Merck KGaA (XSWX:MER) Forward PE Ratio Explanation
The Forward PE Ratio of a company is often used to compare current earnings to estimated future earnings, as well as gaining a clearer picture of what earnings will look like without charges and other accounting adjustments. If earnings are expected to grow in the future, the Forward PE Ratio will be lower than the current PE Ratio. This measure is also used to compare one company to another with a forward-looking focus.
Trailing PE Ratio relies on what is already done. It uses the current share price and divides by the total EPS (Basic) over the past 12 months. PE Ratio can be affected by Non Operating Income such as the sale of part of businesses. This may increase for the current year or quarter dramatically. But it cannot be repeated over and over. Therefore PE Ratio without NRI is a more accurate indication of valuation than PE Ratio .
Merck KGaA Forward PE Ratio Related Terms
Merck KGaA Forward PE Ratio Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Merck KGaA's Forward PE 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 Forward PE Ratio Chart
Merck KGaA Annual Data
Trend
2015-12
2016-12
2017-12
2018-12
2019-12
2020-12
2021-12
2022-12
Forward PE Ratio
15.17
15.34
15.06
16.21
14.56
17.61
22.17
20.75
Merck KGaA Quarterly Data
2015-12
2016-03
2016-06
2016-09
2016-12
2017-03
2017-06
2017-09
2017-12
2018-03
2018-06
2018-09
2018-12
2019-03
2019-06
2019-09
2019-12
2020-03
2020-06
2020-09
2020-12
2021-03
2021-06
2021-09
2021-12
2022-03
2022-06
2022-09
2022-12
2023-03
2026-03
Forward PE Ratio
15.17
12.74
15.50
15.53
15.34
16.39
17.39
15.13
15.06
13.89
14.60
15.85
16.21
17.57
16.75
15.85
14.56
19.19
20.62
17.73
17.61
16.64
15.06
13.59
22.17
22.37
21.74
21.65
20.75
21.05
13.54
XSWX:MER vs ZTS, UTHR, VTRS: Forward PE Ratio Comparison
For the Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic subindustry, Merck KGaA's Forward PE Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Forward PE 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 Forward PE Ratio vs Drug Manufacturers Industry
For the Drug Manufacturers industry and Healthcare sector, Merck KGaA's Forward PE Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Merck KGaA's Forward PE Ratio falls into.
It's a measure of the price-to-earnings ratio (PE Ratio) using forecasted earnings for the calculation. While the earnings used are just an estimate and are not as reliable as current earnings data, there is still benefit in estimated P/E analysis. The forecasted earnings used in the formula can either be for the next 12 months or for the next full-year fiscal period.
Merck KGaA (XSWX:MER) has a Forward PE Ratio of 18.22 as of Jul. 08, 2026. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on Merck KGaA and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Merck KGaA ranks #216 out of 408 companies in the Drug Manufacturers industry, placing it in the top 52.9%.
Is Merck KGaA's Forward PE Ratio too high?
Merck KGaA's current Forward PE Ratio is 18.22. The Drug Manufacturers industry median Forward PE Ratio is 17.36. Merck KGaA's value of 18.22 is 5% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Merck KGaA ranks #216 out of 408 companies in the Drug Manufacturers industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Merck KGaA has a GF Score™ of 82/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Merck KGaA's Forward PE Ratio compare to ZTS and UTHR?
According to the Drug Manufacturers industry distribution chart, Merck KGaA ranks #216 out of 408 companies for Forward PE Ratio. This places Merck KGaA in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Forward PE Ratio is 17.36. Merck KGaA's value of 18.22 is 5% above this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Forward PE Ratio for a Drug Manufacturers company?
The median Forward PE Ratio among Drug Manufacturers companies is 17.36, based on 408 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Forward PE Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Forward PE Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Merck KGaA's current Forward PE Ratio of 18.22 is 5% 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 Forward PE Ratio mean?
A high Forward PE Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on Merck KGaA and its competitors. For the Drug Manufacturers industry, the median Forward PE Ratio is 17.36 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Merck KGaA's current Forward PE Ratio is 18.22. 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?
Merck KGaA (XSWX:MER) has a current Forward PE Ratio of 18.22. The stock's GF Value™ is CHF128.27, compared to a current price of CHF132.80 — trading 3.5% above its estimated fair value. The current Forward PE Ratio is 18.22 and 5% above the Drug Manufacturers industry median of 17.36. Merck KGaA's overall GF Score™ is 82/100 with 9 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Forward PE Ratio calculated?
Forward PE Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Merck KGaA (XSWX:MER), the current Forward PE Ratio is 18.22 as of Jul. 08, 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 (XSWX:MER) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Merck KGaA stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of CHF132.80 is trading 3.5% above its estimated GF Value™ of CHF128.27.
Key valuation signals for XSWX:MER:
Forward PE Ratio: 18.22
GF Value™: CHF128.27 vs. price of CHF132.80 (3.5% above fair value)
Industry Position: 5% above the Drug Manufacturers median (#216 of 408)
No single metric tells the full story. See the XSWX:MER stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
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.
82GF Score
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Forward PE Ratio is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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