Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Price Target Raised to $172.00

Key Points

• HSBC raised Merck’s price target to $172 from $150 and maintained a “buy” rating, implying 17.47% upside from the prior close. Analysts broadly remain positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and $151.32 target.
• Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, exceeding estimates, while adjusted earnings of $(0.13) per share beat the consensus forecast of $(0.26). Revenue increased 5.1% year over year, and fiscal 2026 EPS guidance is $2.66–$2.76.
• Company insiders sold 228,238 shares worth nearly $30 million over the past 90 days, while institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of Merck’s outstanding stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by research analysts at HSBC from $150.00 to $172.00 in a report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the stock. HSBC's price target would suggest a potential upside of 17.47% from the company's previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on MRK. Scotiabank increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 22nd. Guggenheim increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $146.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Bank of America lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Wolfe Research boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $151.32.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $146.42 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $135.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $124.10. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $77.58 and a 1 year high of $156.92. The company has a market capitalization of $361.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 117.17, a P/E/G ratio of 6.46 and a beta of 0.21.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total value of $2,407,836.32. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 18,212 shares in the company, valued at $2,344,248.64. The trade was a 50.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. The trade was a 63.83% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Pinnbrook Capital Management LP raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 95.2% during the fourth quarter. Pinnbrook Capital Management LP now owns 23,280 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,450,000 after purchasing an additional 11,355 shares in the last quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter worth about $11,470,000. Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 32.6% in the 4th quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 1,301,744 shares of the company's stock worth $137,022,000 after purchasing an additional 320,143 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.0% during the 2nd 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 13.9% during the 4th quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 1,843,042 shares of the company's stock valued at $193,999,000 after buying an additional 224,752 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures, and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets worldwide through its Human Health and Animal Health businesses.

Merck's pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious disease, cardiology, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Its products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat various cancers; Gardasil, a vaccine that helps protect against human papillomavirus (HPV); and Januvia, a treatment for type 2 diabetes.

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