Argus Issues Positive Forecast for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Stock Price

Key Points

• Argus raised Merck’s price target from $130 to $145 and maintained a “buy” rating, implying roughly 10.9% upside from the stock’s current price.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with 14 “buy” ratings and seven “hold” ratings producing a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average target of $135.11.
• Merck beat quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, reporting $16.61 billion in revenue and quarterly sales growth of 5.1% year over year; however, insiders have sold more than 92,000 shares over the past three months.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) had its price target hoisted by investment analysts at Argus from $130.00 to $145.00 in a research report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the stock. Argus' price target points to a potential upside of 10.92% from the company's current price.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on MRK. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 target price on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $120.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, July 6th. Bank of America increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Weiss Ratings lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $135.11.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 1.7%

MRK stock opened at $130.72 on Tuesday. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $124.29 and its 200 day simple moving average is $119.33. The company has a market cap of $322.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 104.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.56 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $77.58 and a fifty-two week high of $135.05.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.05% and a net margin of 4.77%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 18,212 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,344,248.64. This represents a 50.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 6,050 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.38, for a total transaction of $788,799.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 155,487 shares in the company, valued at $20,272,395.06. This trade represents a 3.75% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 92,603 shares of company stock valued at $11,966,744 over the last three months. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. High Note Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $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.

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