Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

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Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

The principal market for trading of the Company’s Common Stock is the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol MRK.

As of January 31, 2021, there were approximately 104,900 shareholders of record of the Company’s Common Stock.

Issuer purchases of equity securities for the three months ended December 31, 2020 were as follows:

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

($ in millions)
PeriodTotal Number of Shares Purchased*(1)*Average Price Paid Per ShareApproximate Dollar Value of Shares That May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs*(1)*
October 1 — October 31—$0.00$5,888
November 1 — November 30—$0.00$5,888
December 1 — December 31—$0.00$5,888
Total—$0.00$5,888

*(1)*The Company did not purchase any shares during the three months ended December 31, 2020 under the plan approved by the Board of Directors in October 2018 to purchase up to $10 billion in Merck shares for its treasury.

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Performance Graph

The following graph assumes a $100 investment on December 31, 2015, and reinvestment of all dividends, in each of the Company’s Common Shares, the S&P 500 Index, and a composite peer group of major U.S. and European-based pharmaceutical companies, which are: AbbVie Inc., Amgen Inc., AstraZeneca plc, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly and Company, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., Roche Holding AG, and Sanofi SA.

Comparison of Five-Year Cumulative Total Return*

Merck & Co., Inc., Composite Peer Group and S&P 500 Index

End of Period Value2020/2015 CAGR*
MERCK$18012%
PEER GRP.**1579%
S&P 50020315%

mrk-20201231_g1.jpg

201520162017201820192020
MERCK100.0115.1113.4158.9194.3180.1
PEER GRP.100.096.9116.1124.1147.2157.2
S&P 500100.0112.0136.4130.4171.4203.0

** Compound Annual Growth Rate*

*** Peer group average was calculated on a market cap weighted basis.*

This Performance Graph will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates it by reference. In addition, the Performance Graph will not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C, other than as provided in Regulation S-K, or to the liabilities of section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent that the Company specifically requests that such information be treated as soliciting material or specifically incorporates it by reference into a filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

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