MRK Dividend Yield 2026: Merck & Co., Inc.

The free dividend tracker to help you grow your wealth. Link your brokerage accounts and MerryDiv automatically syncs your holdings and dividends.

Data last updated: Jul 17, 2026

Snapshot (as of Jul 17, 2026): Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) pays a $3.36 annual dividend ($0.85 quarterly), yielding 2.62% at $128.42/share. Next ex-dividend date 2026-06-15. 21 consecutive years of dividend growth. Source: Yahoo Finance, aggregated by MerryDiv.

Dividend Yield: 2.62%

Annual Dividend: $3.36 per share

Payout Ratio: 92.1%

Ex-Dividend Date: 2026-06-15

Dividend Frequency: quarterly

Sector: Healthcare

Years of Dividend History: 57

About Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend

Merck & Co., Inc. dividend income comes from one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, with operations spanning oncology, vaccines, and animal health. MRK currently pays $3.36 per share annually, distributed quarterly, with the next ex-dividend date on June 15, 2026. The current yield stands at 2.72%. With a beta of 0.205, MRK stock moves far less than the broader market, which suits income investors who prioritize low volatility over aggressive growth.

Dividend Safety

Merck & Co., Inc. pays out 92.1% of earnings as dividends, a payout ratio classified as high (above 75%). That level is supported by demand across MRK's pharmaceutical and animal health divisions, which serve drug wholesalers, hospitals, government agencies, and managed care organizations. Merck & Co., Inc. dividend safety faces pressure from that payout ratio leaving limited room to absorb earnings declines, particularly if key therapeutic areas like oncology or virology face pricing or competitive headwinds.

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Dividend Growth Rate, CAGR, and History

Merck & Co., Inc. dividend history shows a CAGR of 5.5% per year from 2011 to 2025. The per-share payment grew from $1.56 to $3.28 over that period (2026 data is partial and excluded from the growth calculation). The smallest annual increase in the window was 2.2% in 2016, while the largest reached 13.6% in 2019, showing meaningful variation in the pace of raises year to year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Growth Rate (CAGR)

Period	CAGR	From	To
3-Year	+5.4%	$2.80 (2022)	$3.28 (2025)
5-Year	+5.8%	$2.48 (2020)	$3.28 (2025)
10-Year	+6.1%	$1.81 (2015)	$3.28 (2025)

Is Merck & Co., Inc. a Good Dividend Stock?

Merck & Co., Inc. fits dividend investors who want moderate, growing income from a large pharmaceutical business with low price volatility. The yield of 2.72% sits above MRK's own 5-year average of 2.4%, which means the current entry point offers slightly more income than the historical norm. The yield classification is moderate (2-4%), and 21 consecutive years of dividend increases adds a degree of reliability to that income. The trade-off is a 92.1% payout ratio that leaves little cushion, meaning the dividend's continuity depends heavily on sustained earnings from core segments like oncology and animal health.

Recent Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Payments

Payment Date	Amount per Share
2026-06-15	$0.8500
2026-03-16	$0.8500
2025-12-15	$0.8500
2025-09-15	$0.8100
2025-06-16	$0.8100
2025-03-17	$0.8100
2024-12-16	$0.8100
2024-09-16	$0.7700
2024-06-17	$0.7700
2024-03-14	$0.7700

Merck & Co., Inc. Annual Dividend History

Year	Total Dividends
2026	$1.7000
2025	$3.2800
2024	$3.1200
2023	$2.9600
2022	$2.8000

Related Healthcare Dividend Stocks

• LLY — Eli Lilly and Company (0.55% yield)
• JNJ — Johnson & Johnson (2.07% yield)
• ABBV — AbbVie Inc. (2.68% yield)
• UNH — UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (2.10% yield)
• RHHBY — Roche Holding AG (2.89% yield)
• NVS — Novartis AG (2.96% yield)

Frequently Asked Questions

How often does Merck & Co., Inc. pay dividends?

Merck & Co., Inc. pays dividends quarterly. The last dividend amount was $0.85 per share, with the next ex-dividend date set for June 15, 2026.

What is Merck & Co., Inc.'s current dividend yield?

The current MRK dividend yield is 2.72%, which is above the stock's 5-year average yield of 2.4%. That means today's yield is slightly elevated relative to recent history.

Has Merck & Co., Inc. ever cut its dividend?

No dividend cut appears in the available history window from 2011 to 2025. Each year in that period shows a higher annual payment than the prior year, and 2026 data is partial and not indicative of a cut.

How fast has Merck & Co., Inc. grown its dividend?

Merck & Co., Inc. has grown its dividend at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5% per year from 2011 to 2025. The per-share payment rose from $1.56 to $3.28 over that 14-year window.

Is Merck & Co., Inc. a good dividend stock for income investors?

MRK offers a moderate yield of 2.72% and 21 consecutive years of dividend increases, which suits income investors who prioritize low volatility and growing payouts. The 92.1% payout ratio is high, which is a meaningful trade-off to weigh.

Is Merck & Co., Inc. dividend safe?

The 92.1% payout ratio is high (above 75%), meaning Merck & Co., Inc. dividend safety depends on sustained earnings across its pharmaceutical and animal health divisions. There is limited room to absorb a significant earnings decline without pressure on the payout.

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to its own historical yield?

At 2.72%, the current yield is above MRK's 5-year average of 2.4%. That gap of roughly 0.3 percentage points means the stock currently delivers more income per dollar invested than it has on average over the past five years.

Latest MRK News

• This Blue-Chip Dividend Stock Is Outperforming the S&P 500 in 2026 - inkl — inkl
• This Blue-Chip Dividend Stock Is Outperforming the S&P 500 in 2026 - Yahoo Finance — Yahoo Finance
• MRK Forecast — Price Target — Prediction for 2027 - TradingView — TradingView

Project income from MRK with the MRK dividend calculator or track your full portfolio with the dividend tracker.