Merck & Co., Inc.
MRKHealthcare · Stock · quarterly payer
Forward Yield
2.67%
Annual Dividend
$3.40
Payout Ratio
94%
5-Yr Growth
6.7%
Ex-Date
Jun 15, 2026
Frequency
Quarterly
Summary
As of July 2026, Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) yields 2.67% ($3.40 per share annually), with a blended fair-value estimate of $128.06 — +0% upside, so it screens as fairly valued. Dividend safety grade: A (90/100). 15 years of dividend growth.
Is MRK a good dividend stock?
YesMerck & Co., Inc. (MRK) pays a quarterly dividend yielding 2.67% ($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
- 67% total price return over 5 years
- Top-tier dividend safety score
Risks
- Elevated payout ratio (94%)
Key Data
- Dividend Yield
- 2.67%
- Payout Ratio
- 94%
- Annual Dividend
- $3.40
- 5-Yr Avg Growth
- 6.7%
- Ex-Dividend Date
- Jun 15, 2026
- Years of Growth
- 15
- Frequency
- quarterly
- Beta
- 0.20
- Market Cap
- $307.2B
- P/E Ratio
- 36.0
- 5-Yr Total Return
- 67%
- 52-Week Range
- $76.66 – $131.74
- Dividend Safety
- A · 90/100
- Ever Cut?
- No
Frequently Asked Questions
MRK Price — Last 12 Months
Daily close
Price Return
1 Year
+52%
3 Years
+17%
5 Years
+67%
52-Week Range
$76.66 – $131.74
Price change over each period (excludes dividends). Past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
What is MRK worth?
Fairly valuedhigh confidenceOur blended fair-value estimate for Merck & Co., Inc. is $128.06 per share, versus a market price of $127.50. That implies the stock is roughly fairly priced.
Fair Value
$128.06
Current Price
$127.50
Gap
+0%
Margin of Safety
0%
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.
Earnings multiple (Graham)
Graham's earnings-multiple formula, anchored to bond yields.
At today's price, the market is pricing in about 6.5% annual free-cash-flow growth. We model 10.7% — below our estimate, leaving room for upside if the business executes.
Assumptions: 7.0% discount rate (CAPM), 10.7% stage-1 growth, 2.5% terminal growth, $3.54 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
