Large companies in the health care space, such as drugmaker Merck (MRK 0.49%), are typically insulated from general secular trends and tend to make good defensive plays for long-term investors. However, this rule of thumb should be taken with a grain of salt; not every pharmaceutical company is the right fit for your portfolio, and investors always need to consider the bull and bear theses of their investments. In this video, our health care analyst dives into the bear thesis for Merck.
Why Sell This Pharma Dividend Stock Today?
By Max Macaluso – Jan 31, 2013 at 6:30PM
NYSE: MRK
Merck
Market Cap
$219B
Today's Change
(-0.49%) $0.43
Current Price
$87.18
Price as of October 23, 2025 at 4:00 PM ET
Why Sell Merck? Here are 3 things to think about.
About the Author
Max is the Technology, Biopharma & Health Care Bureau Chief at Fool.com. Prior to joining the Fool, he completed a PhD in chemistry at the University of Cambridge and an MBA at the College des Ingenieurs.
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