There's no guaranteed way to become rich, but buying quality businesses and holding them for the long run is arguably the safest way to do so.

Global pharmaceutical giant Merck (NYSE: MRK), a regular among the world's most admired healthcare companies, arguably fits the profile of a wonderful business. And its shares have doubled in value over the past five years -- far outstripping the broad market indices.

But is this Dow Jones Industrial Average component right for investors' portfolios today? Let's assess Merck's fundamentals and valuation to address this question.

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Source Fool.com