Merck & Co. (MRK) — Daily Price Character
Historical session stats from dividend-adjusted prices: win rate, streaks, record days, weekday patterns, and (when available) how often the stock was green on S&P 500 green days.
MRK
Archetype
Steady
Low daily volatility — small, predictable daily moves.
Win rate
48.2%
5872 green · 5589 red · 726 flat · 12187 sessions
Current streak
1 red
As of May 20, 2026
Max win / lose streak
10 / 11 days
Win streak return: +10.44% · Lose: 7.09%
Median / σ daily
+0.000% · 1.615%
Avg green +1.24% · avg red 1.17%
Extreme days (>3%)
5.8%
388 up · 325 down
History from Jan 16, 1978 through May 20, 2026 · 12187 trading days with returns.
Trailing year — daily returns (calendar)
May 23, 2025 – May 20, 2026 · Mon–Fri sessions only
Monday–Friday — average return
Average dividend-adjusted return on that weekday (green / red by sign). Green/red day rule: ±0.01% vs prior close.
Monday–Friday — win rate
Share of sessions that closed green on that weekday. Bars are green at or above 50%, red below 50%.
Top green days
Largest single-session gains (dividend-adjusted), by historical return.
| Date | Return |
|---|---|
| Feb 18, 2005 | +13.03% |
| Mar 13, 2009 | +12.66% |
| Oct 13, 2008 | +12.10% |
| Oct 28, 2008 | +10.69% |
| Aug 5, 2016 | +10.40% |
| Oct 29, 1987 | +9.88% |
| Jan 7, 2000 | +9.60% |
| Mar 12, 2009 | +9.50% |
| Nov 1, 1978 | +9.40% |
| Jul 24, 2000 | +9.15% |
| Jul 24, 2002 | +9.12% |
| Oct 20, 2008 | +8.76% |
| Mar 16, 2000 | +8.71% |
| Oct 1, 2021 | +8.38% |
| Jul 17, 1997 | +8.36% |
| Apr 13, 2007 | +8.31% |
| Mar 26, 2020 | +7.78% |
| Mar 9, 2000 | +7.60% |
| Apr 3, 2000 | +7.43% |
| Dec 19, 2005 | +7.41% |
Worst red days
Largest single-session losses; "Days to recovery" counts trading sessions until close recovered the prior peak (dividend-adjusted).
| Date | Return | Days to recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2004 | 26.78% | 464 |
| Mar 31, 2008 | 14.70% | 456 |
| Oct 19, 1987 | 13.29% | 312 |
| Jul 22, 2008 | 11.36% | 13 |
| Apr 29, 2008 | 10.40% | 412 |
| Jan 28, 2005 | 10.17% | 15 |
| Nov 5, 2021 | 9.87% | 128 |
| Jul 30, 2024 | 9.80% | 382 |
| Nov 1, 2004 | 9.69% | 32 |
| Dec 11, 2001 | 9.40% | 1350 |
| Feb 4, 2025 | 9.06% | 202 |
| Mar 8, 1996 | 8.98% | 104 |
| Aug 31, 1998 | 8.97% | 8 |
| Jun 22, 2001 | 8.97% | 1593 |
| Oct 27, 1997 | 8.96% | 19 |
| Mar 16, 2020 | 8.90% | 10 |
| Oct 15, 2008 | 8.84% | 3 |
| Oct 9, 2008 | 8.08% | 2 |
| Aug 19, 2005 | 7.73% | 58 |
| Nov 5, 2008 | 7.71% | 39 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the daily win rate for Merck & Co. (MRK)?
Historically, Merck & Co. (MRK) closed green on 48.2% of trading days (5872 green, 5589 red, 726 flat), using dividend-adjusted closes and a ±0.01% threshold for green vs red.
What is the current winning or losing streak for Merck & Co. (MRK)?
As of 2026-05-20, Merck & Co. (MRK) is on a 1-day losing streak (consecutive green or red days by the same rules, ignoring trailing flat days).
What does Steady, Balanced, or Explosive mean for Merck & Co. (MRK)?
We label Merck & Co. (MRK) as "steady" based on the sample standard deviation of daily returns: Low daily volatility — small, predictable daily moves.
What were the best and worst single trading days for Merck & Co. (MRK)?
Largest single-day gain: +13.03%. Largest single-day loss: 26.78%. Tables on this page list the top record green and red days.
What counts as an "extreme" daily move for Merck & Co. (MRK)?
We treat a day as extreme if the absolute dividend-adjusted daily return exceeds 3%. About 5.8% of trading days for Merck & Co. (MRK) were extreme (388 up, 325 down).
Data & methodology
How are green, red, and flat days defined?
We use dividend-adjusted (or close-to-close for non-equity) daily returns. Green: return ≥ +0.01%. Red: return ≤ −0.01%. Flat: between those bounds.
How is the current streak calculated?
We count consecutive green or consecutive red days using the same thresholds. If the most recent session is flat, we skip trailing flat days and measure from the last non-flat close.
What does “vs S&P 500” mean?
On sessions where the S&P 500 (^GSPC) was green, we report how often this stock was also green. Shown only for USD equities when benchmark data exists and the symbol is not the index itself.
Where does the archetype come from?
Sample standard deviation of daily returns: low → Steady, high → Explosive, otherwise Balanced. Labels describe typical daily volatility, not quality of the investment.
Explore more
MRK Overview
Company profile, financial tools, and key metrics
MRK Revenue Counter
Earns $2,080 every second. See per minute, hour, and day.
MRK Earnings Counter
Earns $283.33 per second net profit. See per minute, hour, and day.
MRK Economic Scale
Exceeds Bolivia's GDP. Compare with world economies.
MRK What If Invested
What if you had invested $1,000? See historical returns from any date.
MRK How It Makes Money
Discover visual breakdown of $65.59B in revenue — where it comes from and where it goes.
MRK Stock Seasonality
Best and worst months to invest. Historical monthly returns heatmap.
MRK Price Target Scenarios
Model bear, base, and bull cases with EPS growth and exit P/E — pre-filled from analysts and history.
MRK Buybacks
2.00% TTM buyback yield. Shareholder yield & SBC comparison.
MRK Stock Split History
7 splits on record. Dates, ratios, and cumulative multiple.
MRK Dividend Profile
Yield: 2.94%. Safety: 5/8. See full history.
MRK Dividend Calculator
How much dividend income would $1,000 have earned? Calculate from any date.
MRK Dividend Forecast
Project future income with DRIP, growth assumptions, and optional monthly contributions.
MRK Dividend Capture
Historical pre-ex touch stats, gap distribution, after-tax calculator, and a backtest simulator (limit-order vs MOC exit).
MRK Financials
Revenue, EPS, EBITDA, market cap, debt and balance sheet history with annual and quarterly data.