Overall Rating


(3.3/5) Neutral

Merck (MRK)

Price*: $25.31 | Dividend: $1.52 | Dividend Yield: 6.01%

Recommendation Info
We downgraded this stock from the "Recommended" list on 7/21/08, at a price of 35.33.
Dividend Stock Ratings Breakdown Dividend Stock Ratings Breakdown
1. Relative Strength   What's This?

Stock is in a solid downturn.
2. Overall Yield Attractiveness   What's This?

Stock's dividend yield is above average.
3. Dividend Reliability   What's This?

This rating is directly related to the length and consistency of a company's dividend payouts.
4. Dividend Uptrend   What's This?

Dividend payouts are consistent, but increases small.
5. Earnings Growth   What's This?

Earnings estimates have been cut slightly.
Price and Dividend Info Price and Dividend Info
Merck (MRK)
Previous Day's Closing Price*
$25.31
Annual Stock Dividend
$1.52
Current Dividend Yield
6.01%

Recent Headlines Recent Headlines

Dividend Stock Profile & Recommendation Profile & Recommendation

Company Profile Company Profile

Merck (MRK) - pharmaceutical giant's drugs are used in the treatment of cardiovascular ailments, hypertension, high cholesterol, inflammation, glaucoma, ulcers, hepatitis, and Parkinson’s disease. Here are some of the familiar names. It offers Singulair for treating asthma, and relief of symptoms of allergic rhinitis; Cozaar/Hyzaar and Vasotec for the treatment of hypertension/heart failure; Fosamax and Fosamax Plus D for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis; Zocor, an atherosclerosis product; Primaxin and Cancidas, anti-bacterial/anti-fungal products; Cosopt and Trusopt, the ophthalmological products; Proscar, an urology product for the treatment of symptomatic benign prostate enlargement; Maxalt, an acute migraine product; and Propecia for the treatment of male pattern hair loss. The company offers Varivax to prevent chickenpox; M-M-R II, for the treatment of measles, mumps, and rubella; ProQuad, a pediatric combination vaccine against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella; Gardasil for the prevention of cervical cancer and genital warts; Pneumovax for the prevention of pneumococcal diseases; RotaTeq for the protection against rotavirus gastroenteritis in infants and children; and Zostavax, a vaccine for the prevention of shingles. The company was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.

Dividend Stock Recommendation - Neutral Recommendation

Based on our rating criteria, this stock has achieved a "Neutral" rating. Stocks with a neutral rating are considered mediocre investments in terms of expected price growth and dividend payments.

Stock Notes Stock Notes

This large cap stock does not make an attractive dividend stock investment at this time.

* Stock price reflects previous day's closing price. All stock quotes on this website should be considered as having a 24-hour delay.

** Under no circumstances does the information in this column represent a recommendation to buy or sell stocks. The author is not registered as an investment adviser. The author may or may not hold positions in the securities mentioned in this article or video. The author relies upon the "publisher's exclusion" from the definition of "investment adviser" as provided under Section 202(a)(11) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and corresponding state securities laws.