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Merck and AI-linked healthcare stocks outpace the S&P 500 in 2026
The article says Merck’s YTD gain of 42% has helped it lead the screened AI-linked healthcare and biotech group, outperforming the S&P 500 by about 29 points.
Yahoo Finance highlighted an AI-linked healthcare and biotech screen focused on stocks that beat the S&P 500 by at least 1%, with at least 12 analysts covering the names and a “moderate to strong buy” consensus rating for the next 12 months.
The piece frames healthcare and biotech as practical AI use cases, citing applications ranging from drug discovery to clinical development, and notes the sector can also include dividends.
Merck & Company was identified as the top performer in the group, with shares up 42% year to date and outperforming the S&P 500 by about 29 percentage points, the widest gap among the names listed. The article also points to Merck’s forward annual dividend of $3.40, described as a yield of approximately 2.17%, and adds that Merck is expanding AI via a Google Cloud partnership to support research, manufacturing, and operations.
Yahoo Finance also references Keytruda as a well-known cancer treatment associated with the company, and it notes that a consensus of 28 analysts rates the stock, though the excerpt cuts off before detailing the full conclusion.
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