Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Price Target Raised to $180.00

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) had its price target raised by Barclays from $150.00 to $180.00 in a research report report published on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the stock.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on MRK. Guggenheim upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $146.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $152.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Zacks Research lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $153.12.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $141.03 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $147.01 and a 200-day moving average price of $126.31. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $82.01 and a fifty-two week high of $156.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $347.95 billion, a PE ratio of 112.83, a PEG ratio of 6.74 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.32.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Richard Deluca sold 11,699 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total value of $1,539,939.37. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 110,167 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,501,282.21. This trade represents a 9.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total value of $10,718,839.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 45,509 shares in the company, valued at $6,073,631.14. The trade was a 63.83% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 in the last 90 days. 0.17% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Merck & Co., Inc.

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MRK. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth $11,470,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.0% during the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 2,578,024 shares of the company’s stock valued at $331,931,000 after purchasing an additional 51,393 shares in the last quarter. Cardinal Capital Management grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.6% in the third quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 99,742 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,578,000 after purchasing an additional 3,507 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.3% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 2,073,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $266,403,000 after purchasing an additional 227,589 shares during the period. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 7.0% in the second quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 6,184,340 shares of the company’s stock valued at $794,577,000 after purchasing an additional 402,011 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s KEYTRUDA reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 43% in a Phase 3 endometrial-cancer trial. The result strengthens the company’s oncology franchise and could support future label expansion and revenue growth. Merck’s KEYTRUDA Cuts Progression Risk By 43% In Phase 3 Endometrial Cancer Trial
• Positive Sentiment: Additional oncology readouts, including positive results from the Moderna-partnered melanoma vaccine and other cancer treatments, are providing fresh support for Merck’s pipeline and long-term growth prospects. Merck Gains Fresh Oncology Backing As Valuation Debate Heats Up
• Positive Sentiment: Broker commentary remains broadly constructive, with Barclays forecasting significant appreciation potential and other analysts highlighting KEYTRUDA demand and new-drug growth ahead of the earnings release. Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Merck
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck is scheduled to report third-quarter results before the market opens on October 29. Investors are focused on KEYTRUDA sales, full-year guidance and management’s outlook for the pipeline. Dear Merck Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for October 29
• Neutral Sentiment: The Moderna-Merck melanoma vaccine cut recurrence risk by 42% in a Phase 3 trial, but the outcome reportedly fell short of investor expectations, limiting its immediate effect on MRK. Merck and Moderna’s Cancer Vaccine Worked
• Negative Sentiment: Pre-earnings concerns include difficult year-over-year comparisons, declining earnings estimates, weaker Gardasil demand and looming patent exposure. These factors could offset strong KEYTRUDA performance and increase volatility around the report. Is Merck Stock a Buy, Sell or Hold Ahead of Q3 Earnings?

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines, vaccines and animal-health products. Its pharmaceutical business focuses on oncology, infectious diseases, cardiology, immunology and other areas of significant medical need. The company serves patients, healthcare providers and institutions in markets worldwide.

Merck’s principal products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat a range of cancers; Gardasil and Gardasil 9, vaccines that help protect against human papillomavirus; and Januvia and Janumet, medicines used to manage type 2 diabetes.