Merck Announces Increased Quarterly Dividend
November 25, 2014 1:00 pm ET
Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada,
today announced that the Board of Directors has increased the company’s
quarterly dividend to $0.45 per outstanding share of the company’s
common stock, up $0.01 from $0.44 per outstanding share paid last
quarter. Payment will be made on Jan. 8, 2015, to stockholders of record
at the close of business on Dec. 15, 2014.
“The dividend increase reflects the progress we have made in
aggressively managing costs and focusing resources, which has allowed us
to fully invest in our most promising opportunities for growth while
continuing to return meaningful value to our shareholders,” said Kenneth
C. Frazier, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck.
Merck last announced a dividend increase in November 2013, when the
Board raised the dividend from $0.43 to $0.44 per common share.
About Merck
Today’s Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be
well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada.
Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and
animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than
140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also
demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to healthcare through
far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. For more information,
visit www.merck.com
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Merck Forward-Looking Statement
This news release includes “forward-looking statements” within the
meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based
upon the current beliefs and expectations of Merck’s management and are
subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no
guarantees with respect to pipeline products that the products will
receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be
commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or
risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially
from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry
conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest
rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of
pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the
United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost
containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained
by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development,
including obtaining regulatory approval; Merck’s ability to accurately
predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays;
financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk;
dependence on the effectiveness of Merck’s patents and other protections
for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including
patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.
Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking
statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ
materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be
found in Merck’s 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company’s other
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at
the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).
Merck
Media:
Lainie Keller, 908-236-5036
or
Investors:
Justin Holko, 908-423-5088
