5 Best Consistent Dividend Stocks to Buy Right Now

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

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 100

On April 6, JPMorgan analyst Chris Schott raised the firm’s price recommendation on Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) to $135 from $125. It reiterated an Overweight rating, heading into the April 30 earnings report. The firm is not looking for major surprises this quarter. The focus, in its view, remains on Merck’s pipeline. It also continues to see a favorable risk and return setup for the stock, especially with key data readouts expected in 2026 and 2027.

On April 2, Merck said KEYTRUDA, used with paclitaxel, with or without bevacizumab, has been approved in the European Union. The treatment is for adults with platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal carcinoma whose tumors express PD-L1 with a Combined Positive Score (CPS) ≥1 and who have received one or two prior systemic therapies.

The approval also includes KEYTRUDA SC, known as KEYTRUDA QLEXTM (pembrolizumab and berahyaluronidase alfa-pmph) in the US. Merck said this makes the regimen the first and only PD-1 inhibitor-based option for eligible patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer in the EU. The decision allows the treatment to be marketed across all 27 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. The timing of availability in each country will depend on local reimbursement processes.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is a global healthcare company focused on prescription medicines, including biologics, vaccines, and animal health products. Its Pharmaceutical segment covers human health medicines and vaccines.

While we acknowledge the potential of MRK as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MRK and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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