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Earnings Per Share
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]  
Earnings Per Share
Earnings Per Share
The calculations of earnings per share are as follows:
 
Three Months Ended 
 September 30,
 
Nine Months Ended 
 September 30,
($ and shares in millions except per share amounts)
2018
 
2017
 
2018
 
2017
Net income (loss) attributable to Merck & Co., Inc.
$
1,950

 
$
(56
)
 
$
4,393

 
$
3,440

Average common shares outstanding
2,662

 
2,727

 
2,680

 
2,735

Common shares issuable (1)
16

 
—

 
14

 
19

Average common shares outstanding assuming dilution
2,678

 
2,727

 
2,694

 
2,754

Basic earnings (loss) per common share attributable to Merck & Co., Inc. common shareholders
$
0.73

 
$
(0.02
)
 
$
1.64

 
$
1.26

Earnings (loss) per common share assuming dilution attributable to Merck & Co., Inc. common shareholders
$
0.73

 
$
(0.02
)
 
$
1.63

 
$
1.25

(1) 
Issuable primarily under share-based compensation plans.
For the three months ended September 30, 2018, 2 million, and for the first nine months of 2018 and 2017, 7 million and 4 million, respectively, of common shares issuable under share-based compensation plans were excluded from the computation of earnings per common share assuming dilution because the effect would have been antidilutive. The Company recorded a net loss for the three months ended September 30, 2017; therefore, no potential dilutive common shares were used in the computation of loss per common share assuming dilution because the effect would have been antidilutive.