5 Best Bear Market Stocks to Invest In Right Now

2. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 100

On April 22, Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) and Google Cloud announced a major partnership aimed at strengthening Merck’s digital backbone as an AI-enabled enterprise. The multi-year investment, valued at up to $1 billion, will introduce an agentic platform across research and development, manufacturing, commercial, and corporate functions. It also includes Google Cloud engineers working directly with Merck teams to deploy advanced AI tools, including Gemini Enterprise.

The partnership brings together Merck’s scientific and data capabilities with Google Cloud’s AI and cloud platforms. The goal is to digitize data and improve productivity across the company’s global workforce of 75,000 employees, supporting its focus on improving and saving lives. By combining their expertise, the two companies plan to build advanced AI solutions using Google Cloud technology. The effort is expected to support scientific innovation and improve operational performance.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is a global healthcare company that provides health solutions through prescription medicines, including biologic therapies, vaccines, and animal health products. Its Pharmaceutical segment includes human health pharmaceutical and vaccine products.