Merck (MRK)

TotalReturn:

'Total return is the amount of value an investor earns from a security over a specific period, typically one year, when all distributions are reinvested. Total return is expressed as a percentage of the amount invested. For example, a total return of 20% means the security increased by 20% of its original value due to a price increase, distribution of dividends (if a stock), coupons (if a bond) or capital gains (if a fund). Total return is a strong measure of an investment’s overall performance.'

• Looking at the total return of 59.2% in the last 5 years of Merck, we see it is relatively lower, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (106.8%)
• Looking at total return in of 25.5% in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively lower, thus worse in comparison to SPY (71.9%).

CAGR:

'The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is a useful measure of growth over multiple time periods. It can be thought of as the growth rate that gets you from the initial investment value to the ending investment value if you assume that the investment has been compounding over the time period.'

• The compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) over 5 years of Merck is 9.8%, which is lower, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (15.7%) in the same period.
• Compared with SPY (19.8%) in the period of the last 3 years, the annual return (CAGR) of 7.9% is lower, thus worse.

Volatility:

'In finance, volatility (symbol σ) is the degree of variation of a trading price series over time as measured by the standard deviation of logarithmic returns. Historic volatility measures a time series of past market prices. Implied volatility looks forward in time, being derived from the market price of a market-traded derivative (in particular, an option). Commonly, the higher the volatility, the riskier the security.'

• Compared with the benchmark SPY (18.9%) in the period of the last 5 years, the 30 days standard deviation of 22.5% of Merck is greater, thus worse.
• Looking at 30 days standard deviation in of 25.1% in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively greater, thus worse in comparison to SPY (21.9%).

DownVol:

'The downside volatility is similar to the volatility, or standard deviation, but only takes losing/negative periods into account.'

• The downside risk over 5 years of Merck is 15.8%, which is greater, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (13.8%) in the same period.
• Looking at downside volatility in of 17.7% in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively larger, thus worse in comparison to SPY (15.9%).

Sharpe:

'The Sharpe ratio is the measure of risk-adjusted return of a financial portfolio. Sharpe ratio is a measure of excess portfolio return over the risk-free rate relative to its standard deviation. Normally, the 90-day Treasury bill rate is taken as the proxy for risk-free rate. A portfolio with a higher Sharpe ratio is considered superior relative to its peers. The measure was named after William F Sharpe, a Nobel laureate and professor of finance, emeritus at Stanford University.'

• The risk / return profile (Sharpe) over 5 years of Merck is 0.32, which is smaller, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (0.69) in the same period.
• During the last 3 years, the risk / return profile (Sharpe) is 0.21, which is lower, thus worse than the value of 0.79 from the benchmark.

Sortino:

'The Sortino ratio measures the risk-adjusted return of an investment asset, portfolio, or strategy. It is a modification of the Sharpe ratio but penalizes only those returns falling below a user-specified target or required rate of return, while the Sharpe ratio penalizes both upside and downside volatility equally. Though both ratios measure an investment's risk-adjusted return, they do so in significantly different ways that will frequently lead to differing conclusions as to the true nature of the investment's return-generating efficiency. The Sortino ratio is used as a way to compare the risk-adjusted performance of programs with differing risk and return profiles. In general, risk-adjusted returns seek to normalize the risk across programs and then see which has the higher return unit per risk.'

• Looking at the downside risk / excess return profile of 0.46 in the last 5 years of Merck, we see it is relatively lower, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (0.95)
• Looking at ratio of annual return and downside deviation in of 0.3 in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively lower, thus worse in comparison to SPY (1.09).

Ulcer:

'The Ulcer Index is a technical indicator that measures downside risk, in terms of both the depth and duration of price declines. The index increases in value as the price moves farther away from a recent high and falls as the price rises to new highs. The indicator is usually calculated over a 14-day period, with the Ulcer Index showing the percentage drawdown a trader can expect from the high over that period. The greater the value of the Ulcer Index, the longer it takes for a stock to get back to the former high.'

• The Ulcer Ratio over 5 years of Merck is 9.23 , which is larger, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (5.61 ) in the same period.
• During the last 3 years, the Ulcer Index is 9.9 , which is higher, thus worse than the value of 6.08 from the benchmark.

MaxDD:

'Maximum drawdown is defined as the peak-to-trough decline of an investment during a specific period. It is usually quoted as a percentage of the peak value. The maximum drawdown can be calculated based on absolute returns, in order to identify strategies that suffer less during market downturns, such as low-volatility strategies. However, the maximum drawdown can also be calculated based on returns relative to a benchmark index, for identifying strategies that show steady outperformance over time.'

• Looking at the maximum drop from peak to valley of -27.3 days in the last 5 years of Merck, we see it is relatively greater, thus better in comparison to the benchmark SPY (-33.7 days)
• Looking at maximum drop from peak to valley in of -27.3 days in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively greater, thus better in comparison to SPY (-33.7 days).

MaxDuration:

'The Maximum Drawdown Duration is an extension of the Maximum Drawdown. However, this metric does not explain the drawdown in dollars or percentages, rather in days, weeks, or months. It is the length of time the account was in the Max Drawdown. A Max Drawdown measures a retrenchment from when an equity curve reaches a new high. It’s the maximum an account lost during that retrenchment. This method is applied because a valley can’t be measured until a new high occurs. Once the new high is reached, the percentage change from the old high to the bottom of the largest trough is recorded.'

• Looking at the maximum days under water of 441 days in the last 5 years of Merck, we see it is relatively higher, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (139 days)
• Compared with SPY (119 days) in the period of the last 3 years, the maximum days under water of 441 days is greater, thus worse.

AveDuration:

'The Average Drawdown Duration is an extension of the Maximum Drawdown. However, this metric does not explain the drawdown in dollars or percentages, rather in days, weeks, or months. The Avg Drawdown Duration is the average amount of time an investment has seen between peaks (equity highs), or in other terms the average of time under water of all drawdowns. So in contrast to the Maximum duration it does not measure only one drawdown event but calculates the average of all.'

• The average time in days below previous high water mark over 5 years of Merck is 113 days, which is higher, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (32 days) in the same period.
• Looking at average time in days below previous high water mark in of 145 days in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively greater, thus worse in comparison to SPY (22 days).