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NYSE · Drug Manufacturers - General · USD

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Stock Analysis

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) is a Drug Manufacturers - General stock listed on NYSE and quoted in US Dollar.

Last Updated: October 21, 2026

MRK

$149.88

+$1.58 (+1.07%)

Oct 21, 2026 · Market close

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Price History

Hover for the daily close. The dotted line marks the period open.

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MRK Key Statistics

As of Oct 21, 2026
Trading
Open
$147.11
Previous Close
$148.30
Day's Range
147.11–150.00
52-Week Range
82.01–156.92
Volume
9.00M
BetaHow much the share price moves relative to the wider market. 1.0 moves in line with it; above 1.0 swings more, below 1.0 less.
0.22
Valuation
Market Cap
$369.78B
P/E Ratio
118.95
Forward P/EShare price divided by forecast earnings for the year ahead, rather than the year just past.
16.13
PEG RatioThe P/E ratio divided by the expected earnings growth rate. It puts a high P/E in the context of how fast profits are growing.
2.77
P/S ratioMarket value divided by annual revenue. Useful for companies that are not yet profitable, where a P/E cannot be calculated.
5.55
EPS (ttm)Profit attributable to each share over the last twelve months.
1.26
Financials (FY)
Revenue (FY)
$65.01B+1.31%
Net Income (FY)
$18.25B+6.64%
Profit marginThe share of revenue left as profit after all costs and taxes.
4.77%
Shares OutstandingThe total number of shares held by all investors. Market value is this figure multiplied by the share price.
2.47B
1-Year Return
+76.08%
Dividend and dates
Dividend
$3.40+2.29%
Ex-Dividend Date
September 15, 2026
Earnings Date
October 29, 2026
Avg Volume
9.90M

Only metrics the company reports are shown. Data provided by Yahoo Finance via yfinance. Updated daily.

Key facts

As of October 21, 2026, MRK closed at $149.88, +76.08% over 1 year.

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) has a market capitalization of $369.78B.

In fiscal 2025, MRK reported revenue of $65.01B.

MRK Stock Return by Calendar Year

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) 10-year return: what $10,000 became

1 year
$10,000 $17,608
+76.08%
5 years
$10,000 $21,516
+115.16%
10 years
$10,000 $34,830
+248.30%

If you had invested $10,000 in Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) 10 years ago, at the close on October 21, 2016, it would have been worth $34,830 at the close on October 21, 2026: +248.30% in total, +13.29% a year, with dividends reinvested. A historical calculation from closing prices adjusted for splits and dividends, before fees and taxes.

Calendar-year returns computed from daily closing prices. Partial years are shown muted and marked with an asterisk.

YearReturn
2026 (partial year)+45.33%
2025+9.79%
2024−6.26%
2023+1.01%
2022+49.42%
2021+1.75%
2020−7.20%
2019+22.27%
2018+39.95%
2017−1.49%
2016 (partial year)−5.49%

As of October 21, 2026.

MRK Revenue and Earnings by Fiscal Year

FY ends December
Fiscal yearRevenueNet incomeNet margin
2025$65.01B$18.25B28.1%
2024$64.17B$17.12B26.7%
2023$60.12B$365.00M0.6%
2022$59.28B$14.52B24.5%
Fiscal yearRevenueGross profitOperating incomeNet incomeNet margin
2025$65.01B$48.63B$22.11B$18.25B28.1%
2024$64.17B$48.98B$20.22B$17.12B26.7%
2023$60.12B$43.99B$2.95B$365.00M0.6%
2022$59.28B$41.87B$18.28B$14.52B24.5%

Annual figures as reported, in the company's reporting currency. As of December 31, 2025.

MRK Dividend History

$3.28+5.1% vs 2024

Dividends per share, 2025 · 4 payments

YearDividends per sharePaymentsChange
2026*$2.553—
2025$3.284+5.1%
2024$3.124+5.4%
2023$2.964+5.7%
YearDividends per sharePaymentsChange
2026 (partial year)$2.553—
2025$3.284+5.1%
2024$3.124+5.4%
2023$2.964+5.7%
2022$2.804+7.3%
2021$2.614+10.3%
2020$2.374+9.7%
2019$2.164+13.6%
2018$1.904+5.3%
2017$1.804+302.1%
2016$0.451—

Most recent payment: $0.85 per share, ex-dividend September 15, 2026. Per-share amounts summed by calendar year from ex-dividend dates. Partial years are shown muted and marked with an asterisk.

MRK Valuation vs Drug Manufacturers - General Median

Median of 21 stocks
MetricMRKDrug Manufacturers - General medianvs median
P/E118.9525.234.7x the median
P/S ratio5.553.2372% above
Profit margin4.77%9.80%5.0 pts below

Medians across 21 Drug Manufacturers - General stocks that report the metric. Medians, not averages, so one outlier cannot move them. As of October 21, 2026.

Recent News

All 20 articles ↓

News provided by third-party sources. Not financial advice.

Analysis

Data-derived

Company Overview

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) is capitalised at $369.78B on the latest close. It is classified in the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, within the Healthcare sector. Headcount on file is 73,000.

Over the past 52 weeks the price has ranged from $82.01 to $156.92. The most recent close on file for MRK is $149.88, dated October 21, 2026. That is +$1.58 (+1.07%) against the previous close. The latest close sits 82.76% above that 52-week low.

Financial Health

The most recent full year on file, fiscal 2025, shows revenue of $65.01B. Against the prior fiscal year total of $64.17B, that is a change of +1.31%. Net income for the same year was $18.25B. That is +6.64% against the prior fiscal year. The reported profit margin is 4.77%. That is 5 percentage points below the Drug Manufacturers - General median of 9.8%. Earnings per share on a trailing basis come to 1.26.

Across the 4 fiscal years on file, revenue moves from $59.28B in 2022 to $65.01B in 2025. Of those 4 years, 4 report positive net income.

Valuation Assessment

On trailing earnings, the shares are priced at 118.95 times earnings. That is 4.7 times the Drug Manufacturers - General median of 25.23. The forward P/E on file is 16.13. The PEG ratio, which sets the P/E against expected earnings growth, reads 2.77. Measured against sales, the shares trade at 5.55 times revenue. On price-to-sales that is 72.02% above the Drug Manufacturers - General median of 3.23. 21 Drug Manufacturers - General companies report these metrics, and the medians quoted come from that group.

The trailing one-year total return is +76.08%. Across 10 years the annualized return works out at +13.29%. Beta against the wider market is reported at 0.22. Daily returns over the trailing 10 years annualize to a volatility of 23.43%.

Growth & Income

Shareholders receive a dividend, yielding 2.29% on the latest price. The indicated annual rate is $3.40 a share. The ex-dividend date on file is September 15, 2026. Dividends are recorded for 11 calendar years; 2026 shows 3 payments totalling $2.55 a share. The year before, 2025, totalled $3.28 a share.

The strongest complete calendar year on file is 2022 at +49.42%; the weakest is 2020 at −7.20%. Of the 9 complete calendar years on file, 6 finished higher. 2026 is still running; the total return is +45.33% year to date.

Peer Comparison

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) operates in the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. Here is how it compares to its closest peers by market capitalization:

Company Ticker Market Cap P/E Ratio
Merck & Co., Inc. MRK $369.78B 119.0
Eli Lilly and Company LLY $1.13T 42.7
Johnson & Johnson JNJ $621.22B 39.1
AbbVie Inc. ABBV $503.27B 80.5

The Drug Manufacturers - General industry average P/E ratio is 25.2x. Merck & Co., Inc. trades at a P/E of 119.0.

Every figure above is read from this page's own data on each daily rebuild. Informational only, not financial advice. As of October 21, 2026.

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About Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co., Inc. operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It offers human health pharmaceutical for various areas under the Keytruda, Keytruda Qlex, Welireg, Gardasil, ProQuad, M-M-R II, Varivax, Vaxneuvance, Capvaxive, RotaTeq, Pneumovax 23, Bridion, Prevymis, Dificid, Zerbaxa, Winrevair, Adempas/ Verquvo, Ohtuvayre, Lagevrio, Isentress/Isentress HD, Delstrigo, Pifeltro, Belsomra, Januvia, and Janumet brands. The company also provides veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services, such as livestock products under the Nuflor, Bovilis/Vista, Bovilis Cryptium, Banamine, Estrumate, Matrix, Resflor, Zuprevo, Revalor, Safe-Guard, M+Pac, Porcilis, Circumvent, Nobilis/Innovax, Paracox and Coccivac, Exzolt, Slice, Imvixa, Clynav, Aquavac/Norvax, Aquaflor, Flexolt brands; Allflex Livestock Intelligence solutions; and companion animal products under the Bravecto One-Month, Bravecto Injectable/Quantum, Bravecto TriUNO, Bravecto Plus, Sentinel Spectrum, Sentinel Flavor Tabs, Numelvi, Optimmune, Nobivac NXT, GilvetMab, Otomax, Mometamax, Mometamax Ultra, Posatex, Caninsulin/Vetsulin, Panacur, Safeguard, Regumate, Prestige, Scalibor/Exspot, Sure Petcare, and Home Again brands. It has development and commercialization agreement for three of Daiichi Sankyo's deruxtecan ADC candidates; AstraZeneca PLC to co-development and co-commercialize AstraZeneca's Lynparza products for multiple cancer types; licensed to develop, manufacture and commercialize LM-299, a novel investigational PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody from LaNova; and collaboration agreement with Eisai Co., Ltd., Bayer AG, and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP, as well Moderna, Inc. Merck & Co., Inc. has strategic collaboration with Infinimmune, Inc. to discover and develop antibodies against multiple therapeutic targets. The company was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey.

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