MRK
Merck & Co. Inc. Healthcare - Pharmaceuticals Investor Relations →
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) closed at $121.93 as of 2026-02-02, trading 25.9% above its 200-week moving average of $96.83. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 14.1% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 85, MRK is in overbought territory.
Over the past 3296 weeks of data, MRK has crossed below its 200-week moving average 24 times. On average, these episodes lasted 30 weeks. Historically, investors who bought MRK at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +10.9%.
With a market cap of $304.6 billion, MRK is a large-cap stock. Return on equity stands at 37.2%, indicating strong profitability. The stock trades at 5.8x book value.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in MRK would have grown to $1904, compared to $2849 for the S&P 500. MRK has returned 9.3% annualized vs 10.6% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
Free cash flow has been growing at a 23.3% compound annual rate, with 4 consecutive years of positive cash generation.
Growth of $100: MRK vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After MRK Crosses Below the Line?
Across 14 historical episodes, buying MRK when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +9.9% after 12 months (median +7.0%), compared to +4.6% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 64% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +31.8% vs +16.5% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment MRK crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
MRK has crossed below its 200-week MA 24 times with an average 1-year return of +10.9% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1970 | Jun 1970 | 2 | 1.8% | +30.7% | +57528.0% |
| Jul 1970 | Sep 1970 | 8 | 12.4% | +29.9% | +58783.5% |
| Jul 1974 | Feb 1975 | 28 | 30.5% | +16.5% | +34122.3% |
| Mar 1975 | Apr 1975 | 1 | 4.0% | +7.4% | +31352.1% |
| Apr 1975 | Apr 1975 | 1 | 0.3% | +4.0% | +30010.2% |
| Jul 1975 | Nov 1975 | 15 | 11.4% | -4.5% | +29281.2% |
| Dec 1975 | Aug 1976 | 39 | 11.7% | -11.8% | +28989.9% |
| Oct 1976 | Dec 1978 | 111 | 27.3% | -27.9% | +29058.2% |
| Jun 1982 | Aug 1982 | 9 | 9.0% | +29.9% | +26242.4% |
| Jul 1984 | Jul 1984 | 1 | 0.2% | +51.2% | +20933.4% |
| Mar 1993 | Apr 1993 | 4 | 5.6% | -8.5% | +2146.4% |
| Jun 1993 | Nov 1994 | 74 | 22.8% | -10.3% | +2099.3% |
| Jun 2001 | Jul 2001 | 5 | 8.7% | -19.0% | +398.5% |
| Aug 2001 | Jul 2006 | 256 | 48.2% | -20.6% | +389.4% |
| Jun 2008 | Nov 2009 | 76 | 38.1% | -26.8% | +537.7% |
| Apr 2010 | Jun 2010 | 9 | 10.9% | +1.0% | +506.7% |
| Jun 2010 | Jul 2010 | 1 | 3.8% | +8.7% | +526.2% |
| Jul 2010 | Aug 2010 | 6 | 3.1% | +8.1% | +514.5% |
| Nov 2010 | Nov 2010 | 3 | 1.0% | +8.4% | +511.0% |
| Jan 2011 | Apr 2011 | 12 | 6.4% | +17.3% | +513.0% |
| Aug 2011 | Sep 2011 | 8 | 3.9% | +45.8% | +547.0% |
| Nov 2017 | Nov 2017 | 2 | 1.9% | +42.2% | +198.9% |
| Feb 2018 | Apr 2018 | 9 | 3.2% | +45.6% | +198.2% |
| Feb 2025 | Nov 2025 | 41 | 20.5% | +45.0% | +45.0% |
| Average | 30 | — | +10.9% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02