Merck & Co., Inc.
MRKHealthcare · Stock · quarterly payer
Forward Yield
2.64%
Annual Dividend
$3.40
Payout Ratio
269%
5-Yr Growth
6.7%
Ex-Date
Sep 15, 2026
Frequency
Quarterly
Summary
As of August 2026, Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) yields 2.64% ($3.40 per share annually), with a blended fair-value estimate of $133.92 — +4% upside, so it screens as fairly valued. Dividend safety grade: A (88/100). 15 years of dividend growth.
Is MRK a good dividend stock?
YesMerck & Co., Inc. (MRK) pays a quarterly dividend yielding 2.64% ($3.40/yr), with 15 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of A. It scores well across payout coverage, growth history and safety — a dependable income holding.
Advantages
- 15 consecutive years of dividend growth
- Never cut its dividend on record
- Strong 6.7% 5-yr dividend growth
- 69% total price return over 5 years
- Top-tier dividend safety score
Risks
- Elevated payout ratio (269%)
Key Data
- Dividend Yield
- 2.64%
- Payout Ratio
- 269%
- Annual Dividend
- $3.40
- 5-Yr Avg Growth
- 6.7%
- Ex-Dividend Date
- Sep 15, 2026
- Years of Growth
- 15
- Frequency
- quarterly
- Beta
- 0.21
- Market Cap
- $317.6B
- P/E Ratio
- 102.9
- 5-Yr Total Return
- 69%
- 52-Week Range
- $77.58 – $135.05
- Dividend Safety
- A · 88/100
- Ever Cut?
- No
Frequently Asked Questions
MRK Price — Last 12 Months
Daily close
Price Return
1 Year
+53%
3 Years
+18%
5 Years
+69%
52-Week Range
$77.58 – $135.05
Price change over each period (excludes dividends). Past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
What is MRK worth?
Fairly valuedmedium confidenceOur blended fair-value estimate for Merck & Co., Inc. is $133.92 per share, versus a market price of $128.58. That implies the stock is roughly fairly priced.
Fair Value
$133.92
Current Price
$128.58
Gap
+4%
Margin of Safety
4%
How we get there
Discounted cash flow
Discounts projected free cash flow back to today.
Dividend discount
Discounts the future dividend stream back to today.
At today's price, the market is pricing in about 6.6% annual free-cash-flow growth. We model 10.0% — below our estimate, leaving room for upside if the business executes.
Assumptions: 7.0% discount rate (CAPM), 10.0% stage-1 growth, 2.5% terminal growth, $1.25 EPS, $3.40 annual dividend. Updated weekly.
Fair-value estimates are model output for educational purposes only — not investment advice or a price target.
MRK Dividend Safety Score
Very Safe
SmarterDividends' proprietary score, backtested against which dividends were actually cut over 15+ years (0.78 AUC). It blends a validated cut-risk model (growth streak, cut history) with current payout, cash-flow and debt. Higher is safer · not investment advice.
Dividend Growth
Total dividends per share by year
Dividend History
| Ex-Date | Pay Date | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 15, 2026 | — | $0.8500 | regular |
| Mar 16, 2026 | — | $0.8500 | regular |
| Dec 15, 2025 | — | $0.8500 | regular |
| Sep 15, 2025 | — | $0.8100 | regular |
| Jun 16, 2025 | — | $0.8100 | regular |
| Mar 17, 2025 | — | $0.8100 | regular |
| Dec 16, 2024 | — | $0.8100 | regular |
| Sep 16, 2024 | — | $0.7700 | regular |
| Jun 17, 2024 | — | $0.7700 | regular |
| Mar 14, 2024 | — | $0.7700 | regular |
| Dec 14, 2023 | — | $0.7700 | regular |
| Sep 14, 2023 | — | $0.7300 | regular |
| Jun 14, 2023 | — | $0.7300 | regular |
| Mar 14, 2023 | — | $0.7300 | regular |
Income Calculator
At $3.40 / yr per share
