Merck KGaA (WBO:MRCK) Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio: 2.57 (As of Aug. 01, 2026) — 25% Below Median

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WBO:MRCK Merck KGaA WBO:MRCK
79 GF Score
Price €143.80
GF Value €140.98
Valuation Fairly Valued
! 10 Warning Signs
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What is Merck KGaA Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio?

Merck KGaA WBO:MRCK +0.17% 79 Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 2.57 as of Aug. 01, 2026, which is 25% below its 10-year median of 3.42. GuruFocus rates WBO:MRCK with a GF Score™ of 79/100 and a GF Value™ of €140.98 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 10 warning signs investors should review. Among 746 Drug Manufacturers companies, Merck KGaA ranks worse than 62.2% on this metric.

As of today (2026-08-01), Merck KGaA's current share price is €143.80. Merck KGaA's Cyclically Adjusted Book per Share for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was €55.91. Merck KGaA's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio for today is 2.57.

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

WBO:MRCK' s Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1.92   Med: 3.42   Max: 6.48
Current: 2.49

During the past years, Merck KGaA's highest Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio was 6.48. The lowest was 1.92. And the median was 3.42.

WBO:MRCK's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is ranked worse than
62.2% of 746 companies
in the Drug Manufacturers industry
Industry Median: 1.79 vs WBO:MRCK: 2.49

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 KGaA's adjusted book value per share data for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was €68.407. 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 €55.91 for the trailing ten years ended in Mar. 2026.

Shiller PE for Stocks: The True Measure of Stock Valuation


Merck KGaA  (WBO:MRCK) 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 KGaA Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Related Terms


Merck KGaA Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Merck KGaA'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 KGaA Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Chart

Merck KGaA 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 6.38 4.35 3.12 2.76 2.26

Merck KGaA 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 2.45 2.09 2.04 2.26 1.93

WBO:MRCK vs ZTS, UTHR, VTRS: Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Comparison

For the Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic subindustry, Merck KGaA'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 KGaA Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio vs Drug Manufacturers Industry

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

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


WBO:MRCK
79GF Score
Merck KGaA WBO:MRCK
Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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Merck KGaA 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 KGaA's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio for today is calculated as

Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio=Share Price/ Cyclically Adjusted Book per Share
=143.80/55.91
=2.57

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

For example, Merck KGaA'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)
=68.407/131.2583*131.2583
=68.407

Current CPI (Mar. 2026) = 131.2583.

Merck KGaA Quarterly Data

Book Value per Share CPI Adj_Book
201606 29.410 100.717 38.328
201609 29.716 101.017 38.612
201612 32.175 101.217 41.725
201703 33.162 101.417 42.920
201706 31.524 102.117 40.520
201709 31.582 102.717 40.357
201712 32.207 102.617 41.196
201803 32.304 102.917 41.200
201806 34.119 104.017 43.054
201809 35.151 104.718 44.060
201812 39.560 104.217 49.824
201903 40.572 104.217 51.099
201906 40.365 105.718 50.117
201909 41.764 106.018 51.707
201912 41.035 105.818 50.901
202003 42.679 105.718 52.990
202006 41.359 106.618 50.918
202009 41.235 105.818 51.149
202012 38.976 105.518 48.484
202103 43.507 107.518 53.114
202106 44.374 108.486 53.689
202109 47.397 109.435 56.849
202112 49.078 110.384 58.359
202203 52.714 113.968 60.711
202206 59.697 115.760 67.689
202209 64.999 118.818 71.805
202212 59.633 119.345 65.586
202303 60.143 122.402 64.494
202306 61.413 123.140 65.462
202309 64.911 124.195 68.603
202312 61.365 123.773 65.076
202403 64.391 125.038 67.594
202406 65.663 125.882 68.468
202409 65.144 126.198 67.756
202412 68.803 127.041 71.087
202503 68.594 127.779 70.462
202506 64.994 128.412 66.435
202509 66.554 129.255 67.585
202512 65.762 129.361 66.727
202603 68.407 131.258 68.407

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 2.57 mean?
Merck KGaA (WBO:MRCK) has a Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio of 2.57 as of Aug. 01, 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 KGaA and its competitors. This is 25% below median its historical median of 3.42. Over the past decade, Merck KGaA's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio has ranged from 1.92 to 6.48. According to the industry distribution chart, Merck KGaA ranks #464 out of 746 companies in the Drug Manufacturers industry, placing it in the top 62.2%.
Is Merck KGaA's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio too high?
Merck KGaA's current Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio of 2.57 is 25% below median its 10-year median of 3.42. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.92 to a high of 6.48. The Drug Manufacturers industry median Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 1.79. Merck KGaA's value of 2.57 is 43.6% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Merck KGaA ranks #464 out of 746 companies in the Drug Manufacturers industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Merck KGaA has a GF Score™ of 79/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Merck KGaA's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio compare to ZTS and UTHR?
According to the Drug Manufacturers industry distribution chart, Merck KGaA ranks #464 out of 746 companies for Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio. This places Merck KGaA in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 1.79. Merck KGaA's value of 2.57 is 43.6% above this benchmark. Historically, Merck KGaA's own Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio has ranged from 1.92 to 6.48 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 3.42 vs. the industry median of 1.79, Merck KGaA 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 1.79, based on 746 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 KGaA's current Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio of 2.57 is 43.6% 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 KGaA and its competitors. For the Drug Manufacturers industry, the median Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 1.79 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Merck KGaA's current Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 2.57, which is 25% below median its own 10-year median of 3.42. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Merck KGaA stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Merck KGaA (WBO:MRCK) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is €140.98, compared to a current price of €143.80 — trading 2% above its estimated fair value. The current Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 2.57, which is 25% below median its 10-year median of 3.42 and 43.6% above the Drug Manufacturers industry median of 1.79. Merck KGaA's overall GF Score™ is 79/100 with 10 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 KGaA (WBO:MRCK), the current Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 2.57 as of Aug. 01, 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 KGaA (WBO:MRCK) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Merck KGaA stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of €143.80 is trading 2% above its estimated GF Value™ of €140.98. GuruFocus considers Merck KGaA to be Fairly Valued.

Key valuation signals for WBO:MRCK:

  • Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio: 2.57 (25% below median its 10-year median of 3.42)
  • GF Value™: €140.98 vs. price of €143.80 (2% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 79/100 with 10 warning signs
  • Industry Position: 43.6% above the Drug Manufacturers median (#464 of 746)

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


Merck KGaA Business Description

Address Frankfurter Strasse 250, Darmstadt, HE, DEU, 64293
Merck KGaA operates in three main segments: Life Science, Electronics, and Healthcare. The Life Science segment provides laboratory consumables and instruments to researchers in academia and applied fields, including the biopharmaceutical industry. The Electronics segment offers specialty materials to manufacture a variety of products, such as semiconductors and flat-screen televisions. In the healthcare segment, Merck develops, manufactures, and sells branded pharmaceuticals with significant therapeutic concentrations in oncology, multiple sclerosis, and fertility. In 1995, the E. Merck KG family publicly sold part of the company, resulting in the current 30% public ownership of the firm.
79GF Score

Get the complete analysis for WBO:MRCK

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

€143.80
Price
€140.98
GF Value