Compare Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) vs Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF (VTI) Price & Performance
Price performance (Past 24H)
Key statistics
Key statistics
Merck & Co., Inc. vs Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF — how do they compare? Merck & Co., Inc. trades at $133.81 (market cap $321.77B), while Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF trades at $381.97. The key difference: Merck & Co., Inc. pays a 2.61% dividend while Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| MRK | VTI | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $321.77B | — |
Sector | Health | — |
52-Week High | $131.84 | $381.78 |
52-Week Low | $77.60 | $311.68 |
Enterprise Value | $368.53B | — |
Dividend Yield | 2.61% | — |
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
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.
VTI trades at $381.95, up 0.08% today, with a bullish technical signal driven by moving averages, though oscillators are neutral and RSI levels suggest overbought conditions. The ETF offers broad diversification with over 3,500 holdings and a low 0.03% expense ratio, as noted by The Motley Fool on August 11, 2026. Recent institutional activity includes mixed buying and selling, with a dividend scheduled for June 30, 2026.
Outlook remains positive for long-term investors due to low costs and market-wide exposure, but risks include market volatility and concentration in large-cap tech. Analyst sentiment is generally favorable, emphasizing VTI's role in foundational portfolios, though current high RSI levels indicate potential near-term pullbacks.
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 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 →About Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF
The fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the index, which represents approximately 100% of the investable US stock market and includes large-, mid-, small-, and micro-cap stocks. It invests by sampling the index, meaning that it holds a broadly diversified collection of securities that, in the aggregate, approximates the full index in terms of key characteristics.
Read more on VTI →
