New Jersey › Manufacturing › 1,000 to 4,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
MSD Employee Stock Purchase & Savings Plan
Sponsored by Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
In the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, MSD Employee Stock Purchase & Savings Plan covered 2,586 participants and held $545M in net assets. The plan is an ESOP with a 401(k) feature sponsored by Merck & Co., Inc. of Rahway, New Jersey.
Net assets came to $210,930 per participant, well above the $50,295 median for defined contribution plans with 1,000 to 4,999 participants and well above the $62,303 median for defined contribution plans in manufacturing. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
The employer contributed $6.6M during the year, or $2,955 per active participant against a same-size median of $2,045; participants contributed $22.8M. Benefits paid out totalled $38.1M.
Schedule C lists 1 service provider organisation paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $33K: $12.57 per participant, well below the same-size median of $82.08. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $33K. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $281M in 2009 to $545M in 2024 (up 94%), and participants from 5,736 to 2,586 (down 55%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified).
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DC plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $210,930 | $50,295 | $62,303 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $2,955 | $2,045 | $2,187 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $12.57 | $82.08 | $136 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.01% | 0.17% | 0.24% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $12.57 | $82.20 | $131 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 1,000 to 4,999 participants (10,207 plans), manufacturing (11,377) and all US plans (63,460). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2,586 | $545M | $210,930 | $6.6M | $22.8M | $33K |
| 2023 | 2,649 | $499M | $188,229 | $6.3M | $21.8M | $5,000 |
| 2022 | 2,960 | $463M | $156,546 | $6.6M | $23.6M | $30K |
| 2021 | 3,074 | $540M | $175,829 | $6.1M | $25.3M | $27K |
| 2020 | 2,861 | $502M | $175,384 | $6.2M | $21.3M | $26K |
| 2019 | 2,663 | $463M | $173,704 | $5.4M | $19.8M | $40K |
| 2018 | 2,699 | $386M | $142,936 | $5.1M | $18.0M | $0 |
| 2017 | 2,631 | $423M | $160,771 | $5.5M | $18.5M | $0 |
| 2016 | 2,932 | $432M | $147,470 | $5.9M | $19.2M | $0 |
| 2015 | 3,477 | $399M | $114,695 | $6.1M | $19.3M | $0 |
| 2014 | 3,691 | $405M | $109,736 | $7.0M | $21.2M | $0 |
| 2013 | 4,392 | $424M | $96,429 | $7.4M | $22.3M | $0 |
| 2012 | 5,978 | $358M | $59,917 | $7.3M | $21.7M | $0 |
| 2011 | 5,859 | $319M | $54,425 | $7.5M | $22.1M | $0 |
| 2010 | 5,948 | $317M | $53,244 | $7.0M | $33.3M | $0 |
| 2009 | 5,736 | $281M | $48,946 | $6.6M | $19.3M | $0 |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$498,619,440
- Employer contributions$6,556,421
- Participant contributions$22,814,412
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$29,370,833
- Total income, including investment results$89,991,525
- Benefits paid$38,113,104
- Administrative expenses$32,502
- Total expenses$38,145,606
- Net income$51,845,919
- Net transfers−$4,999,127
- Net assets, end of year$545,466,232
Participants
- Active participants2,219
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits29
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits274
- Participants with account balances2,385
- Total participants, end of year2,586
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | Participant loan processing | $32,502 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Recordkeeping fees$32,502
- Total administrative expenses$32,502
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Master trust investment accounts$534M · 97.9%
- Participant loans$10.0M · 1.8%
- Receivables$1.3M · 0.2%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)No
- Accounting firmPricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $75,000,000
- Blackout period during the yearNo
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
2EProfit-sharing plan2FERISA section 404(c) plan2HPartial participant-directed account plan2JCode section 401(k) feature2KCode section 401(m) arrangement2OESOP other than a leveraged ESOP3FPlan sponsor(s) received services of leased employees3HPlan sponsor(s) is (are) a member(s) of a controlled group
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 325410: Pharmaceutical & Medicine Mfg.
Other plans of Merck & Co., Inc.
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Merck US Pension Plan | 71,380 | $10.1B |
| Merck US Savings Plan | 41,241 | $15.0B |
| Retirement Plan for the Hourly Employees of MSD | 6,342 | $660M |
Similar plans in New Jersey
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Moore & Co. Deferred Savings and Investment Plan | Benjamin Moore & Co. | 2,607 | $438M | $168,131 |
| Church & Dwight Co. , Inc. Savings and Profit Sharing Plan for Hourly Employees | Church & Dwight Co., Inc. | 2,573 | $286M | $111,134 |
| Burlington Stores Puerto Rico Savings Plan | Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation | 2,707 | $1.9M | $710 |
| Nitto 401(k) Retirement Plan | Nitto Americas Inc. | 2,566 | $242M | $94,460 |
| Kedrion Biopharma, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Kedrion Biopharma, Inc. | 2,737 | $61.3M | $22,402 |
| Sun Chemical 401 (K) Savings Plan | Sun Chemical Corporation | 2,549 | $471M | $184,664 |
Defined contribution plans in manufacturing closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is MSD Employee Stock Purchase & Savings Plan?
2,586 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 2,219 were active employees, with net assets of $545,466,232. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 1,000 to 4,999 participants band, which held 10,207 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Merck & Co., Inc. contribute per participant?
The filing reports $6,556,421 in employer contributions for the year, which is $2,955 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $2,045 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $32,502 in compensation to service provider organisations, $12.57 per participant or 0.01% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $82.08 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $32,502. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is Merck & Co., Inc.. Recordkeeping or administration: Fidelity Investments Institutional. The financial statements were audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 22 Sep 2025. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 22-1918501, plan 004, received 22 Sep 2025; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.