Merck Won't Yield on Yield

Just about any time a Merck (MRK Quote) executive appears before a microphone, presides over a Webcast or attends a financial or medical conference, he or she is asked how safe the dividend is.

The question has been posed ever since Sept. 30, 2004, when Merck pulled the arthritis drug Vioxx from the market, and every time the New Jersey-based drugmaker says its payment isn't in danger.

However, investors can expect this Q&A to continue, perhaps for years, as long as there's uncertainty about potential liabilities of Vioxx. ...