NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 3:12 PM ET — Regular session
- Merck shares were little changed in afternoon trading, up a penny at $106.79.
- The Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF was down about 0.05%, keeping the group steadier than the broader market.
- Investors are watching this week’s Fed minutes and other year-end market signals for what comes next. Reuters
Merck & Co shares were little changed on Monday afternoon, up 0.01% at $106.79.
The muted move mattered because investors have been shifting toward steadier corners of the market as 2025 winds down, a period that can amplify small price swings on lighter volumes.
Health-care stocks largely held their ground, with the Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF down 0.05%, as traders stayed selective in year-end positioning.
Wall Street’s main indexes slipped as heavyweight technology names retreated from last week’s gains. “This is (not) the beginning of the end of the tech dominance, it’ll turn out to be a buying opportunity,” said Hank Smith, director and head of investment strategy at Haverford Trust. Investors are also eyeing the so-called “Santa Claus rally” — the tendency for stocks to rise in the final five trading days of the year and the first two in January — with the Fed’s latest meeting minutes due Tuesday and markets closed Thursday for New Year’s Day. Reuters
Within big pharma, Merck’s calm tape contrasted with a modest rise in Eli Lilly and declines in Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb, leaving the group mixed as the broader market leaned lower.
Merck traded in a relatively tight band, ranging from $106.44 to $107.56 on the day, with volume around 4.1 million shares.
Merck is best known for its cancer therapy Keytruda and HPV vaccine Gardasil, and it also sells medicines in areas including pulmonary arterial hypertension and animal health. Reuters
For investors, that product mix can make the stock a defensive holding — a label traders use for companies seen as less sensitive to economic slowdowns — when markets turn choppy.
The next big company checkpoint is Merck’s quarterly update, with its Q4 2025 earnings call scheduled for Feb. 3. Merck.com
Heading into that report, investors will be watching for management’s tone on 2026 demand trends, pricing and any shifts in spending on research and manufacturing.
On the charts, some short-term traders are watching the day’s high near $107.56 as a near-term ceiling and Monday’s low around $106.44 as a first support area.
For now, Merck has stayed in a narrow range, signaling that traders want a clearer catalyst after the holidays before taking bigger positions.
