Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) is expected to issue its Q2 2026 results before the market opens on Tuesday, August 4th. Analysts expect Merck & Co., Inc. to post earnings of ($0.26) per share and revenue of $16.3492 billion for the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Interested persons are encouraged to explore the company's upcoming Q2 2026 earning summary page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Tuesday, August 4, 2026 at 9:00 AM ET.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.22 EPS. The business's revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect Merck & Co., Inc. to post $3 EPS for the current fiscal year and $10 EPS for the next fiscal year.
Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance
Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $134.09 on Tuesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $76.66 and a 12-month high of $133.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The company has a market capitalization of $331.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 0.19. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $122.03 and its 200 day moving average price is $117.94.
Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 95.77%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of analysts have recently issued reports on MRK shares. Weiss Ratings lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $120.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, July 6th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $133.94.
Read Our Latest Research Report on Merck & Co., Inc.
Institutional Trading of Merck & Co., Inc.
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company's stock worth $3,808,000 after acquiring an additional 8,710 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,494 shares of the company's stock valued at $910,000 after acquiring an additional 3,941 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 94.1% during the 2nd quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 32,256 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,590,000 after acquiring an additional 15,636 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 22.2% during the 2nd quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 38,031 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,054,000 after acquiring an additional 6,897 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 111.7% during the second quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 681,128 shares of the company's stock worth $53,918,000 after purchasing an additional 359,356 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.
About Merck & Co., Inc.
(
Get Free Report)
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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