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Merck & Co., Inc. short interest

26.8M shares of Merck & Co. were sold short at the 15 October 2026 settlement, near the bottom of its range over the last year (24.5M to 37.2M). Short sellers would need 3.0 days of normal trading to buy them back.

Shares sold short26.8Mat 15 Oct 2026
Change on the settlement before-5.1%+0% over a year
Days to cover2.97at 9.0M shares a day
Of shares in issue1.09%shares short over shares outstanding
New to this? How to read this page
  1. Short interest is the number of shares investors have borrowed and sold, betting the price will fall, and not yet bought back.
  2. Days to cover is shares short over an average day's trading: how many days it would take short sellers to buy them all back. Above 5 or so is high.
  3. Rising short interest says more investors are betting against the stock. A crowded short can also rise fast if shorts rush to buy back.
  4. Brokers report it twice a month to FINRA, about ten days after each settlement date.
  5. What is short interest?

Short interest, days to cover and the price

Short interest is near the bottom of its range over the last year (24.5M to 37.2M), and the share price moved +74% over the last year.

Shares sold shortDays to coverShare price

Three charts on one timeline. Top: shares sold short at each settlement. Middle: days to cover, taller meaning shorts would need longer to buy back. Bottom: the share price, so you can see whether shorts added as the price fell or rose.

How it compares

every company on the site

    The bar ranks every company on the site from the lowest on the left to the highest on the right, in three equal thirds; the small figures under it are the values where each third starts, and the black tick is the middle company. The orange dot is this company; the grey ticks are the other companies in its industry (hover or tap for names). A hatched block is companies tied at none.

    Every settlement since 29 Dec 2017 as a table
    SettlementShares shortChangeAverage daily volumeDays to cover
    15 October 202626.8M-5.1%9.0M2.97
    30 September 202628.3M-17.9%11.2M2.53
    15 September 202634.4M+13.7%8.1M4.23
    31 August 202630.3M+23.6%13.6M2.23
    14 August 202624.5M-13.3%8.6M2.84
    31 July 202628.3M-3.7%8.7M3.25
    15 July 202629.4M-6.4%8.6M3.42
    30 June 202631.4M+3.7%13.6M2.30
    15 June 202630.3M-0.9%11.8M2.57
    29 May 202630.5M+5.1%10.0M3.06
    15 May 202629.1M+10.9%8.0M3.63
    30 April 202626.2M-4.7%10.3M2.55
    15 April 202627.5M-0.8%8.3M3.31
    31 March 202627.7M-4.9%11.0M2.53
    13 March 202629.1M-6.3%9.5M3.06
    27 February 202631.1M+10.6%10.4M3.00
    13 February 202628.1M-2.1%16.5M1.70
    30 January 202628.7M-14.6%12.1M2.38
    15 January 202633.7M+3.3%13.2M2.55
    31 December 202532.6M-12.3%14.0M2.33
    15 December 202537.2M+16.3%14.1M2.63
    28 November 202531.9M+15.6%18.0M1.77
    14 November 202527.6M+7.0%12.9M2.15
    31 October 202525.8M-3.3%10.3M2.52
    15 October 202526.7M+6.1%12.7M2.11
    30 September 202525.2M-9.1%14.3M1.76
    15 September 202527.7M+16.3%11.6M2.39
    29 August 202523.8M-6.7%11.7M2.04
    15 August 202525.5M-1.4%10.3M2.47
    31 July 202525.9M-10.1%13.1M1.97
    15 July 202528.8M-18.0%13.8M2.08
    30 June 202535.1M-2.0%22.0M1.60
    13 June 202535.8M+3.6%13.7M2.61
    30 May 202534.6M-16.2%13.0M2.66
    15 May 202541.3M+11.1%15.9M2.60
    30 April 202537.1M-11.4%17.4M2.14
    15 April 202541.9M+10.5%18.0M2.33
    31 March 202537.9M+2.2%18.7M2.03
    14 March 202537.1M-9.3%16.1M2.31
    28 February 202540.9M+27.1%16.8M2.43
    14 February 202532.2M+8.8%22.5M1.43
    31 January 202529.6M-13.3%12.6M2.36
    15 January 202534.1M+10.3%9.1M3.77
    31 December 202430.9M-3.4%10.5M2.94
    13 December 202432.0M-2.3%13.1M2.45
    29 November 202432.8M+24.6%14.3M2.29
    15 November 202426.3M+0.4%10.0M2.63
    31 October 202426.2M+0.7%10.3M2.55
    15 October 202426.0M-4.5%8.6M3.02
    30 September 202427.3M+9.9%10.6M2.57
    13 September 202424.8M-4.2%9.6M2.58
    30 August 202425.9M+4.4%7.3M3.57
    15 August 202424.8M-7.1%10.4M2.39
    31 July 202426.7M+8.7%10.7M2.50
    15 July 202424.6M+5.2%6.6M3.74
    28 June 202423.4M+19.9%15.0M1.55
    14 June 202419.5M-4.6%6.8M2.87
    31 May 202420.4M+0.7%8.4M2.44
    15 May 202420.3M+8.1%6.8M2.98
    30 April 202418.8M-8.2%7.6M2.48
    15 April 202420.4M+4.3%6.2M3.27
    28 March 202419.6M-15.4%9.7M2.01
    15 March 202423.2M+39.5%12.7M1.83
    29 February 202416.6M-1.3%6.3M2.64
    15 February 202416.8M-1.2%7.4M2.26
    31 January 202417.0M-18.2%7.8M2.17
    12 January 202420.8M+16.5%8.6M2.41
    29 December 202317.9M+32.7%7.0M2.56
    15 December 202313.5M-19.3%10.8M1.25
    30 November 202316.7M-7.4%9.4M1.77
    15 November 202318.0M+9.8%6.7M2.71
    31 October 202316.4M+3.9%8.1M2.03
    13 October 202315.8M+6.5%6.2M2.57
    29 September 202314.8M+6.9%5.4M2.73
    15 September 202313.9M-5.2%6.8M2.06
    31 August 202314.6M+1.3%6.4M2.30
    15 August 202314.5M+2.3%7.7M1.88
    31 July 202314.1M-21.1%7.4M1.91
    14 July 202317.9M+6.3%7.2M2.49
    30 June 202316.9M+12.7%9.2M1.83
    15 June 202315.0M-4.4%7.3M2.05
    31 May 202315.6M-20.2%7.2M2.17
    15 May 202319.6M+2.7%5.8M3.40
    28 April 202319.1M-10.5%6.3M3.06
    14 April 202321.3M-3.3%6.5M3.28
    31 March 202322.1M+12.9%9.4M2.36
    15 March 202319.5M-4.9%9.5M2.06
    28 February 202320.6M+5.6%7.2M2.84
    15 February 202319.5M+13.5%9.0M2.15
    31 January 202317.1M+5.7%8.1M2.11
    13 January 202316.2M-5.8%9.3M1.75
    30 December 202217.2M-16.1%8.4M2.04
    15 December 202220.5M+4.5%9.5M2.16
    30 November 202219.6M+0.9%9.4M2.08
    15 November 202219.5M-4.4%9.7M2.00
    31 October 202220.4M+5.8%10.3M1.98
    14 October 202219.2M-5.7%9.1M2.10
    30 September 202220.4M+4.9%8.6M2.38
    15 September 202219.4M+0.8%7.6M2.56
    31 August 202219.3M-2.4%6.9M2.81
    15 August 202219.8M+17.7%8.7M2.28
    29 July 202216.8M-17.4%9.2M1.83
    15 July 202220.3M-0.7%8.7M2.35
    30 June 202220.5M+2.6%16.2M1.26
    15 June 202219.9M-14.6%9.8M2.03
    31 May 202223.3M+8.2%13.3M1.75
    13 May 202221.6M+27.1%11.8M1.82
    29 April 202217.0M-12.0%10.9M1.56
    14 April 202219.3M+14.4%13.1M1.47
    31 March 202216.9M+1.6%10.2M1.65
    15 March 202216.6M-14.7%10.3M1.60
    28 February 202219.5M+10.2%11.9M1.63
    15 February 202217.7M-12.1%14.0M1.26
    31 January 202220.1M-14.5%14.8M1.36
    14 January 202223.5M+1.4%12.9M1.82
    31 December 202123.2M+8.8%11.0M2.11
    15 December 202121.3M+13.7%15.5M1.37
    30 November 202118.7M-15.6%16.2M1.15
    15 November 202122.2M+6.4%14.0M1.59
    29 October 202120.8M-4.8%13.2M1.58
    15 October 202121.9M-3.0%26.2M1.00
    30 September 202122.6M-19.9%16.0M1.41
    15 September 202128.2M+2.8%10.9M2.58
    31 August 202127.4M+2.7%8.0M3.45
    13 August 202126.7M+15.2%8.6M3.09
    30 July 202123.2M+4.2%9.1M2.53
    15 July 202122.2M-7.0%7.8M2.85
    30 June 202123.9M+8.5%15.6M1.53
    15 June 202122.1M+17.2%13.7M1.61
    28 May 202118.8M-9.4%9.4M2.01
    14 May 202120.8M+1.5%10.3M2.01
    30 April 202120.5M-2.6%10.8M1.89
    15 April 202121.0M-11.5%8.4M2.49
    31 March 202123.7M+30.9%14.4M1.65
    15 March 202118.1M-11.0%12.0M1.52
    26 February 202120.4M+10.4%9.1M2.23
    12 February 202118.5M-0.6%10.6M1.73
    29 January 202118.6M+1.9%9.0M2.06
    15 January 202118.2M+14.2%9.3M1.97
    31 December 202016.0M+17.5%8.7M1.84
    15 December 202013.6M+0.6%7.5M1.82
    30 November 202013.5M+0.3%7.4M1.83
    13 November 202013.5M-8.8%7.6M1.77
    30 October 202014.8M+40.1%7.8M1.88
    15 October 202010.5M-4.1%7.3M1.44
    30 September 202011.0M+0.1%7.3M1.51
    15 September 202011.0M-9.4%7.8M1.41
    31 August 202012.1M+2.6%6.4M1.89
    14 August 202011.8M-13.9%6.4M1.85
    31 July 202013.7M-6.4%7.5M1.82
    15 July 202014.6M-1.6%6.6M2.20
    30 June 202014.9M+2.2%10.0M1.49
    15 June 202014.6M-7.9%9.6M1.52
    29 May 202015.8M-16.8%10.0M1.57
    15 May 202019.0M+0.5%8.9M2.14
    30 April 202018.9M-8.3%11.2M1.69
    15 April 202020.6M+12.9%10.0M2.06
    31 March 202018.3M+0.6%16.6M1.10
    13 March 202018.2M-12.6%15.2M1.20
    28 February 202020.8M-7.9%13.3M1.56
    14 February 202022.6M-10.9%13.5M1.67
    31 January 202025.3M+1.7%9.0M2.83
    15 January 202024.9M-0.9%7.9M3.16
    31 December 201925.2M+3.2%7.0M3.60
    13 December 201924.4M-1.2%6.6M3.71
    29 November 201924.7M+13.2%8.8M2.81
    15 November 201921.8M+9.7%7.8M2.78
    31 October 201919.9M-7.4%9.7M2.04
    15 October 201921.4M-0.1%6.3M3.43
    30 September 201921.5M+19.4%9.0M2.39
    13 September 201918.0M-10.7%9.1M1.98
    30 August 201920.1M-7.8%6.8M2.96
    15 August 201921.8M+16.2%9.7M2.26
    31 July 201918.8M-0.8%9.3M2.03
    15 July 201918.9M-2.1%11.1M1.71
    28 June 201919.3M+11.7%13.7M1.41
    14 June 201917.3M-2.2%8.9M1.95
    31 May 201917.7M+4.8%9.2M1.92
    15 May 201916.9M+18.0%9.4M1.80
    30 April 201914.3M-35.8%16.0M1.00
    15 April 201922.3M-31.6%9.1M2.46
    29 March 201932.6M-15.7%9.6M3.38
    15 March 201938.7M-2.5%9.6M4.02
    28 February 201939.7M-2.3%8.7M4.57
    15 February 201940.6M+17.5%10.9M3.71
    31 January 201934.6M-18.1%14.3M2.42
    15 January 201942.2M-10.6%13.5M3.13
    31 December 201847.2M-27.5%16.4M2.88
    14 December 201865.2M+1.1%13.3M4.89
    30 November 201864.5M-6.6%12.6M5.11
    15 November 201869.0M-7.7%13.4M5.17
    31 October 201874.7M+330.8%14.6M5.11
    15 October 201817.4M-0.3%9.5M1.83
    28 September 201817.4M-18.6%7.7M2.25
    14 September 201821.4M+7.4%7.6M2.82
    31 August 201819.9M-9.1%7.5M2.66
    15 August 201821.9M+19.5%7.8M2.81
    31 July 201818.3M+4.3%8.5M2.16
    13 July 201817.6M+2.5%7.9M2.21
    29 June 201817.2M-21.6%11.1M1.54
    15 June 201821.9M+20.1%11.0M1.99
    31 May 201818.2M-8.9%9.0M2.02
    15 May 201820.0M-2.1%9.9M2.01
    30 April 201820.4M-11.1%13.6M1.49
    13 April 201822.9M-3.1%12.4M1.86
    29 March 201823.7M+6.7%12.4M1.91
    15 March 201822.2M+2.9%10.6M2.10
    28 February 201821.6M-9.4%11.1M1.95
    15 February 201823.8M+1.4%16.4M1.45
    31 January 201823.5M-2.5%16.3M1.44
    12 January 201824.1M+11.0%10.6M2.27
    29 December 201721.7M8.9M2.45
    Shares in millions (M) or thousands (K); hold the pointer on a figure for the exact count. FINRA publishes consolidated short interest twice a month, about ten days after each settlement.