Merck (USA)

The price is expensive. You pay 29.3× its owner earnings: the cash an owner could take out each year, which is in the historically expensive zone. At today's price, the market is assuming roughly 11% yearly growth; analysts expect 8%. The price, in other words, assumes less than the experts do.

The trajectory is tepid and the balance sheet is adequate. The company scores 12/20 on our value-creation score: creating some value.

Nothing is flagged here: no red or amber gates, no divergence between profits and cash. That is itself information: the numbers are straightforward. As always: this describes the company's numbers; it is not a recommendation.