Equity
Retained Earnings
Merck & Co. Retained Earnings decreased by 8.7% to $66.72B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 0.9%, from $66.10B to $66.72B. Over 5 years (FY 2020 to FY 2025), Retained Earnings shows an upward trend with a 9.1% CAGR. This decline may warrant attention — for this metric, higher values are generally preferred.
Analysis
StatementBalance Sheet Statement
SectionEquity
CategoryProfitability
SignalHigher is better
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ4 2014
Last reportedQ1 2026May 4, 2026
How to read this metric
Consistent growth indicates strong profitability and effective reinvestment of earnings.
Detailed definition
Retained earnings represent the cumulative net income of the company that has been reinvested in the business rather tha...
Peer comparison
A core metric for mature, profitable companies across all sectors.
Metric ID:
retained_earningsHistorical Data
20 periods
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $48.78B | $51.69B | $53.70B | $56.25B | $58.44B | $59.93B | $61.08B | $62.04B | $54.20B | $57.08B | $53.90B | $56.70B | $60.19B | $61.38B | $63.07B | $66.10B | $68.48B | $72.23B | $73.08B | $66.72B |
| QoQ Change | — | +6.0% | +3.9% | +4.8% | +3.9% | +2.6% | +1.9% | +1.6% | -12.6% | +5.3% | -5.6% | +5.2% | +6.2% | +2.0% | +2.7% | +4.8% | +3.6% | +5.5% | +1.2% | -8.7% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +19.8% | +15.9% | +13.8% | +10.3% | -7.3% | -4.7% | -11.8% | -8.6% | +11.1% | +7.5% | +17.0% | +16.6% | +13.8% | +17.7% | +15.9% | +0.9% |
Range$48.78B – $73.08B
CAGR+6.8%
Avg YoY Growth+8.0%
Median YoY Growth+12.4%
Retained Earnings at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Merck & Co.'s retained earnings?
- Merck & Co. (MRK) reported retained earnings of $66.72B in Q1 2026.
- How has Merck & Co.'s retained earnings changed year-over-year?
- Merck & Co.'s retained earnings increased by 0.9% year-over-year, from $66.10B to $66.72B.
- What is the long-term trend for Merck & Co.'s retained earnings?
- Over 5 years (2020 to 2025), Merck & Co.'s retained earnings has grown at a 9.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $47.36B to $73.08B.
- What does retained earnings mean?
- The total profits the company has kept and reinvested since it started.