Analysis of Solvency Ratios
Quarterly Data
Solvency ratios also known as long-term debt ratios measure a company ability to meet long-term obligations.
Solvency Ratios (Summary)
Merck & Co. Inc., solvency ratios (quarterly data)
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31).
- Debt to Equity Ratio
-
The debt to equity ratio demonstrated an overall decline from 1.16 in March 2021 to a low of 0.66 in March 2023, indicating a reduction in relative reliance on debt compared to equity over this initial period. However, a noticeable increase occurred during mid-2023, reaching 0.95 in June 2023, followed by fluctuations around the 0.85 to 0.93 range through the end of 2024. The ratio then declined steadily again, ending at 0.72 in June 2025. This pattern suggests periods of increased leverage followed by efforts to deleverage, with relative stability towards the later periods.
- Debt to Capital Ratio
-
This ratio showed a consistent downward trend in the early periods, decreasing from 0.54 in March 2021 to 0.40 by December 2022, reflecting a reduced proportion of debt in total capital. The ratio then increased moderately to 0.49 in June 2023, implying a temporary rise in debt levels relative to capital. Subsequently, it stabilized between 0.42 and 0.46 through June 2025, indicating a balanced approach to capital structure management with moderate use of debt financing.
- Debt to Assets Ratio
-
The debt to assets ratio fell from 0.34 in March 2021 to a low of 0.28 in December 2022, suggesting a lower degree of debt financing relative to total assets during this timeframe. This was followed by an increase to 0.35 in June 2023, indicating a temporary rise in leverage. Afterwards, the ratio showed a gradual decline and stabilization around 0.30 by mid-2025, demonstrating maintained control over asset financing through a mix that limited excessive debt exposure.
- Financial Leverage Ratio
-
Financial leverage steadily decreased from 3.37 in March 2021 to 2.30 in March 2023, indicating a reduction in the extent to which assets are financed by equity. This ratio then increased to 2.84 in December 2023, followed by variability between 2.38 and 2.64 to mid-2025. The trends suggest fluctuations in asset financing strategies, with periods of increased leverage mitigated by efforts to moderate reliance on equity financing over time.
Debt Ratios
Debt to Equity
Merck & Co. Inc., debt to equity calculation (quarterly data)
| Jun 30, 2025 | Mar 31, 2025 | Dec 31, 2024 | Sep 30, 2024 | Jun 30, 2024 | Mar 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 | Jun 30, 2023 | Mar 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | Jun 30, 2022 | Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Loans payable and current portion of long-term debt | 1,434) | 1,360) | 2,649) | 3,149) | 3,071) | 3,077) | 1,372) | 887) | 2,839) | 2,672) | 1,946) | 1,936) | 2,979) | 1,208) | 2,412) | 3,534) | 2,488) | 7,251) | ||||||
| Long-term debt, excluding current portion | 33,968) | 33,484) | 34,462) | 34,982) | 34,717) | 31,142) | 33,683) | 33,972) | 34,072) | 28,074) | 28,745) | 28,482) | 28,684) | 30,586) | 30,690) | 22,907) | 24,033) | 24,002) | ||||||
| Total debt | 35,402) | 34,844) | 37,111) | 38,131) | 37,788) | 34,219) | 35,055) | 34,859) | 36,911) | 30,746) | 30,691) | 30,418) | 31,663) | 31,794) | 33,102) | 26,441) | 26,521) | 31,253) | ||||||
| Total Merck & Co., Inc. stockholders’ equity | 48,993) | 48,335) | 46,313) | 44,502) | 43,582) | 40,364) | 37,581) | 41,246) | 38,693) | 46,834) | 45,991) | 44,458) | 43,243) | 40,883) | 38,184) | 35,794) | 33,294) | 26,945) | ||||||
| Solvency Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to equity1 | 0.72 | 0.72 | 0.80 | 0.86 | 0.87 | 0.85 | 0.93 | 0.85 | 0.95 | 0.66 | 0.67 | 0.68 | 0.73 | 0.78 | 0.87 | 0.74 | 0.80 | 1.16 | ||||||
| Benchmarks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to Equity, Competitors2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AbbVie Inc. | — | 49.22 | 20.19 | 11.78 | 10.42 | 9.24 | 5.73 | 5.02 | 4.74 | 4.68 | 3.67 | 4.35 | 4.98 | 4.51 | 4.98 | 5.96 | 6.53 | 6.24 | ||||||
| Amgen Inc. | 7.57 | 9.24 | 10.23 | 8.02 | 10.57 | 12.75 | 10.37 | 7.90 | 9.08 | 11.52 | 10.64 | 10.60 | 15.10 | 40.23 | 4.97 | 4.57 | 3.98 | 3.50 | ||||||
| Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. | 2.82 | 2.86 | 3.04 | 2.90 | 3.08 | 3.38 | 1.35 | 1.30 | 1.18 | 1.19 | 1.27 | 1.20 | 1.29 | 1.42 | 1.24 | 1.20 | 1.23 | 1.23 | ||||||
| Danaher Corp. | 0.33 | 0.32 | 0.32 | 0.34 | 0.34 | 0.34 | 0.34 | 0.42 | 0.38 | 0.39 | 0.39 | 0.41 | 0.43 | 0.47 | 0.49 | 0.54 | 0.48 | 0.50 | ||||||
| Eli Lilly & Co. | 2.18 | 2.44 | 2.37 | 2.19 | 2.13 | 2.05 | 2.34 | 1.80 | 1.70 | 1.69 | 1.52 | 1.58 | 1.97 | 1.77 | 1.88 | 2.20 | 2.56 | 2.35 | ||||||
| Gilead Sciences Inc. | 1.27 | 1.30 | 1.38 | 1.26 | 1.28 | 1.44 | 1.09 | 1.12 | 1.19 | 1.20 | 1.19 | 1.20 | 1.30 | 1.32 | 1.27 | 1.29 | 1.53 | 1.59 | ||||||
| Johnson & Johnson | 0.65 | 0.67 | 0.51 | 0.51 | 0.58 | 0.48 | 0.43 | 0.42 | 0.61 | 0.75 | 0.52 | 0.43 | 0.43 | 0.44 | 0.46 | 0.48 | 0.48 | 0.51 | ||||||
| Pfizer Inc. | 0.70 | 0.69 | 0.73 | 0.73 | 0.79 | 0.75 | 0.81 | 0.66 | 0.66 | 0.36 | 0.37 | 0.40 | 0.46 | 0.44 | 0.50 | 0.53 | 0.56 | 0.58 | ||||||
| Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.12 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.16 | 0.18 | 0.23 | ||||||
| Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. | 0.70 | 0.69 | 0.63 | 0.72 | 0.75 | 0.78 | 0.75 | 0.78 | 0.78 | 0.83 | 0.78 | 0.67 | 0.72 | 0.81 | 0.85 | 0.56 | 0.51 | 0.53 | ||||||
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31).
1 Q2 2025 Calculation
Debt to equity = Total debt ÷ Total Merck & Co., Inc. stockholders’ equity
= 35,402 ÷ 48,993 = 0.72
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
The financial data reflects the quarterly trends in total debt, stockholders' equity, and the debt-to-equity ratio over multiple years.
- Total Debt
- Total debt fluctuates over the periods but generally shows moderate variability. Starting at approximately $31.3 billion, debt decreases to a low point near $26.4 billion by the third quarter of 2021. Subsequently, it increases again, peaking at around $37.8 billion in mid-2024. Toward the last observed quarters, debt levels slightly decline but remain elevated compared to the early periods.
- Total Stockholders’ Equity
- Stockholders' equity demonstrates an overall upward trend across the periods. Initial equity values of about $26.9 billion rise consistently, reaching a high around $48.9 billion by the first quarter of 2025. Some intermittent declines are observed around 2023, but the general direction is an increase in equity, indicating growth in net assets.
- Debt to Equity Ratio
- The debt-to-equity ratio shows a declining trend from over 1.1 at the start to lows near 0.66 by the last quarter of 2022. This suggests that equity growth outpaces debt accumulation in most recent periods during that timeframe. However, from 2023 onward, the ratio increases again, peaking near 0.95 in mid-2023 before descending back to approximately 0.72 by early 2025. These fluctuations imply varying reliance on debt financing relative to equity across the quarters.
In summary, the entity exhibits a pattern of managing total debt with moderate fluctuations while steadily increasing shareholders' equity over the years. The debt-to-equity ratio variations reflect phases of shifting capital structure strategies, balancing between leveraging debt and strengthening equity financing. The recent trend towards a lower debt-to-equity ratio suggests a conservative approach to leverage by early 2025.
Debt to Capital
Merck & Co. Inc., debt to capital calculation (quarterly data)
| Jun 30, 2025 | Mar 31, 2025 | Dec 31, 2024 | Sep 30, 2024 | Jun 30, 2024 | Mar 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 | Jun 30, 2023 | Mar 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | Jun 30, 2022 | Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Loans payable and current portion of long-term debt | 1,434) | 1,360) | 2,649) | 3,149) | 3,071) | 3,077) | 1,372) | 887) | 2,839) | 2,672) | 1,946) | 1,936) | 2,979) | 1,208) | 2,412) | 3,534) | 2,488) | 7,251) | ||||||
| Long-term debt, excluding current portion | 33,968) | 33,484) | 34,462) | 34,982) | 34,717) | 31,142) | 33,683) | 33,972) | 34,072) | 28,074) | 28,745) | 28,482) | 28,684) | 30,586) | 30,690) | 22,907) | 24,033) | 24,002) | ||||||
| Total debt | 35,402) | 34,844) | 37,111) | 38,131) | 37,788) | 34,219) | 35,055) | 34,859) | 36,911) | 30,746) | 30,691) | 30,418) | 31,663) | 31,794) | 33,102) | 26,441) | 26,521) | 31,253) | ||||||
| Total Merck & Co., Inc. stockholders’ equity | 48,993) | 48,335) | 46,313) | 44,502) | 43,582) | 40,364) | 37,581) | 41,246) | 38,693) | 46,834) | 45,991) | 44,458) | 43,243) | 40,883) | 38,184) | 35,794) | 33,294) | 26,945) | ||||||
| Total capital | 84,395) | 83,179) | 83,424) | 82,633) | 81,370) | 74,583) | 72,636) | 76,105) | 75,604) | 77,580) | 76,682) | 74,876) | 74,906) | 72,677) | 71,286) | 62,235) | 59,815) | 58,198) | ||||||
| Solvency Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to capital1 | 0.42 | 0.42 | 0.44 | 0.46 | 0.46 | 0.46 | 0.48 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 0.40 | 0.40 | 0.41 | 0.42 | 0.44 | 0.46 | 0.42 | 0.44 | 0.54 | ||||||
| Benchmarks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to Capital, Competitors2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AbbVie Inc. | 1.00 | 0.98 | 0.95 | 0.92 | 0.91 | 0.90 | 0.85 | 0.83 | 0.83 | 0.82 | 0.79 | 0.81 | 0.83 | 0.82 | 0.83 | 0.86 | 0.87 | 0.86 | ||||||
| Amgen Inc. | 0.88 | 0.90 | 0.91 | 0.89 | 0.91 | 0.93 | 0.91 | 0.89 | 0.90 | 0.92 | 0.91 | 0.91 | 0.94 | 0.98 | 0.83 | 0.82 | 0.80 | 0.78 | ||||||
| Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. | 0.74 | 0.74 | 0.75 | 0.74 | 0.75 | 0.77 | 0.57 | 0.56 | 0.54 | 0.54 | 0.56 | 0.54 | 0.56 | 0.59 | 0.55 | 0.55 | 0.55 | 0.55 | ||||||
| Danaher Corp. | 0.25 | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.26 | 0.30 | 0.28 | 0.28 | 0.28 | 0.29 | 0.30 | 0.32 | 0.33 | 0.35 | 0.32 | 0.33 | ||||||
| Eli Lilly & Co. | 0.69 | 0.71 | 0.70 | 0.69 | 0.68 | 0.67 | 0.70 | 0.64 | 0.63 | 0.63 | 0.60 | 0.61 | 0.66 | 0.64 | 0.65 | 0.69 | 0.72 | 0.70 | ||||||
| Gilead Sciences Inc. | 0.56 | 0.57 | 0.58 | 0.56 | 0.56 | 0.59 | 0.52 | 0.53 | 0.54 | 0.55 | 0.54 | 0.54 | 0.56 | 0.57 | 0.56 | 0.56 | 0.60 | 0.61 | ||||||
| Johnson & Johnson | 0.39 | 0.40 | 0.34 | 0.34 | 0.37 | 0.32 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.38 | 0.43 | 0.34 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.31 | 0.31 | 0.33 | 0.32 | 0.34 | ||||||
| Pfizer Inc. | 0.41 | 0.41 | 0.42 | 0.42 | 0.44 | 0.43 | 0.45 | 0.40 | 0.40 | 0.26 | 0.27 | 0.28 | 0.32 | 0.31 | 0.33 | 0.35 | 0.36 | 0.37 | ||||||
| Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.18 | ||||||
| Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. | 0.41 | 0.41 | 0.39 | 0.42 | 0.43 | 0.44 | 0.43 | 0.44 | 0.44 | 0.45 | 0.44 | 0.40 | 0.42 | 0.45 | 0.46 | 0.36 | 0.34 | 0.35 | ||||||
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31).
1 Q2 2025 Calculation
Debt to capital = Total debt ÷ Total capital
= 35,402 ÷ 84,395 = 0.42
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
The analysis of the quarterly financial data reveals significant fluctuations and trends in total debt, total capital, and the debt-to-capital ratio over the periods under review.
- Total Debt
- Total debt exhibits variability across the quarters, with values ranging from approximately 26.4 billion US dollars to peaks exceeding 38 billion US dollars. There was a notable decline from around 31.3 billion in the first quarter of 2021 to a low of about 26.4 billion by the third quarter of 2021. Subsequently, total debt increased significantly towards the mid and latter quarters, with peaks observed in the second quarter of 2025 near 38.1 billion US dollars. This cyclical pattern indicates periods of both debt repayment and accumulation.
- Total Capital
- Total capital shows a general upward trend throughout the periods, beginning at approximately 58.2 billion US dollars in the first quarter of 2021 and rising steadily to peak levels above 83 billion US dollars by early 2025. While there are minor fluctuations, the overall trajectory reflects growth in the company's capital base, indicating successful capital acquisition or retained earnings growth.
- Debt to Capital Ratio
- The debt-to-capital ratio, which measures the proportion of debt financing relative to the total capital, demonstrates a fluctuating yet somewhat stabilizing pattern throughout the quarters. Initial figures start high at 0.54 in the first quarter of 2021, decreasing to around 0.40 by the fourth quarter of 2021, reflecting a reduction in leverage. However, from early 2023 onwards, the ratio increases again, reaching a peak near 0.49 by mid-2023, before trending downward towards approximately 0.42 by mid-2025. These movements suggest varying degrees of financial leverage management, with periods of both increased debt reliance and deleveraging.
In summary, the company has experienced dynamic shifts in its debt levels and capital structure, with an overall growth in capital offset by cyclical changes in debt. The debt-to-capital ratio's fluctuation indicates active management of leverage, adjusting in response to strategic financial requirements or market conditions, resulting in a moderately leveraged position by the most recent periods.
Debt to Assets
Merck & Co. Inc., debt to assets calculation (quarterly data)
| Jun 30, 2025 | Mar 31, 2025 | Dec 31, 2024 | Sep 30, 2024 | Jun 30, 2024 | Mar 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 | Jun 30, 2023 | Mar 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | Jun 30, 2022 | Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Loans payable and current portion of long-term debt | 1,434) | 1,360) | 2,649) | 3,149) | 3,071) | 3,077) | 1,372) | 887) | 2,839) | 2,672) | 1,946) | 1,936) | 2,979) | 1,208) | 2,412) | 3,534) | 2,488) | 7,251) | ||||||
| Long-term debt, excluding current portion | 33,968) | 33,484) | 34,462) | 34,982) | 34,717) | 31,142) | 33,683) | 33,972) | 34,072) | 28,074) | 28,745) | 28,482) | 28,684) | 30,586) | 30,690) | 22,907) | 24,033) | 24,002) | ||||||
| Total debt | 35,402) | 34,844) | 37,111) | 38,131) | 37,788) | 34,219) | 35,055) | 34,859) | 36,911) | 30,746) | 30,691) | 30,418) | 31,663) | 31,794) | 33,102) | 26,441) | 26,521) | 31,253) | ||||||
| Total assets | 117,523) | 115,122) | 117,106) | 117,532) | 112,630) | 105,849) | 106,675) | 106,727) | 104,469) | 107,796) | 109,160) | 107,081) | 107,095) | 106,668) | 105,694) | 93,494) | 90,688) | 90,847) | ||||||
| Solvency Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to assets1 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.32 | 0.32 | 0.34 | 0.32 | 0.33 | 0.33 | 0.35 | 0.29 | 0.28 | 0.28 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.31 | 0.28 | 0.29 | 0.34 | ||||||
| Benchmarks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to Assets, Competitors2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AbbVie Inc. | 0.51 | 0.51 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 0.44 | 0.45 | 0.45 | 0.46 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 0.51 | 0.51 | 0.52 | 0.54 | 0.56 | 0.57 | ||||||
| Amgen Inc. | 0.64 | 0.64 | 0.65 | 0.66 | 0.69 | 0.69 | 0.67 | 0.67 | 0.68 | 0.69 | 0.60 | 0.61 | 0.62 | 0.62 | 0.54 | 0.58 | 0.55 | 0.52 | ||||||
| Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. | 0.52 | 0.54 | 0.54 | 0.53 | 0.55 | 0.56 | 0.42 | 0.41 | 0.40 | 0.40 | 0.41 | 0.40 | 0.42 | 0.44 | 0.41 | 0.40 | 0.41 | 0.41 | ||||||
| Danaher Corp. | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.25 | 0.23 | 0.23 | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.25 | 0.26 | 0.27 | 0.29 | 0.26 | 0.27 | ||||||
| Eli Lilly & Co. | 0.40 | 0.43 | 0.43 | 0.41 | 0.40 | 0.41 | 0.39 | 0.35 | 0.34 | 0.36 | 0.33 | 0.33 | 0.36 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.35 | ||||||
| Gilead Sciences Inc. | 0.45 | 0.44 | 0.45 | 0.43 | 0.44 | 0.45 | 0.40 | 0.40 | 0.40 | 0.41 | 0.40 | 0.40 | 0.42 | 0.42 | 0.39 | 0.41 | 0.44 | 0.45 | ||||||
| Johnson & Johnson | 0.26 | 0.27 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.23 | 0.20 | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.24 | 0.27 | 0.21 | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | ||||||
| Pfizer Inc. | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.31 | 0.32 | 0.31 | 0.32 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.21 | 0.20 | 0.21 | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.25 | ||||||
| Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.13 | 0.15 | ||||||
| Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.32 | 0.35 | 0.36 | 0.37 | 0.35 | 0.36 | 0.36 | 0.37 | 0.35 | 0.32 | 0.33 | 0.36 | 0.37 | 0.29 | 0.28 | 0.28 | ||||||
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31).
1 Q2 2025 Calculation
Debt to assets = Total debt ÷ Total assets
= 35,402 ÷ 117,523 = 0.30
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
The analysis of the quarterly financial data reveals several notable trends in the company's debt and asset structure over the observed periods. Specifically, the review focuses on total debt, total assets, and the debt-to-assets ratio, providing insight into the company's financial leverage and asset base changes.
- Total Debt
- Total debt exhibited fluctuations across the quarters, starting at approximately 31.25 billion US dollars in the first quarter of 2021. A decline was observed mid-2021, with the figure dropping below 26.5 billion US dollars. However, by the end of 2021 and into early 2022, total debt increased again, reaching peaks around 37.8 billion US dollars by mid-2024. The later quarters of 2024 and early 2025 show a slight reduction, though total debt remains above the earlier 2021 levels, indicating periods of borrowing and debt management activities.
- Total Assets
- Total assets generally increased over the period, starting from roughly 90.8 billion US dollars in early 2021 and showing a steady upward trend through 2024, peaking over 117.5 billion US dollars. Despite some minor quarter-to-quarter volatility, the asset base expanded significantly, suggesting growth in company resources, investments, or asset valuations.
- Debt to Assets Ratio
- The debt-to-assets ratio started at 0.34 in early 2021 but then decreased to a low of 0.28 within the same year, reflecting a relatively lower proportion of debt relative to assets during that period. This ratio remained mostly stable around the 0.28 to 0.30 range through 2022. Starting in 2023, the ratio increased to around 0.33–0.35, indicating a higher leverage level, likely driven by the increase in total debt combined with some asset fluctuations. Towards the end of 2024 and into mid-2025, the ratio showed a modest decline back towards 0.30, suggesting improved balance between debt and assets or a reduction in leverage.
Overall, the data indicates that the company experienced growth in its asset base over the analyzed quarters while managing fluctuations in its debt levels. The debt-to-assets ratio shows periods of both deleveraging and increased leverage, with a general trend towards stabilization near 0.30 in the most recent quarters. These patterns suggest strategic adjustments in capital structure alongside asset growth efforts.
Financial Leverage
Merck & Co. Inc., financial leverage calculation (quarterly data)
| Jun 30, 2025 | Mar 31, 2025 | Dec 31, 2024 | Sep 30, 2024 | Jun 30, 2024 | Mar 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 | Jun 30, 2023 | Mar 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | Jun 30, 2022 | Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total assets | 117,523) | 115,122) | 117,106) | 117,532) | 112,630) | 105,849) | 106,675) | 106,727) | 104,469) | 107,796) | 109,160) | 107,081) | 107,095) | 106,668) | 105,694) | 93,494) | 90,688) | 90,847) | ||||||
| Total Merck & Co., Inc. stockholders’ equity | 48,993) | 48,335) | 46,313) | 44,502) | 43,582) | 40,364) | 37,581) | 41,246) | 38,693) | 46,834) | 45,991) | 44,458) | 43,243) | 40,883) | 38,184) | 35,794) | 33,294) | 26,945) | ||||||
| Solvency Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Financial leverage1 | 2.40 | 2.38 | 2.53 | 2.64 | 2.58 | 2.62 | 2.84 | 2.59 | 2.70 | 2.30 | 2.37 | 2.41 | 2.48 | 2.61 | 2.77 | 2.61 | 2.72 | 3.37 | ||||||
| Benchmarks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Financial Leverage, Competitors2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AbbVie Inc. | — | 95.89 | 40.65 | 23.78 | 20.94 | 18.59 | 13.00 | 11.26 | 10.52 | 10.14 | 8.04 | 8.84 | 9.77 | 8.80 | 9.51 | 10.99 | 11.77 | 10.98 | ||||||
| Amgen Inc. | 11.83 | 14.40 | 15.63 | 12.07 | 15.34 | 18.51 | 15.59 | 11.83 | 13.31 | 16.59 | 17.79 | 17.44 | 24.51 | 64.62 | 9.13 | 7.91 | 7.25 | 6.70 | ||||||
| Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. | 5.43 | 5.32 | 5.67 | 5.46 | 5.56 | 6.01 | 3.23 | 3.15 | 2.92 | 2.96 | 3.12 | 3.01 | 3.08 | 3.26 | 3.04 | 2.98 | 3.01 | 2.99 | ||||||
| Danaher Corp. | 1.56 | 1.56 | 1.57 | 1.57 | 1.57 | 1.56 | 1.58 | 1.67 | 1.64 | 1.65 | 1.68 | 1.72 | 1.76 | 1.80 | 1.84 | 1.90 | 1.82 | 1.87 | ||||||
| Eli Lilly & Co. | 5.52 | 5.67 | 5.55 | 5.31 | 5.30 | 4.99 | 5.94 | 5.16 | 4.95 | 4.75 | 4.65 | 4.71 | 5.51 | 5.03 | 5.44 | 6.21 | 7.42 | 6.79 | ||||||
| Gilead Sciences Inc. | 2.83 | 2.95 | 3.05 | 2.95 | 2.93 | 3.21 | 2.72 | 2.80 | 2.95 | 2.95 | 2.97 | 2.97 | 3.11 | 3.17 | 3.23 | 3.13 | 3.45 | 3.56 | ||||||
| Johnson & Johnson | 2.46 | 2.48 | 2.52 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.46 | 2.44 | 2.33 | 2.55 | 2.77 | 2.44 | 2.35 | 2.33 | 2.39 | 2.46 | 2.55 | 2.54 | 2.62 | ||||||
| Pfizer Inc. | 2.32 | 2.30 | 2.42 | 2.38 | 2.47 | 2.40 | 2.54 | 2.22 | 2.22 | 1.94 | 2.06 | 2.10 | 2.24 | 2.23 | 2.35 | 2.37 | 2.43 | 2.31 | ||||||
| Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 1.28 | 1.28 | 1.29 | 1.28 | 1.28 | 1.27 | 1.27 | 1.29 | 1.28 | 1.28 | 1.29 | 1.29 | 1.32 | 1.32 | 1.36 | 1.37 | 1.42 | 1.48 | ||||||
| Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. | 2.00 | 2.01 | 1.96 | 2.05 | 2.08 | 2.13 | 2.11 | 2.14 | 2.15 | 2.24 | 2.21 | 2.08 | 2.14 | 2.26 | 2.33 | 1.90 | 1.84 | 1.88 | ||||||
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 1.40 | 1.39 | 1.37 | 1.42 | 1.36 | 1.29 | 1.29 | 1.32 | 1.32 | 1.31 | 1.30 | 1.28 | 1.31 | 1.31 | 1.33 | 1.32 | 1.33 | 1.35 | ||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31).
1 Q2 2025 Calculation
Financial leverage = Total assets ÷ Total Merck & Co., Inc. stockholders’ equity
= 117,523 ÷ 48,993 = 2.40
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
The analysis of the quarterly financial data reveals several key trends related to total assets, stockholders’ equity, and financial leverage over the examined periods.
- Total Assets
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Total assets exhibited a general upward trend over the period from March 2021 to June 2025. Starting at approximately $90.8 billion in early 2021, total assets increased steadily, peaking at around $117.5 billion by mid-2024 and remaining relatively stable thereafter.
There was consistent growth with minor fluctuations, notably a slight decrease during the first half of 2023, where assets declined from about $107.8 billion at the end of Q1 to approximately $104.5 billion in Q2 2023. The asset base then rebounded and continued growing until mid-2024, suggesting ongoing investment or expansion activities supporting asset accumulation.
- Total Stockholders’ Equity
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Stockholders’ equity demonstrated a strong upward movement from March 2021 through the end of 2024, beginning at roughly $27.0 billion and reaching nearly $48.3 billion by March 2025. This denotes an improvement in the company’s net worth and suggests retention of earnings or additional equity issuances during the period.
However, there were notable fluctuations, particularly between late 2022 and early 2023, where equity values declined from close to $46.0 billion in December 2022 to approximately $38.7 billion by June 2023. This dip might reflect extraordinary expenses, share buybacks, or other financing activities affecting equity.
After this dip, equity levels recovered and maintained an increasing trajectory towards the end of the period, stabilizing above $48.0 billion by Q1 2025.
- Financial Leverage
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The financial leverage ratio indicates the company's level of debt relative to equity. Starting at 3.37 in March 2021, this ratio generally trended downward until early 2023, reaching as low as approximately 2.3, signaling a reduction in leverage and potentially lower financial risk.
From mid-2023 onwards, fluctuations in leverage were more pronounced, with the ratio rising again to around 2.84 by the end of 2023 before declining back toward the mid-2.4 range in 2025. These variations correspond with movements in equity and asset values, reflecting periods of increased borrowing or equity changes.
Overall, leverage remained within a moderate range, indicating a controlled use of financial debt over the course of the quarters.
In summary, the company experienced steady growth in total assets and stockholders’ equity over the analyzed timeframe, notwithstanding some volatility in equity and leverage ratios. The trends suggest generally strengthening financial position with prudent management of leverage, though occasional fluctuations in equity point to episodic financing or operational impacts affecting net worth.