Merck climbs 5% to hit a new high; zooms 161% in one year

Shares of Merck hit a new high of Rs 3,990, up 5 per cent on the BSE in the intra-day trade on Tuesday. The stock has surged 37 per cent in the past six weeks after the company announced a dividend of Rs 440 per share. In comparison, the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex has risen 7.5 per cent during the same period.

The board of directors of Merck, in its meeting held on February 27, had declared a dividend of Rs 440 per equity share, for the financial year ended December 31, 2018, which includes a one-time special dividend of