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Side-by-side financial comparison of Charter Communications (CHTR) and Merck & Co. (MRK). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Merck & Co. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($16.4B vs $13.6B, roughly 1.2× Charter Communications). Merck & Co. runs the higher net margin — 18.1% vs 8.6%, a 9.5% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Merck & Co. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (5.0% vs -1.0%). Merck & Co. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($1.8B vs $1.4B). Over the past eight quarters, Merck & Co.'s revenue compounded faster (2.0% CAGR vs -0.3%).

Charter Communications, Inc., is an American telecommunications and mass media company with services branded as Spectrum. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.

Merck & Co., Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey. The company does business as Merck Sharp & Dohme or MSD outside the United States and Canada. The company is ranked fourth on the list of largest biomedical companies by revenue.

CHTR vs MRK — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
MRK
MRK
1.2× larger
MRK
$16.4B
$13.6B
CHTR
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
MRK
MRK
+6.0% gap
MRK
5.0%
-1.0%
CHTR
Higher net margin
MRK
MRK
9.5% more per $
MRK
18.1%
8.6%
CHTR
More free cash flow
MRK
MRK
$452.0M more FCF
MRK
$1.8B
$1.4B
CHTR
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
MRK
MRK
Annualised
MRK
2.0%
-0.3%
CHTR

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Revenue
$13.6B
$16.4B
Net Profit
$1.2B
$3.0B
Gross Margin
66.2%
Operating Margin
23.6%
20.9%
Net Margin
8.6%
18.1%
Revenue YoY
-1.0%
5.0%
Net Profit YoY
-4.4%
-20.8%
EPS (diluted)
$9.17
$1.19

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Q1 26
$13.6B
Q4 25
$13.6B
$16.4B
Q3 25
$13.7B
$17.3B
Q2 25
$13.8B
$15.8B
Q1 25
$13.7B
$15.5B
Q4 24
$13.9B
$15.6B
Q3 24
$13.8B
$16.7B
Q2 24
$13.7B
$16.1B
Net Profit
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Q1 26
$1.2B
Q4 25
$1.3B
$3.0B
Q3 25
$1.1B
$5.8B
Q2 25
$1.3B
$4.4B
Q1 25
$1.2B
$5.1B
Q4 24
$1.5B
$3.7B
Q3 24
$1.3B
$3.2B
Q2 24
$1.2B
$5.5B
Gross Margin
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Q1 26
Q4 25
66.2%
Q3 25
77.7%
Q2 25
77.5%
Q1 25
78.0%
Q4 24
75.5%
Q3 24
75.5%
Q2 24
76.8%
Operating Margin
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Q1 26
23.6%
Q4 25
24.0%
20.9%
Q3 25
22.9%
39.0%
Q2 25
23.8%
31.6%
Q1 25
23.6%
38.0%
Q4 24
24.3%
26.7%
Q3 24
24.2%
24.6%
Q2 24
23.8%
37.3%
Net Margin
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Q1 26
8.6%
Q4 25
9.8%
18.1%
Q3 25
8.3%
33.5%
Q2 25
9.5%
28.0%
Q1 25
8.9%
32.7%
Q4 24
10.5%
24.0%
Q3 24
9.3%
19.0%
Q2 24
9.0%
33.9%
EPS (diluted)
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Q1 26
$9.17
Q4 25
$10.27
$1.19
Q3 25
$8.34
$2.32
Q2 25
$9.18
$1.76
Q1 25
$8.42
$2.01
Q4 24
$10.11
$1.49
Q3 24
$8.82
$1.24
Q2 24
$8.49
$2.14

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$517.0M
$14.6B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$94.4B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$21.1B
$52.6B
Total Assets
$154.6B
$136.9B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
4.48×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Q1 26
$517.0M
Q4 25
$477.0M
$14.6B
Q3 25
$464.0M
$18.2B
Q2 25
$606.0M
$8.6B
Q1 25
$796.0M
$9.2B
Q4 24
$459.0M
$13.7B
Q3 24
$721.0M
$14.6B
Q2 24
$602.0M
$11.4B
Total Debt
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Q1 26
$94.4B
Q4 25
$94.8B
Q3 25
$95.2B
Q2 25
$94.4B
Q1 25
$93.8B
Q4 24
$93.9B
Q3 24
$95.3B
Q2 24
$96.7B
Stockholders' Equity
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Q1 26
$21.1B
Q4 25
$16.1B
$52.6B
Q3 25
$15.3B
$51.9B
Q2 25
$16.2B
$49.0B
Q1 25
$16.2B
$48.3B
Q4 24
$15.6B
$46.3B
Q3 24
$14.1B
$44.5B
Q2 24
$12.9B
$43.6B
Total Assets
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Q1 26
$154.6B
Q4 25
$154.2B
$136.9B
Q3 25
$152.8B
$129.5B
Q2 25
$151.6B
$117.5B
Q1 25
$151.0B
$115.1B
Q4 24
$150.0B
$117.1B
Q3 24
$149.4B
$117.5B
Q2 24
$148.6B
$112.6B
Debt / Equity
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Q1 26
4.48×
Q4 25
5.90×
Q3 25
6.20×
Q2 25
5.82×
Q1 25
5.77×
Q4 24
6.03×
Q3 24
6.76×
Q2 24
7.51×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$2.9B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$1.4B
$1.8B
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
10.1%
11.1%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
21.0%
6.3%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.96×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$4.0B
$12.4B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Q1 26
Q4 25
$3.8B
$2.9B
Q3 25
$4.5B
$7.8B
Q2 25
$3.6B
$3.3B
Q1 25
$4.2B
$2.5B
Q4 24
$3.5B
$3.5B
Q3 24
$3.9B
$9.3B
Q2 24
$3.9B
$5.6B
Free Cash Flow
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Q1 26
$1.4B
Q4 25
$426.0M
$1.8B
Q3 25
$1.4B
$6.8B
Q2 25
$726.0M
$2.5B
Q1 25
$1.8B
$1.2B
Q4 24
$398.0M
$2.5B
Q3 24
$1.3B
$8.5B
Q2 24
$1.0B
$4.8B
FCF Margin
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Q1 26
10.1%
Q4 25
3.1%
11.1%
Q3 25
10.5%
39.6%
Q2 25
5.3%
16.0%
Q1 25
13.4%
7.5%
Q4 24
2.9%
16.1%
Q3 24
9.7%
51.1%
Q2 24
7.3%
30.1%
Capex Intensity
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Q1 26
21.0%
Q4 25
24.5%
6.3%
Q3 25
22.3%
5.7%
Q2 25
20.9%
4.8%
Q1 25
17.5%
8.6%
Q4 24
22.0%
6.0%
Q3 24
18.6%
4.7%
Q2 24
20.8%
4.9%
Cash Conversion
CHTR
CHTR
MRK
MRK
Q1 26
Q4 25
2.82×
0.96×
Q3 25
3.94×
1.35×
Q2 25
2.77×
0.74×
Q1 25
3.48×
0.49×
Q4 24
2.36×
0.92×
Q3 24
3.05×
2.94×
Q2 24
3.13×
1.03×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

CHTR
CHTR

Internet$5.9B43%
Video$3.3B24%
Small business$1.1B8%
Mobile service$1.1B8%
Other$906.0M7%
Mid-market & large business$749.0M6%
Advertising sales$358.0M3%
Voice$338.0M2%

MRK
MRK

Pharmaceuticalsegment$8.7B53%
Keytruda$4.9B30%
Other$2.7B16%
Janumet$57.0M0%
Isentress Isentress HD$38.0M0%
Pifeltro$25.0M0%
Belsomra$23.0M0%
Dificid$17.0M0%
Delstrigo$14.0M0%
Lagevrio$12.0M0%
Pneumovax23$4.0M0%

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