ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Natural Gas ETF vs Merck & Co., Inc. — how do they compare? ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Natural Gas ETF trades at $28.6, while Merck & Co., Inc. trades at $133.35 (market cap $321.77B). The key difference: Merck & Co., Inc. pays a 2.61% dividend while ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Natural Gas ETF pays none, and Merck & Co., Inc. is trading nearer its 52-week high, ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Natural Gas ETF nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| KOLD | MRK | |
|---|---|---|
Sector | Leveraged / Inverse | Health |
52-Week High | $49.39 | $131.84 |
52-Week Low | $13.58 | $77.60 |
Market Cap | — | $321.77B |
Enterprise Value | — | $368.53B |
Dividend Yield | — | 2.61% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
KOLD trades at $28.54, down 0.35% on the day, with technical indicators showing a bullish bias from moving averages while oscillators remain neutral. The ETF tracks natural gas price movements inversely, with recent news highlighting volatility in natural gas markets driven by weather patterns and LNG demand. Support levels cluster around $28 with resistance at $29-$30.
As a leveraged ETF, KOLD carries significant volatility risks and is designed for short-term trading rather than long-term investment. The natural gas market faces headwinds from production levels and storage data, while geopolitical developments and weather patterns create trading opportunities for tactical investors.
MRK trades at $133.6, up 2.06% today, near its 52-week high. The stock shows a bullish technical trend with strong moving average support. Recent earnings have consistently beaten estimates, with Q3 2026 expected at $2.27 EPS. The company's acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals aims to bolster its oncology pipeline, while revenue growth remains steady at $65.01B in 2025.
MRK presents a positive outlook with a consensus price target of $140.36, indicating potential upside. Strong institutional buying and a 67.57% buy rating from analysts support bullish sentiment. Risks include rising debt-to-asset ratios and competitive pressures in the pharma sector. The dividend yield of $0.85 per half-year adds income appeal for long-term investors.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
KOLD is an inverse leveraged ETF that seeks to provide two times (2x) the inverse daily performance of the Bloomberg Natural Gas Subindex. It is designed for investors looking to profit from falling natural gas prices.
Read more on KOLD →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 →