HomeCompareVRN vs MRK

VRN vs MRK: Dividend Comparison 2026

VRN yields 5.32% · MRK yields 2.81%● Live data

vsPost on X →
After 10 years · $10,000 invested · DRIP enabled
🏆 VRN wins by $8798.61M in total portfolio value
10 years
VRN
VRN
● Live price
5.32%
Share price
$6.01
Annual div
$0.32
5Y div CAGR
100%
Payout ratio
50%
After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP
Portfolio value
$8798.66M
Annual income
$8,492,265,044.67
Full VRN calculator →
MRK
Merck & Co. Inc.
● Live price
2.81%
Share price
$118.10
Annual div
$3.32
5Y div CAGR
32.7%
Payout ratio
50%
After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP
Portfolio value
$57.7K
Annual income
$10,113.78
Full MRK calculator →

Portfolio growth — VRN vs MRK

📍 VRN pulled ahead of the other in Year 1

Annual dividend income

🛡️

Recession Test — Did They Cut Dividends?

How each stock treated shareholders during the 3 biggest crises of the last 20 years

Crisis PeriodVRNMRK
2008–2009
GFC
— No data— No data
2020 Q1–Q2
COVID
— No data— No data
2022 Q4
Rate Hike
— No data— No data
Based on dividend payment history. "Increased" = dividend grew during crisis. "Maintained" = held within 3%. "Cut" = reduced by more than 3%.
📅

Dividend Calendar Overlap

Combined, VRN + MRK cover 0 of 12 monthsgood coverage

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
VRN pays
MRK pays
Both pay
Neither
💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

Which stock is actually better after tax? Adjust your rate to find out.

VRN
Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)
$452.58/yr
After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)
$7,218,425,287.97/yr
MRK
Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)
$238.95/yr
After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)
$8,596.71/yr
At 15% tax rate, VRN beats the other by $7,218,416,691.26/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000
⚖️

Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

What's the optimal mix of VRN + MRK for your $10,000?

VRN: 50%MRK: 50%
100% MRK50/50100% VRN
Portfolio after 10yr
$4399.36M
Annual income
$4,246,137,579.23/yr
Blended yield
96.52%
📊

Analyst Conviction Gap

Where Wall Street is most bullish on MRK right now

VRN
Analyst Ratings
2
Buy
Consensus: Buy
Altman Z
-0.2
Piotroski
7/9
MRK
Analyst Ratings
24
Buy
12
Hold
1
Sell
Consensus: Buy
Price Target
$128.54
+8.8% upside vs current
Range: $100.00 — $150.00
Altman Z
4.0
Piotroski
6/9
Analyst ratings via FMP. Altman Z-Score: >3.0 safe, 1.81–3.0 grey zone, <1.81 distress. Piotroski: 7–9 strong, 0–3 weak.
🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

VRN buys
0
MRK buys
8
PoliticianChamberTickerTypeAmountDate
Josh Gottheimer🏢 House$MRK▲ Buy$1,001 - $15,0002026-02-04
Michael McCaul🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$15,001 - $50,0002026-01-13
Gilbert Cisneros🏢 House$MRK▲ Buy$1,001 - $15,0002025-12-19
Julie Johnson🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-12-18
Julie Johnson🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-11-13
Ro Khanna🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-09-29
Val Hoyle🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-09-23
Marjorie Taylor Greene🏢 House$MRK▲ Buy$1,001 - $15,0002025-08-28
Julie Johnson🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-08-14
Gilbert Cisneros🏢 House$MRK▲ Buy$1,001 - $15,0002025-08-05
STOCK Act mandates disclosure within 45 days of transaction. Data via FMP.Full tracker →
MetricVRNMRK
Forward yield5.32%2.81%
Annual dividend / share$0.32$3.32
Payout ratio50%50%
1-year div growth0%0%
5-year div CAGR100%32.7%
Portfolio after 10y$8798.66M$57.7K
Annual income after 10y$8,492,265,044.67$10,113.78
Total dividends collected$8777.27M$29.8K
Payment frequencyquarterlyquarterly
SectorStockHealthcare
Analyst consensusBuyBuy

Year-by-year: VRN vs MRK ($10,000, DRIP)

YearVRN PortfolioVRN Income/yrMRK PortfolioMRK Income/yrGap
1← crossover$11,765$1,064.89$11,213$373.04+$552.00VRN
2$14,930$2,341.75$12,667$512.06+$2.3KVRN
3$21,530$5,554.73$14,439$708.14+$7.1KVRN
4$38,009$14,972.30$16,640$988.16+$21.4KVRN
5$90,076$49,406.23$19,432$1,394.07+$70.6KVRN
6$315,232$218,850.33$23,057$1,992.90+$292.2KVRN
7$1,768,870$1,431,571.67$27,889$2,894.79+$1.74MVRN
8$16,907,676$15,014,985.63$34,518$4,286.29+$16.87MVRN
9$286,353,223$268,262,009.68$43,912$6,494.35+$286.31MVRN
10$8,798,662,994$8,492,265,044.67$57,714$10,113.78+$8798.61MVRN

VRN vs MRK: Complete Analysis 2026

VRNStock

Veren Inc. explores, develops, and produces oil and gas properties in Canada and the United States. The company focuses on crude oil, tight oil, natural gas liquids, shale gas, and natural gas reserves. Its properties are located in the provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba; and the states of North Dakota. The company was formerly known as Crescent Point Energy Corp. and changed its name to Veren Inc. in May 2024. Veren Inc. was incorporated in 1994 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Full VRN Calculator →

MRKHealthcare

Merck & Co., Inc. operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It operates through two segments, Pharmaceutical and Animal Health. The Pharmaceutical segment offers human health pharmaceutical products in the areas of oncology, hospital acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, and diabetes, as well as vaccine products, such as preventive pediatric, adolescent, and adult vaccines. The Animal Health segment discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions and services, as well as digitally connected identification, traceability, and monitoring products. It serves drug wholesalers and retailers, hospitals, and government agencies; managed health care providers, such as health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, and other institutions; and physicians and physician distributors, veterinarians, and animal producers. The company has collaborations with AstraZeneca PLC; Bayer AG; Eisai Co., Ltd.; Ridgeback Biotherapeutics; and Gilead Sciences, Inc. to jointly develop and commercialize long-acting treatments in HIV. Merck & Co., Inc. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Kenilworth, New Jersey.

Full MRK Calculator →
📬

Get this VRN vs MRK comparison by email

Save your analysis + weekly dividend insights. Free forever.

More comparisons

VRN vs SCHDVRN vs JEPIVRN vs OVRN vs KOVRN vs MAINVRN vs JNJVRN vs ABBVVRN vs PFE

⚠️ Educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Congressional trades sourced from SEC STOCK Act filings via FMP. Past performance does not guarantee future results.