Compare iShares Core High Dividend ETF (HDV) vs Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Price & Performance
Price performance (Past 24H)
Key statistics
Key statistics
iShares Core High Dividend ETF vs Merck & Co., Inc. — how do they compare? iShares Core High Dividend ETF trades at $29.08, while Merck & Co., Inc. trades at $130.23 (market cap $323.00B). The key difference: Merck & Co., Inc. pays a 2.6% dividend while iShares Core High Dividend ETF pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| HDV | MRK | |
|---|---|---|
52-Week High | $29.14 | $131.84 |
52-Week Low | $23.64 | $77.60 |
Market Cap | — | $323.00B |
Sector | — | Health |
Enterprise Value | — | $369.77B |
Dividend Yield | — | 2.6% |
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
HDV trades at $28.78, up 0.21% with a bullish technical signal. It yields approximately 3.1% from dividends, with recent payouts in June and July 2026. The ETF focuses on high-quality U.S. large-cap dividend stocks, outperforming the S&P 500 year-to-date by 9 percentage points. News highlights its appeal for retirement income and institutional buying, such as 180 Wealth Advisors increasing its stake by 386.2% in Q2 2026.
The outlook is positive due to strong dividend sustainability and defensive sector weighting, but risks include interest rate sensitivity and concentrated holdings. Analysts favor HDV for income-focused portfolios, citing its quality screening and lower volatility.
Merck (MRK) trades at $130.90, up 1.81% on the day, with a bullish technical outlook and strong institutional support. Recent earnings beats in Q4 2025 and Q1-Q2 2026, alongside a 28.07% net income margin in 2025, highlight operational strength. The acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals aims to bolster its oncology pipeline, though a high P/E of 104.74 signals premium valuation. Cash flow remains positive at $1.37B in 2025, but investing outflows have increased.
The stock offers growth potential from pipeline expansion and analyst consensus targeting $140.36, but risks include elevated debt-to-asset ratios (36.06% in 2025) and competitive pressures. Investors should weigh robust profitability against valuation concerns and macroeconomic headwinds affecting the pharma sector.
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Top news
Latest headlines on both assets
Top news
Latest headlines on both assets
About iShares Core High Dividend ETF
The fund generally will invest at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of its underlying index and in investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the component securities of its underlying index. The underlying index is comprised of qualified income paying securities that are screened for superior company quality and financial health as determined by Morningstar, Inc.'s proprietary index methodology. The fund is non-diversified.
Read more on HDV →About Merck & Co., Inc.
Merck makes pharmaceutical products to treat several conditions in a number of therapeutic areas, including cardiometabolic disease, cancer, and infections. Within cancer, the firm's immuno-oncology platform is growing as a major contributor to overall sales. The company also has a substantial vaccine business, with treatments to prevent hepatitis B and pediatric diseases as well as HPV and shingles. Additionally, Merck sells animal health-related drugs. From a geographical perspective, just under half of the firm's sales are generated in the United States.
Read more on MRK →
