HLN vs. MRK: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at HLN and MRK, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
HLN trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors a convenient way to access its foreign-listed shares. In contrast, MRK is a standard domestic listing.
| Symbol | HLN | MRK |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Haleon plc | Merck & Co., Inc. |
| Country | United Kingdom | United States |
| GICS Sector | Consumer Staples | Health Care |
| GICS Industry | Personal Care Products | Pharmaceuticals |
| Market Capitalization | 40.14 billion USD | 225.13 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | July 25, 2022 | January 2, 1962 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of HLN and MRK by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | HLN | MRK |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 0.64% | 5.35% |
| 13-Week Price Return | -11.50% | 6.03% |
| 26-Week Price Return | -13.01% | -4.74% |
| 52-Week Price Return | -14.94% | -26.18% |
| Month-to-Date Return | -8.40% | -0.23% |
| Year-to-Date Return | -11.92% | -15.63% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 19.89M | 14.72M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 15.02M | 13.72M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 19.29% | 27.58% |
| Beta | 0.46 | 0.34 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
HLN
3.26%
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 33.29%
- Q3
- 19.04%
- Median
- 10.69%
- Q1
- 3.26%
- Min
- -10.45%
HLN’s Return on Equity of 3.26% is on par with the norm for the Personal Care Products industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
MRK
34.88%
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 38.59%
- Q3
- 19.84%
- Median
- 11.85%
- Q1
- 5.40%
- Min
- -10.91%
In the upper quartile for the Pharmaceuticals industry, MRK’s Return on Equity of 34.88% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
HLN
12.84%
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 14.65%
- Q3
- 10.84%
- Median
- 9.29%
- Q1
- 5.35%
- Min
- -0.14%
A Net Profit Margin of 12.84% places HLN in the upper quartile for the Personal Care Products industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
MRK
25.79%
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 40.67%
- Q3
- 19.07%
- Median
- 12.31%
- Q1
- 4.50%
- Min
- -9.91%
A Net Profit Margin of 25.79% places MRK in the upper quartile for the Pharmaceuticals industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
HLN
19.64%
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 19.64%
- Q3
- 16.46%
- Median
- 12.80%
- Q1
- 8.01%
- Min
- 2.98%
An Operating Profit Margin of 19.64% places HLN in the upper quartile for the Personal Care Products industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
MRK
30.00%
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 45.78%
- Q3
- 23.14%
- Median
- 16.68%
- Q1
- 7.98%
- Min
- -7.13%
An Operating Profit Margin of 30.00% places MRK in the upper quartile for the Pharmaceuticals industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | HLN | MRK |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 3.26% | 34.88% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 1.58% | 14.04% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 12.84% | 25.79% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 19.64% | 30.00% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 60.75% | 78.32% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
HLN
0.87
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 4.03
- Q3
- 2.73
- Median
- 1.76
- Q1
- 1.16
- Min
- 0.76
HLN’s Current Ratio of 0.87 falls into the lower quartile for the Personal Care Products industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
MRK
1.42
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 4.65
- Q3
- 2.64
- Median
- 1.85
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- 0.78
MRK’s Current Ratio of 1.42 aligns with the median group of the Pharmaceuticals industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
HLN
0.53
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 1.80
- Q3
- 0.78
- Median
- 0.30
- Q1
- 0.04
- Min
- 0.00
HLN’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.53 is typical for the Personal Care Products industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
MRK
0.72
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 1.75
- Q3
- 0.82
- Median
- 0.35
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
MRK’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.72 is typical for the Pharmaceuticals industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
HLN
8.00
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 96.53
- Q3
- 59.91
- Median
- 22.25
- Q1
- 7.85
- Min
- -3.28
HLN’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 8.00 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Personal Care Products industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
MRK
19.65
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 103.95
- Q3
- 43.60
- Median
- 9.83
- Q1
- 2.37
- Min
- -42.71
MRK’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 19.65 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Pharmaceuticals industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | HLN | MRK |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.87 | 1.42 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.63 | 1.17 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.53 | 0.72 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 8.00 | 19.65 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
HLN
0.72%
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 4.99%
- Q3
- 2.70%
- Median
- 1.98%
- Q1
- 0.95%
- Min
- 0.00%
HLN’s Dividend Yield of 0.72% is in the lower quartile for the Personal Care Products industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
MRK
3.74%
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 7.14%
- Q3
- 3.45%
- Median
- 2.17%
- Q1
- 0.33%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 3.74%, MRK offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Pharmaceuticals industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
HLN
954.40%
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 221.40%
- Q3
- 137.27%
- Median
- 70.48%
- Q1
- 51.10%
- Min
- 0.00%
At 954.40%, HLN’s Dividend Payout Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical range for the Personal Care Products industry. While this provides a significant return to shareholders, it may limit funds for reinvestment and could be difficult to sustain.
MRK
48.95%
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 199.58%
- Q3
- 97.17%
- Median
- 53.47%
- Q1
- 22.97%
- Min
- 0.00%
MRK’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 48.95% is within the typical range for the Pharmaceuticals industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | HLN | MRK |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.72% | 3.74% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 954.40% | 48.95% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
HLN
20.54
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 46.28
- Q3
- 31.71
- Median
- 22.50
- Q1
- 20.20
- Min
- 11.79
HLN’s P/E Ratio of 20.54 is within the middle range for the Personal Care Products industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
MRK
13.10
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 45.19
- Q3
- 27.91
- Median
- 20.59
- Q1
- 15.08
- Min
- 3.79
In the lower quartile for the Pharmaceuticals industry, MRK’s P/E Ratio of 13.10 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
HLN
2.64
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 2.59
- Q3
- 2.35
- Median
- 1.92
- Q1
- 1.18
- Min
- 0.00
With a P/S Ratio of 2.64, HLN trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Personal Care Products industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
MRK
3.38
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 8.87
- Q3
- 4.56
- Median
- 2.14
- Q1
- 1.58
- Min
- 0.11
MRK’s P/S Ratio of 3.38 aligns with the market consensus for the Pharmaceuticals industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
HLN
2.11
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 12.00
- Q3
- 6.22
- Median
- 2.84
- Q1
- 1.70
- Min
- 1.12
HLN’s P/B Ratio of 2.11 is within the conventional range for the Personal Care Products industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
MRK
4.06
Pharmaceuticals Industry
- Max
- 9.78
- Q3
- 4.99
- Median
- 2.48
- Q1
- 1.53
- Min
- 0.59
MRK’s P/B Ratio of 4.06 is within the conventional range for the Pharmaceuticals industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | HLN | MRK |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 20.54 | 13.10 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 2.64 | 3.38 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 2.11 | 4.06 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 13.77 | 14.60 |