Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Open Interest History
Open interest tracks the total number of outstanding options contracts. Rising OI alongside price moves can indicate growing commitment to the trend; declining OI suggests positions are being closed.
Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) operates in the Healthcare sector, specifically the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, with a market capitalization near $280.20B, listed on NYSE, employing roughly 73,000 people, carrying a beta of 0.20 to the broader market. Merck & Co. Led by Robert Davis, public since 1978-01-13.
Snapshot as of May 15, 2026.
- Spot Price
- $111.64
- Call OI
- 276.5K
- Put OI
- 250.3K
- Total OI
- 526.8K
- Put/Call Ratio
- 0.87
As of May 15, 2026, Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) has 526.8K total contracts outstanding across all expirations. Put/call OI ratio is 0.91 (balanced positioning). Open interest reflects accumulated positions from prior sessions; persistent growth indicates sustained directional or hedging interest, while sharp drops typically mean post-expiration clean-up.
How MRK open interest history Data Feeds Strategy Selection
Strategy selection on Merck & Co., Inc. options does not derive from any single metric in isolation. The open interest history view above sits inside a broader read: ATM IV currently sits at 29.3% and dealer gamma exposure is positive, so dealer hedging is mechanically mean-reverting. Combine the open interest history data here with the volatility-skew surface, dealer-gamma exposure, max-pain level, and upcoming-events calendar to build a positioning thesis. Risk-defined structures (credit spreads, debit spreads, iron condors) are usually safer than naked positions while the regime is uncertain; the data on this page anchors the inputs but does not by itself constitute a trade thesis.
Learn how open interest is reported and how to read the data →
Frequently asked MRK open interest history questions
- What is the current MRK options open interest?
- As of May 15, 2026, Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) has 526.8K total contracts outstanding across all listed expirations, split as 276.5K calls and 250.3K puts. Open interest reflects accumulated positions from prior trading sessions; it does not include today's volume until end-of-day reconciliation.
- What is the MRK put/call open interest ratio?
- Put/call OI ratio of 0.91 is balanced.
- What does MRK open interest tell traders?
- Persistent OI growth indicates sustained directional or hedging interest; sharp drops typically mean post-expiration position cleanup. Heavy OI concentrations at specific strikes act as support and resistance levels because dealer hedging amplifies near those strikes - the gamma profile of the dealer book is concentrated there. Comparing today's volume to standing OI separates opening flow from closing flow.