Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) had its price objective increased by Freedom Broker from $125.00 to $140.00 in a research report report published on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a hold rating on the stock.
A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on MRK. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday. Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $170.00 to $171.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, September 4th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $155.74.
Get Our Latest Research Report on MRK
Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 3.8%
Shares of MRK stock opened at $150.19 on Monday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $146.57 and its 200 day moving average price is $127.26. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $82.91 and a 1-year high of $156.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $370.55 billion, a PE ratio of 46.37, a P/E/G ratio of 6.57 and a beta of 0.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $2.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.33 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.58 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. This trade represents a 63.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $1,350,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 36,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,942,755. The trade was a 21.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 135,635 shares of company stock worth $18,011,040 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Trading of Merck & Co., Inc.
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.2% during the third quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 23,427 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,404,000 after acquiring an additional 1,154 shares during the period. Csenge Advisory Group boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Csenge Advisory Group now owns 14,478 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,104,000 after buying an additional 467 shares during the last quarter. D.B. Root & Company LLC boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. D.B. Root & Company LLC now owns 3,667 shares of the company’s stock worth $533,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. D Orazio & Associates Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 8.8% during the 3rd quarter. D Orazio & Associates Inc. now owns 4,408 shares of the company’s stock worth $641,000 after buying an additional 358 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fingerlakes Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter valued at about $227,000. Hedge funds and other 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: Wall Street’s broad advance provided a supportive backdrop for stocks, including healthcare shares; this looks like a market-wide tailwind rather than a Merck-specific catalyst. Stocks Surged Across the Board Today, and Biotech Brought Its Own Earnings Story
- Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target on Merck, while Freedom Broker reportedly forecast further appreciation, signaling supportive analyst sentiment. Cantor Fitzgerald Price Target Bump Freedom Broker Forecast
- Positive Sentiment: The FDA granted emergency-use authorization for a Merck treatment for screwworm in dogs, offering a potential near-term opportunity in animal health. Merck gets US FDA emergency use nod for treatment of screwworm in dogs
- Positive Sentiment: Merck began enrolling patients in a Phase 3 study of Ohtuvayre to assess whether it can prevent COPD exacerbations. The trial expands the drug’s potential, though results are not yet available. Merck Initiates Phase 3 Study of Ohtuvayre
- Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s pipeline is cited as a possible growth driver, but the company’s looming patent cliff remains a significant longer-term risk to growth. Merck’s Pipeline Could Be Its Next Big Growth Driver
- Negative Sentiment: DZ Bank cut its rating from Buy to Hold, setting a $153 price target that suggests limited upside from the price cited in the report. DZ Bank rating update
About Merck & Co., Inc.
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.
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