Merck & Co., Inc. vs SP Funds S&P 500 Sharia Industry Exclusions ETF — how do they compare? Merck & Co., Inc. trades at $142.17 (market cap $351.28B), while SP Funds S&P 500 Sharia Industry Exclusions ETF trades at $60.74 (market cap $3.39B). The key difference: Merck & Co., Inc. is far larger — about 103.6× SP Funds S&P 500 Sharia Industry Exclusions ETF's market cap, and Merck & Co., Inc. pays a 2.39% dividend while SP Funds S&P 500 Sharia Industry Exclusions ETF pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Merck & Co., Inc. for 98 Days and SP Funds S&P 500 Sharia Industry Exclusions ETF for 64 Days on average.
| MRK | SPUS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $351.28B | $3.39B |
Volume | 7,969,665 | 349,184 |
Sector | Health | Broad Market / Factor |
52-Week High | $156.43 | $61.15 |
52-Week Low | $82.49 | $46.65 |
Typical Hold Time | 98 Days | 64 Days |
Enterprise Value | $398.04B | — |
Dividend Yield | 2.39% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Merck (MRK) trades at $142.79, up 0.61% on the day, with a bearish technical signal despite beating earnings estimates in recent quarters. The company reported 2025 revenue of $65.01B and net income of $18.25B, with a high P/E ratio of 113.9 reflecting premium valuation. Recent news highlights Merck's acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals to bolster its oncology pipeline, while institutional investors have been increasing stakes.
The outlook is mixed: strong analyst consensus (68% buy ratings) and a $158.78 price target suggest upside, but high valuation and bearish technicals pose near-term risks. Key opportunities include pipeline expansion via M&A; risks involve integration challenges and patent pressures.
SPUS (SP Funds S&P 500 Sharia Industry Exclusions ETF) trades at $61.07, down 0.13% with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but bearish oscillators. The ETF shows consistent dividend payments of $0.03 monthly through mid-2026. Short interest surged 174.5% to 257,142 shares in September 2026, indicating growing bearish sentiment among some investors despite the overall technical strength.
The ETF's outlook remains mixed with strong technical momentum countered by elevated short interest and overbought RSI levels. Investment opportunity lies in Sharia-compliant S&P 500 exposure, while risks include concentrated short positioning and potential mean reversion from current technical extremes.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →SPUS tracks a market-cap weighted index of S&P 500 stocks that adhere to Sharia law. It screens out companies involved in non-compliant business activities such as alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and conventional finance, as well as excluding sectors like Aerospace & Defense, and Data Processing. By focusing on low-leverage stocks, SPUS provides investors with a value-conscious, ethically-aligned exposure to a diversified portfolio of large-cap U.S. equities.
Read more on SPUS →