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY
import requests
url = "https://data.businessquant.com/historic"
params = {"slug": "return-on-sales-[ros]", "ticker": "MRK", "period": "max", "api_key": "YOUR_API_KEY"}
data = requests.get(url, params=params).json()
const res = await fetch("https://data.businessquant.com/historic?slug=return-on-sales-%5Bros%5D&ticker=MRK&period=max&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY");
const data = await res.json();