This Stock Market Is the Second Most Expensive in 155 Years, Making This High-Yield ETF a Smart Investment for 2026
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 19 2025
0mins
Should l Buy MRK?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
Stock Market Performance: The Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq have seen significant year-to-date gains of 13% to 18% in 2025, but the market is now the second priciest in history, raising concerns for future investors.
Valuation Metrics: The S&P 500's Shiller P/E Ratio is currently at 39.59, significantly above its historical average, indicating potential for a market correction, as past instances of similar valuations have led to declines.
Investment Strategy: The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF is highlighted as a strong investment option for 2026, offering a high yield of approximately 3.8% and low management fees, making it attractive for income-seeking investors.
Historical Context: The article emphasizes that while dividend-paying stocks have historically outperformed non-payers, the current market conditions suggest caution, as premium valuations are often unsustainable over time.
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Analyst Views on MRK
Wall Street analysts forecast MRK stock price to fall
16 Analyst Rating
11 Buy
5 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 121.410
Low
95.00
Averages
119.53
High
139.00
Current: 121.410
Low
95.00
Averages
119.53
High
139.00
About MRK
Merck & Co., Inc. is a global health care company that delivers health solutions through its prescription medicines, including biologic therapies, vaccines and animal health products. Its Pharmaceutical segment includes human health pharmaceutical and vaccine products. The Company sells its human health pharmaceutical products primarily to drug wholesalers and retailers, hospitals, government agencies and managed health care providers. It sells these human health vaccines primarily to physicians, wholesalers, distributors and government entities. Its Animal Health segment discovers, develops, manufactures and markets a range of veterinary pharmaceutical and vaccine products, as well as health management solutions and services, for the prevention, treatment and control of disease in all livestock and companion animal species. Its products include KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) injection, for intravenous use; WELIREG (belzutifan) tablets, for oral use; Ohtuvayre (ensifentrine) and others.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Market Impact: Despite the strategic significance of the partnership with Merck, Tempus' stock is under pressure due to broader market declines, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq falling by 1.78% and 2.18%, respectively, indicating the influence of market sentiment on individual stocks.
- Financial Performance: In its latest earnings report, Tempus reported a quarterly loss of four cents per share, in line with expectations, while quarterly revenue reached $367.21 million, exceeding the Street estimate of $362.29 million and representing an 83% increase from $200.68 million in the prior year.
- Technical Analysis: Tempus' stock is currently trading 9.8% below its 100-day simple moving average, indicating potential weakness in the long-term trend, with an RSI of 44.45 suggesting neutral market conditions, and a MACD of 0.15 below its signal line of 0.22 indicating bearish pressure.
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- Technology Utilization: The collaboration enables researchers to efficiently conduct complex analyses on multimodal datasets, generating novel insights that are expected to significantly enhance the efficiency of therapy development and optimization.
- Strategic Importance: According to George Addona, SVP of Merck Research Laboratories, this partnership will advance Merck's precision oncology strategy by applying cutting-edge AI/ML capabilities to discover new biomarkers and identify mechanisms of cancer cell resistance.
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- Vaccine Market Dynamics: Merck and GSK market MMR vaccines in the U.S., and with the escalating outbreak, the demand for vaccines is likely to rise significantly, potentially impacting the sales performance of both companies.
- Public Health Advocacy: Bhattacharya released a video on social media urging the public to get vaccinated, highlighting that vaccination is not only crucial for individual health but also a key measure to protect communities from the outbreak.
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Announcement of Collaboration: Tempus AI Inc. and Merck have announced a multi-year collaboration aimed at advancing healthcare solutions.
Focus on Innovation: The partnership will focus on leveraging artificial intelligence and data analytics to enhance patient care and treatment outcomes.
See More
TEMPUS AND MERCK FORM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO ADVANCE AI-DRIVEN PRECISION MEDICINE
Strategic Collaboration Announcement: Tempus has announced a strategic collaboration agreement with Merck to enhance precision medicine through AI-driven solutions.
Focus on Precision Medicine: The partnership aims to accelerate advancements in precision medicine, leveraging AI technology to improve patient outcomes.
See More
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- Promotion of IL-15 Mechanism: Founder Soon-Shiong has highlighted Anktiva's IL-15 mechanism in media appearances, emphasizing its potential in cancer treatment, particularly in combination with Merck's Keytruda, which may enhance efficacy and improve cancer-free rates for patients.
- Optimistic Market Sentiment: On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for IBRX has turned 'bullish' amid a 185% surge in message volume over 24 hours, with investors expressing optimistic price predictions that could drive the stock price rapidly upward, with some users forecasting it could reach $20.
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- Strategic Collaboration: Tempus AI has signed a strategic collaboration agreement with Merck aimed at accelerating AI-driven precision medicine, leveraging Tempus' multimodal data library and advanced Lens platform to enhance the discovery and development of precision medicine biomarkers.
- Market Impact: Despite the strategic significance of the partnership with Merck, Tempus' stock is under pressure due to broader market declines, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq falling by 1.78% and 2.18%, respectively, indicating the influence of market sentiment on individual stocks.
- Financial Performance: In its latest earnings report, Tempus reported a quarterly loss of four cents per share, in line with expectations, while quarterly revenue reached $367.21 million, exceeding the Street estimate of $362.29 million and representing an 83% increase from $200.68 million in the prior year.
- Technical Analysis: Tempus' stock is currently trading 9.8% below its 100-day simple moving average, indicating potential weakness in the long-term trend, with an RSI of 44.45 suggesting neutral market conditions, and a MACD of 0.15 below its signal line of 0.22 indicating bearish pressure.
See More
Merck Partners with Tempus AI to Enhance Precision Oncology
- Collaboration Agreement: Merck has brokered a partnership with Tempus AI aimed at leveraging Tempus' de-identified data and Lens platform technology to accelerate the discovery and development of precision oncology biomarkers, potentially leading to new treatments.
- Technology Utilization: The collaboration enables researchers to efficiently conduct complex analyses on multimodal datasets, generating novel insights that are expected to significantly enhance the efficiency of therapy development and optimization.
- Strategic Importance: According to George Addona, SVP of Merck Research Laboratories, this partnership will advance Merck's precision oncology strategy by applying cutting-edge AI/ML capabilities to discover new biomarkers and identify mechanisms of cancer cell resistance.
- Market Implications: This collaboration not only strengthens Merck's competitive position in the precision medicine field but also provides rational combinations for early pipeline drugs, further solidifying its leadership in the oncology treatment market.
See More
CDC Urges Vaccination Amid Measles Outbreak
- Importance of Vaccination: Jay Bhattacharya, the director of the NIH, emphasized that there is no cure for measles, making prevention critical, and that the MMR vaccine is the most reliable method to protect individuals and entire communities.
- Current Outbreak Status: South Carolina is experiencing a measles outbreak with 985 reported cases, accounting for a majority of U.S. cases, while the CDC has recorded over 1,000 cases nationwide as of February 26, indicating the severity of the situation.
- Vaccine Market Dynamics: Merck and GSK market MMR vaccines in the U.S., and with the escalating outbreak, the demand for vaccines is likely to rise significantly, potentially impacting the sales performance of both companies.
- Public Health Advocacy: Bhattacharya released a video on social media urging the public to get vaccinated, highlighting that vaccination is not only crucial for individual health but also a key measure to protect communities from the outbreak.
See More
TEMPUS AI INC AND MERCK UNVEIL LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP
Announcement of Collaboration: Tempus AI Inc. and Merck have announced a multi-year collaboration aimed at advancing healthcare solutions.
Focus on Innovation: The partnership will focus on leveraging artificial intelligence and data analytics to enhance patient care and treatment outcomes.
See More
TEMPUS AND MERCK FORM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO ADVANCE AI-DRIVEN PRECISION MEDICINE
Strategic Collaboration Announcement: Tempus has announced a strategic collaboration agreement with Merck to enhance precision medicine through AI-driven solutions.
Focus on Precision Medicine: The partnership aims to accelerate advancements in precision medicine, leveraging AI technology to improve patient outcomes.
See More
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- Earnings Expectations: ImmunityBio is projected to report FY2025 revenue of $113.3 million, a staggering 700% increase from $14.8 million in 2024, while losses per share are expected to improve to $0.38, indicating significant progress in its commercialization efforts.
- Anktiva's Strong Performance: Anktiva generated $113 million in net product revenue for 2025, marking a 700% year-over-year increase, with Q4 revenue soaring 431% to $38.3 million, surpassing market expectations and reflecting robust demand in the market.
- Promotion of IL-15 Mechanism: Founder Soon-Shiong has highlighted Anktiva's IL-15 mechanism in media appearances, emphasizing its potential in cancer treatment, particularly in combination with Merck's Keytruda, which may enhance efficacy and improve cancer-free rates for patients.
- Optimistic Market Sentiment: On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for IBRX has turned 'bullish' amid a 185% surge in message volume over 24 hours, with investors expressing optimistic price predictions that could drive the stock price rapidly upward, with some users forecasting it could reach $20.
See More
