Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Merck from “hold” to “buy,” adding to a broadly positive analyst outlook. Seventeen analysts rate the stock a buy, while seven recommend holding it; the consensus rating is “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $154.24.
• Merck shares opened at $146.53, near their 52-week high of $156.92, after the company reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion and earnings that exceeded analyst expectations. Management issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $2.66 to $2.76.
• Insiders sold approximately $30 million of stock over the past three months, while institutional investors own 76.07% of Merck’s shares.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Sunday, Wall Street Zen reports.

MRK has been the topic of several other research reports. Guggenheim increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $146.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wolfe Research upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Morgan Stanley upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $116.00 to $179.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, CICC Research began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 price target on the stock. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $154.24.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.4%

MRK stock opened at $146.53 on Friday. 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. has a 1-year low of $77.58 and a 1-year high of $156.92. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $138.45 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $125.20. The firm has a market cap of $361.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 117.22, a PEG ratio of 6.39 and a beta of 0.21.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $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. Research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total value of $2,407,836.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 18,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,344,248.64. This represents a 50.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total transaction of $1,965,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 46,613 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,106,303. This trade represents a 24.35% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Merck & Co., Inc.

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BlackRock Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 226,999,837 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,169,479,000 after purchasing an additional 1,073,507 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% in the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,249,283 shares of the company's stock worth $11,083,033,000 after purchasing an additional 1,934,312 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 60,047,984 shares of the company's stock worth $6,307,572,000 after purchasing an additional 249,110 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $3,997,933,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 30,774,221 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,701,831,000 after buying an additional 2,919,780 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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