Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Price Target Raised to $175.00

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) had its target price boosted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $165.00 to $175.00 in a report published on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the stock.

MRK has been the topic of several other reports. Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $170.00 to $171.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $142.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Zacks Research lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, October 19th. Berenberg Bank lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Finally, Argus increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $156.08.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 0.2%

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $149.75 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $146.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $126.69. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $82.01 and a twelve month high of $156.92. The firm has a market cap of $369.46 billion, a PE ratio of 154.38, a P/E/G ratio of 6.48 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 issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $2.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.40. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.56% and a net margin of 3.64%. The firm had revenue of $18.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.33 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.58 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Richard Deluca sold 20,784 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.43, for a total value of $2,710,857.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 134,703 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $17,569,312.29. The trade was a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the company’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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares of the company’s stock, 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 have sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Merck & Co., Inc.

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MRK. Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Horizons Wealth Management bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter worth about $30,000. Bullseye Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth $27,000. Graney & King LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% in the 2nd quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Foresight Capital Management Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter worth about $43,000. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q3 results and raised outlook: Merck reported adjusted earnings of $2.49 per share versus the $2.09 analyst consensus, while revenue rose 4.7% year over year to $18.09 billion, ahead of estimates. Management raised its 2026 sales and adjusted-profit outlook, providing the main catalyst for the stock’s advance. Merck tops quarterly estimates and hikes profit outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Growth beyond Keytruda: Keytruda, including the newer Qlex formulation, delivered stronger-than-expected sales, while WINREVAIR continued to expand rapidly. Newer product launches are helping offset losses from generic competition and support Merck’s growth outlook. Merck Q3 earnings call highlights pipeline progress and raised outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline progress: Positive Phase 3 endometrial-cancer data for Keytruda and sacituzumab tirumotecan, along with FDA priority review for the latter, strengthens confidence in Merck’s oncology pipeline and its ability to address future revenue pressure. Merck Phase 3 endometrial cancer data and FDA review
• Positive Sentiment: Supportive analyst action: Guggenheim raised its price target to $171 and maintained a buy rating, indicating additional potential upside based on the earnings and pipeline outlook.

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.