
Merck & Company Inc (MRK) is a leading drug manufacturers - general business with stocks listed in the US. It opened the day at US$102.85 after a previous close of US$102.48. During the day the price has varied from a low of USD102.66 to a high of USD103.6761. The latest price was USD103.46 (25 minute delay). Merck-and-Company is listed on the NYSE. All prices are listed in US Dollars.
How to buy shares in Merck-and-Company
- Compare share trading platforms. To buy shares in a company listed in the US from Australia you'll need to find a trading platform that offers access to US stock markets. Look for a platform with low brokerage and foreign exchange fees.
- Open and fund your brokerage account. Complete an application with your personal and financial details, which will typically include your ID and tax file number. Fund your account with a bank transfer, credit card or debit card.
- Search for Merck-and-Company. Find the share by name or ticker symbol: MRK. Research its history to confirm it's a solid investment that matches your financial goals.
- Purchase now or later. Buy today with a market order or use a limit order to delay your purchase until Merck-and-Company reaches your desired price. To spread out your risk, look into dollar-cost averaging, which smooths out buying using consistent intervals and amounts.
- Decide on how many to buy. At last close price of US$102.48, weigh your budget against a diversified portfolio that can minimise risk through the market's ups and downs. You may be able to buy a fractional share of Merck-and-Company, depending on your broker.
- Check in on your investment. Congratulations, you own a part of Merck-and-Company. Optimise your portfolio by tracking how your stock — and even the business — performs with an eye on the long term. You may be eligible for dividends and shareholder voting rights.
Our top pick for
US stocks

Our top pick for
Low costs

Our top pick for
Dividend investing

What's in this guide?
- Merck-and-Company key stats
- Compare share trading platforms
- Is Merck-and-Company stock a buy or sell?
- Merck-and-Company performance over time
- Is Merck-and-Company suitable for ethical investing?
- Are Merck-and-Company shares over-valued?
- Merck-and-Company's financials
- How volatile are Merck-and-Company shares?
- Does Merck-and-Company pay a dividend?
- Have Merck-and-Company shares ever split?
- Other common questions
Merck-and-Company stock price (NYSE:MRK)
Use our graph to track the performance of MRK stocks over time.Have Merck-and-Company's shares ever split?
Merck-and-Company's shares were split on a 1048:1000 basis on 3 June 2021. So if you had owned 1000 shares the day before the split, the next day you would own 1048 shares. This wouldn't directly have changed the overall worth of your Merck-and-Company shares – just the quantity. However, indirectly, the new 4.6% lower share price could have impacted the market appetite for Merck-and-Company shares which in turn could have impacted Merck-and-Company's share price.
Merck-and-Company shares at a glance
Open | US$102.85 |
---|---|
High | US$103.6761 |
Low | US$102.66 |
Close | US$103.46 |
Previous close | US$102.48 |
Change | US$0.98 |
Change % | 0.9563% |
Volume | 6,717,279 |
52-week range | US$99.14 - US$118.0511 |
---|---|
50-day moving average | US$103.5912 |
200-day moving average | US$108.5413 |
Target price | US$114.02 |
PE ratio | 56.5944 |
Dividend yield | US$2.88 (2.87%) |
Earnings per share (TTM) | US$1.8 |
Use the fields above to explore the returns from a historical investment. Please refer to the charts further up this page to see performance over 5 years, or other periods. Past performance doesn't indicate future results. Capital is at risk.
Merck-and-Company price performance over time
Historical closes compared with the last close of $103.46
1 week (2023-11-24) | 1.56% |
---|---|
1 month (2023-11-02) | 0.59% |
3 months (2023-09-01) | -5.81% |
6 months (2023-06-02) | -8.05% |
1 year (2022-12-02) | -5.98% |
---|---|
2 years (2021-12-02) | 40.02% |
3 years (2020-12-02) | 32.50% |
5 years (2018-11-30) | 36.66% |
Compare trading platforms to buy Merck-and-Company shares
Is it a good time to buy Merck-and-Company stock?
The technical analysis gauge below displays real-time ratings for the timeframes you select. However, this is not a recommendation. It represents a technical analysis based on the most popular technical indicators: Moving Averages, Oscillators and Pivots. Finder might not concur and takes no responsibility.
Is Merck-and-Company under- or over-valued?
Valuing Merck-and-Company stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of Merck-and-Company's overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge the value of a stock.
Merck-and-Company's P/E ratio
Merck-and-Company's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over a 12-month period gives a "trailing price/earnings ratio" of roughly 57x. In other words, Merck-and-Company shares trade at around 57x recent earnings.
That's relatively high compared to, say, the trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the NASDAQ 100 at the end of 2019 (27.29). The high P/E ratio could mean that investors are optimistic about the outlook for the shares or simply that they're over-valued.
Merck-and-Company's PEG ratio
Merck-and-Company's "price/earnings-to-growth ratio" can be calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its growth – to give 1.359. A low ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer better value, while a higher ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer worse value.
The PEG ratio provides a broader view than just the P/E ratio, as it gives more insight into Merck-and-Company's future profitability. By accounting for growth, it could also help you if you're comparing the share prices of multiple high-growth companies.
Merck-and-Company's EBITDA
Merck-and-Company's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) is US$12.9 billion (£10.2 billion).
The EBITDA is a measure of a Merck-and-Company's overall financial performance and is widely used to measure a its profitability.
Merck-and-Company share price volatility
Over the last 12 months, Merck-and-Company's shares have ranged in value from as little as US$99.14 up to US$118.0511. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".
Beta measures a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (NYSE average) beta is 1, while Merck-and-Company's is 0.375. This would suggest that Merck-and-Company's shares are less volatile than average (for this exchange).
Merck-and-Company financials
Revenue TTM | US$59.3 billion |
---|---|
Operating margin TTM | 36.49% |
Gross profit TTM | US$42.1 billion |
Return on assets TTM | 5.4% |
Return on equity TTM | 10.77% |
Profit margin | 7.77% |
Book value | 16.269 |
Market capitalisation | US$258.1 billion |
TTM: trailing 12 months
Merck-and-Company share dividends
Dividend payout ratio: 94.5% of net profits
Recently Merck-and-Company has paid out, on average, around 94.5% of net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 2.87% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), Merck-and-Company shareholders could enjoy a 2.87% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In Merck-and-Company's case, that would currently equate to about $2.88 per share.
Merck-and-Company's payout ratio would broadly be considered high, and as such this stock could appeal to those looking to generate an income. Bear in mind however that companies should normally also look to re-invest a decent amount of net profits to ensure future growth.
Merck-and-Company's most recent dividend payout was on 6 October 2023. The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 14 September 2023 (the "ex-dividend date").
Merck-and-Company's environmental, social and governance track record
Environmental, social and governance (known as ESG) criteria are a set of three factors used to measure the sustainability and social impact of companies like Merck-and-Company.
When it comes to ESG scores, lower is better, and lower scores are generally associated with lower risk for would-be investors.
Merck-and-Company's total ESG risk score
Total ESG risk: 28.35
Socially conscious investors use ESG scores to screen how an investment aligns with their worldview, and Merck-and-Company's overall score of 28.35 (as at 01/01/2019) is nothing to write home about – landing it in it in the 47th percentile of companies rated in the same sector.
ESG scores are increasingly used to estimate the level of risk a company like Merck-and-Company is exposed to within the areas of "environmental" (carbon footprint, resource use etc.), "social" (health and safety, human rights etc.), and "governance" (anti-corruption, tax transparency etc.).
Merck-and-Company's environmental score
Environmental score: 3.15/100
Merck-and-Company's environmental score of 3.15 puts it squarely in the 4th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that Merck-and-Company is a leader in its sector terms of its environmental impact, and exposed to a lower level of risk.
Merck-and-Company's social score
Social score: 15.55/100
Merck-and-Company's social score of 15.55 puts it squarely in the 4th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that Merck-and-Company is a leader in its sector when it comes to taking good care of its workforce and the communities it impacts.
Merck-and-Company's governance score
Governance score: 12.65/100
Merck-and-Company's governance score puts it squarely in the 4th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. That could suggest that Merck-and-Company is a leader in its sector when it comes to responsible management and strategy, and exposed to a lower level of risk.
Merck-and-Company's controversy score
Controversy score: 3/5
ESG scores also evaluate any incidences of controversy that a company has been involved in. Merck-and-Company scored a 3 out of 5 for controversy – a middle-of-the-table result reflecting that Merck-and-Company hasn't always managed to keep its nose clean.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) summary
Merck & Company Inc was last rated for ESG on: 2019-01-01.
Total ESG score | 28.35 |
---|---|
Total ESG percentile | 47.16 |
Environmental score | 3.15 |
Environmental score percentile | 4 |
Social score | 15.55 |
Social score percentile | 4 |
Governance score | 12.65 |
Governance score percentile | 4 |
Level of controversy | 3 |
Merck-and-Company overview
Merck & Co., Inc. operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It operates through two segments, Pharmaceutical and Animal Health. The Pharmaceutical segment offers human health pharmaceutical products in the areas of oncology, hospital acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, and diabetes, as well as vaccine products, such as preventive pediatric, adolescent, and adult vaccines. The Animal Health segment discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions and services, as well as digitally connected identification, traceability, and monitoring products. The company serves drug wholesalers and retailers, hospitals, and government agencies; managed health care providers, such as health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, and other institutions; and physicians and physician distributors, veterinarians, and animal producers. It has collaborations with AstraZeneca PLC; Bayer AG; Eisai Co., Ltd.; Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP; and Gilead Sciences, Inc. to jointly develop and commercialize long-acting treatments in HIV, as well as a collaboration with Bionomics to identify novel a7 nAChR PAMs suitable for the treatment of cognitive disorder; and clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Ankyra Therapeutics to evaluate ANK-101 in combination with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in patients with advanced solid tumors, as well as a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Phanes Therapeutics, Inc. to evaluate PT886 in combination with KEYTRUDA for the treatment of claudin 18.2 positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinomas, as well as a development and commercialization agreement with Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited to jointly develop and commercialize Daiichi Sankyo's DXd antibody drug conjugate (ADC) candidates. Merck & Co., Inc. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey.
Stocks similar to Merck-and-Company
Frequently asked questions
More guides on Finder
-
How to buy OpenAI stock in Australia
Looking to jump on the AI bandwagon? Here's how you can invest in ChatGPT and its parent company OpenAI from Australia.
-
Best performing stocks on the ASX in 2023 (Updated weekly)
Looking for the best performing stocks in Australia? We update this list weekly.
-
Cryptocurrency ETFs explained: A simple guide for investors (2023)
If you’re looking for ways to gain exposure to Bitcoin and other digital currencies, cryptocurrency ETFs could be worth exploring. Find out what crypto ETFs are and how they work in this introductory guide.
-
How to buy Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA ADR (GOL) shares in Australia
Steps to owning and managing Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes SA shares from Australia.
-
How to buy Microsoft (MSFT) shares in Australia
Steps to owning and managing Microsoft shares from in Australia.
-
A beginner’s guide to Lego investing
Looking for alternative investments? With a ROI of up to 3,593% lego may be worth considering. Read on to find out which lego sets are worth the investment.
-
The cheapest stock brokers in Australia (Dec 2023)
Find cheap stock brokerage in Australia when buying and selling shares on the ASX and other international exchanges.
-
What is the money market?
Learn about the money market and everyday consumer money market products.
-
Is investing in crowdfunding a safe investment?
Equity crowdfunding offers a unique opportunity for investors and for Australian startups, but Australia’s regulatory framework surrounding crowdfunding still lags behind the rest of the world.
-
The best trading platforms in Australia for 2023
Follow these tips to find the best share trading platform for you.
Ask an Expert