Merck stock slips as 2025 winds down; MRK traders turn to Feb. 3 earnings next
NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 20:35 ET — Market closed. Merck & Co (MRK) shares eased on Monday, last trading down about 0.1% at $106.62 after ranging between $106.44 and $107.56. Trading volume was about 8.1 million shares. The small move mattered mainly for timing. With the final three sessions of 2025 ahead, investors have been rebalancing portfolios in light holiday volume, a stretch that can exaggerate moves even in large, liquid names. Merck is also a bellwether for big-cap pharmaceuticals, a group investors often treat as “defensive” — stocks that can hold up better when growth shares wobble —