Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Guggenheim Analyst Says

Key Points

• Guggenheim raised Merck’s price target to $170 from $146 and maintained a “buy” rating, implying 14.18% potential upside. Several other analysts also lifted their targets, contributing to a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and $149.80 average target.
• Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, exceeding estimates, while revenue increased 5.1% year over year. Analysts expect the company to deliver $2.76 in EPS for the current fiscal year.
• Insiders sold 228,238 shares worth nearly $30 million over the past 90 days, while institutional investors own 76.07% of Merck’s outstanding stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) had its price objective boosted by analysts at Guggenheim from $146.00 to $170.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "buy" rating on the stock. Guggenheim's price target points to a potential upside of 14.18% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on MRK. Argus raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Daiwa Securities Group upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $143.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Barclays increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $149.80.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

MRK stock opened at $148.89 on Tuesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $77.58 and a 1 year high of $156.92. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $367.35 billion, a PE ratio of 119.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.54 and a beta of 0.21. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $135.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $123.73.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%.The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.13 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP Richard Deluca sold 20,784 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.43, for a total transaction of $2,710,857.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 134,703 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $17,569,312.29. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Williams sold 52,847 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total transaction of $6,805,108.19. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 31,716 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,084,069.32. This trade represents a 62.49% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Merck & Co., Inc.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Graney & King LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% during the second quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products. Its portfolio spans multiple therapeutic areas with a particular emphasis on oncology, vaccines and infectious disease, as well as therapies for metabolic and chronic conditions. Among its well-known products are the cancer immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil; the company also markets a range of medicines and vaccines for veterinary use through Merck Animal Health.

Founded in the late 19th century as the U.S.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.