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Compare Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) vs Vanguard Sht-Term Inflation-Protected Sec Idx ETF (VTIP) Price & Performance

Merck & Co., Inc.Trade
Vanguard Sht-Term Inflation-Protected Sec Idx ETFTrade

Price performance (Past 24H)

Key statistics

Merck & Co., Inc. vs Vanguard Sht-Term Inflation-Protected Sec Idx ETF — how do they compare? Merck & Co., Inc. trades at $145.34 (market cap $351.28B), while Vanguard Sht-Term Inflation-Protected Sec Idx ETF trades at $48.47 (market cap $73.20B). The key difference: Merck & Co., Inc. is far larger — about 4.8× Vanguard Sht-Term Inflation-Protected Sec Idx ETF's market cap, and Merck & Co., Inc. pays a 2.39% dividend while Vanguard Sht-Term Inflation-Protected Sec Idx ETF pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Merck & Co., Inc. for 98 Days and Vanguard Sht-Term Inflation-Protected Sec Idx ETF for 91 Days on average.

MRKVTIP
Market Cap
$351.28B$73.20B
Volume
7,969,6652,511,360
Sector
Health—
52-Week High
$156.43$50.46
52-Week Low
$82.49$48.38
Typical Hold Time
98 Days91 Days
Enterprise Value
$398.04B—
Dividend Yield
2.39%—

Aura AI Summary

Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice

Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck (MRK) trades at $144.96, up 1.52% today, with a bearish technical signal despite recent earnings beats. The stock shows strong profitability with a 72.97% gross margin and 28.07% net income margin for 2025, though its P/E ratio of 113.9 indicates high valuation. Recent news highlights Merck's acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals to bolster its oncology pipeline, reflecting strategic growth initiatives amid competitive pressures.

The outlook is mixed: analyst consensus is bullish with a $158.78 price target, but technical indicators and a high P/E suggest near-term caution. Key risks include integration challenges from acquisitions and macroeconomic headwinds affecting pharmaceutical R&D investment. Revenue growth and pipeline execution remain critical for sustained upside.

Vanguard Sht-Term Inflation-Protected Sec Idx ETF

VTIP, the Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF, trades at $48.475, up 0.03% on the day. Technical indicators show a bearish bias with moving averages signaling sell pressure, while oscillators like the 6-day relative strength index at 15.33 suggest oversold conditions. Recent news highlights its role as an inflation hedge amid rising energy prices and Fed rate hikes. The ETF focuses on short-duration TIPS to minimize interest rate risk, with institutional buying noted in recent SEC filings.

The outlook for VTIP is cautiously positive as a defensive inflation hedge, with real yields at multi-decade highs boosting appeal. However, risks include persistent inflation above the Fed's target and potential volatility from rate uncertainty. Investors seeking low-cost, short-duration inflation protection may find value, but the bearish technical trend warrants monitoring for stability.

Returns comparison

Trailing returns across standard periods

Investor sentiment on Pluang

What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days

MRK
18% Buy82% Sell
Avg holding period · 98 Days
VTIP
100% Buy0% Sell
Avg holding period · 91 Days

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 Sht-Term Inflation-Protected Sec Idx ETF

The index is a market-capitalization-weighted index that includes all inflation-protected public obligations issued by the US Treasury with remaining maturities of less than 5 years. The advisor attempts to replicate the target index by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the securities that make up the index, holding each security in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the index.

Read more on VTIP →