Merck (MRK) Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio: 7.27 (As of Jul. 22, 2026) — 53% Above Median

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MRK Merck & Co Inc MRK
72 GF Score
Price $126.26
GF Value $118.79
Valuation Fairly Valued
! 8 Warning Signs
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What is Merck Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio?

Merck MRK +1.50% 72 Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 7.27 as of Jul. 22, 2026, which is 53% above its 10-year median of 4.76. GuruFocus rates MRK with a GF Score™ of 72/100 and a GF Value™ of $118.79 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 8 warning signs investors should review. Among 758 Drug Manufacturers companies, Merck ranks worse than 88.13% on this metric.

As of today (2026-07-22), Merck's current share price is $126.26. Merck's Cyclically Adjusted Book per Share for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $17.36. Merck's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio for today is 7.27.

The historical rank and industry rank for Merck's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio or its related term are showing as below:

MRK' s Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 3.04   Med: 4.76   Max: 7.82
Current: 7.27

During the past years, Merck's highest Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio was 7.82. The lowest was 3.04. And the median was 4.76.

MRK's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is ranked worse than
88.13% of 758 companies
in the Drug Manufacturers industry
Industry Median: 1.855 vs MRK: 7.27

The Shiller PE Ratio was first used by professor Robert Shiller. He uses E10 for his Shiller PE Ratio calculation. E10 is the average of the inflation adjusted earnings per share of a company over the past 10 years. The similar calculation is applied by GuruFocus to calculate the Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio. The Cyclically Adjusted Book per Share is the average of the inflation adjusted book value per share of a company over the past 10 years.

Merck's adjusted book value per share data for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was $18.576. Add all the adjusted book value per share for the past 10 years together and divide the count will get our Cyclically Adjusted Book per Share, which is $17.36 for the trailing ten years ended in Mar. 2026.

Shiller PE for Stocks: The True Measure of Stock Valuation


Merck  (NYSE:MRK) Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Explanation

Compared with the regular PB Ratio, which works poorly for cyclical businesses, the Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio smoothed out the fluctuations of book value during business cycles. Therefore it is more accurate in reflecting the valuation of the company.

If a company has consistent business performance, the Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio should give similar results to regular PB Ratio.


Merck Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Related Terms


Merck Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Merck's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

Merck Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Chart

Merck Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 4.67 6.57 6.46 5.89 6.15

Merck Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 5.28 4.63 4.89 6.15 6.93

MRK vs AMGN, ABBV, GILD: Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Comparison

For the Drug Manufacturers - General subindustry, Merck's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


Merck Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio vs Drug Manufacturers Industry

For the Drug Manufacturers industry and Healthcare sector, Merck's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Merck's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio falls into.


MRK
72GF Score
Merck & Co Inc MRK
Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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Merck Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Calculation

Like the Shiller PE Ratio, the Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio takes the Book Value per Share from the past 10 years, adjusts it for inflation, and then calculates the average. This average is then used for the P/B calculation. Because it considers this 10-year average, it's often referred to as the CAPB Ratio.

The Shiller PE Ratio was first used by professor Robert Shiller to measure the valuation of the overall market. The similar calculation is applied by GuruFocus to calculate the Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio.

Merck's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio for today is calculated as

Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio=Share Price/ Cyclically Adjusted Book per Share
=126.26/17.36
=7.27

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

Merck's Cyclically Adjusted Book per Share for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as:

For example, Merck's adjusted Book Value per Share data for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was:

Adj_Book=Book Value per Share/CPI of Mar. 2026 (Change)*Current CPI (Mar. 2026)
=18.576/330.2130*330.2130
=18.576

Current CPI (Mar. 2026) = 330.2130.

Merck Quarterly Data

Book Value per Share CPI Adj_Book
201606 15.677 241.018 21.479
201609 15.840 241.428 21.665
201612 14.584 241.432 19.947
201703 14.537 243.801 19.689
201706 14.471 244.955 19.508
201709 14.029 246.819 18.769
201712 12.733 246.524 17.056
201803 12.504 249.554 16.545
201806 12.183 251.989 15.965
201809 12.195 252.439 15.952
201812 10.299 251.233 13.537
201903 10.661 254.202 13.849
201906 10.766 256.143 13.879
201909 10.521 256.759 13.531
201912 10.204 256.974 13.112
202003 10.382 258.115 13.282
202006 10.929 257.797 13.999
202009 11.537 260.280 14.637
202012 10.006 260.474 12.685
202103 10.645 264.877 13.271
202106 13.145 271.696 15.976
202109 14.174 274.310 17.063
202112 15.107 278.802 17.893
202203 16.170 287.504 18.572
202206 17.070 296.311 19.023
202209 17.549 296.808 19.524
202212 18.122 296.797 20.162
202303 18.457 301.836 20.192
202306 15.237 305.109 16.491
202309 16.269 307.789 17.454
202312 14.845 306.746 15.981
202403 15.937 312.332 16.849
202406 17.188 314.175 18.065
202409 17.576 315.301 18.407
202412 18.323 315.605 19.171
202503 19.210 319.799 19.836
202506 19.573 322.561 20.037
202509 20.845 324.800 21.192
202512 21.258 324.054 21.662
202603 18.576 330.213 18.576

Add all the adjusted book value per share together and divide the count will get our Cyclically Adjusted Book per Share.

Please note that we use the CPI data of the country/region where the company is headquartered. If the CPI data for that country/region is not available, then we will use the CPI data of the United States as default.

What does a Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio of 7.27 mean?
Merck (MRK) has a Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio of 7.27 as of Jul. 22, 2026. Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is the ratio of share price to a company's inflation-adjusted book value per share over a 10-year period. View historical data on Merck and its competitors. This is 53% above median its historical median of 4.76. Over the past decade, Merck's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio has ranged from 3.04 to 7.82. According to the industry distribution chart, Merck ranks #668 out of 758 companies in the Drug Manufacturers industry, placing it in the top 88.1%.
Is Merck's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio too high?
Merck's current Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio of 7.27 is 53% above median its 10-year median of 4.76. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 3.04 to a high of 7.82. The Drug Manufacturers industry median Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 1.86. Merck's value of 7.27 is 291.9% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Merck ranks #668 out of 758 companies in the Drug Manufacturers industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Merck has a GF Score™ of 72/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Merck's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio compare to AMGN and ABBV?
According to the Drug Manufacturers industry distribution chart, Merck ranks #668 out of 758 companies for Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio. This places Merck in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 1.86. Merck's value of 7.27 is 291.9% above this benchmark. Historically, Merck's own Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio has ranged from 3.04 to 7.82 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 4.76 vs. the industry median of 1.86, Merck has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio for a Drug Manufacturers company?
The median Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio among Drug Manufacturers companies is 1.86, based on 758 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Merck's current Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio of 7.27 is 291.9% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio mean?
A high Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is the ratio of share price to a company's inflation-adjusted book value per share over a 10-year period. View historical data on Merck and its competitors. For the Drug Manufacturers industry, the median Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 1.86 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Merck's current Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 7.27, which is 53% above median its own 10-year median of 4.76. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Merck stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Merck (MRK) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $118.79, compared to a current price of $126.26 — trading 6.3% above its estimated fair value. The current Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 7.27, which is 53% above median its 10-year median of 4.76 and 291.9% above the Drug Manufacturers industry median of 1.86. Merck's overall GF Score™ is 72/100 with 8 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio calculated?
Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Merck (MRK), the current Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 7.27 as of Jul. 22, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Is Merck (MRK) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Merck stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of $126.26 is trading 6.3% above its estimated GF Value™ of $118.79. GuruFocus considers Merck to be Fairly Valued.

Key valuation signals for MRK:

  • Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio: 7.27 (53% above median its 10-year median of 4.76)
  • GF Value™: $118.79 vs. price of $126.26 (6.3% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 72/100 with 8 warning signs
  • Industry Position: 291.9% above the Drug Manufacturers median (#668 of 758)

No single metric tells the full story. See the MRK stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


Merck Business Description

Address 126 East Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, NJ, USA, 07065
Merck makes pharmaceutical products to treat several conditions in a number of therapeutic areas, including cardiometabolic disease, cancer, and infections. Within cancer, the firm's immuno-oncology platform, led by Keytruda, is a major contributor to overall sales. The company also has a substantial vaccine business aimed at preventing pediatric diseases, as well as Gardasil for human papillomavirus. Additionally, Merck sells animal health-related drugs. From a geographical perspective, 47% of the company's sales are generated from US human health (pharmaceuticals and vaccines).
72GF Score

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Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

$126.26
Price
$118.79
GF Value