Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Merck & Co. has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from 19 brokerages, with 11 buy ratings, 7 hold ratings and 1 strong buy. The average 1-year price target among recent analyst coverage is about $128.18.
• Recent analyst moves were mixed but mostly constructive: UBS raised its target to $145 and kept a buy rating, Deutsche Bank upgraded Merck to buy with a $150 target, while other firms such as Cantor Fitzgerald and TD Cowen were more cautious.
• Merck reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of -$1.28 versus estimates of -$1.47 and revenue of $16.29 billion versus expectations of $15.85 billion. The company also reaffirmed FY2026 guidance of 5.04 to 5.16 EPS.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the nineteen brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eleven have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $128.1765.

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on MRK. UBS Group raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 1st.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.41, for a total transaction of $1,184,100.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 70,615 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,361,522.15. This trade represents a 12.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total value of $14,485,422.95. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 68,916 shares in the company, valued at $8,211,341.40. This trade represents a 63.82% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.17% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, High Note Wealth LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% in the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Merck published a landmark Science paper on a new large-scale biocatalytic synthesis method for its investigational oral PCSK9 inhibitor, enlicitide decanoate. The work supports manufacturing scalability for a potential future cardiovascular drug and underscores progress in Merck’s pipeline. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck also became the sole testing provider for Genetix Biotherapeutics’ FDA-approved gene therapies under a five-year agreement, strengthening its BioReliance services business and adding a recurring commercialization-related revenue stream. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted Merck as a well-prepared dividend stock despite its upcoming patent cliff, suggesting the market is still weighing long-term earnings durability rather than reacting to a single catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Merck is heading toward a July 27 trial over Gardasil safety claims after the vaccine reached an $8.9 billion sales peak. The litigation risk could weigh on sentiment around one of Merck’s key growth franchises, even though the company continues to defend the product’s safety record. Article Title

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK stock opened at $111.26 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $274.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.34, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.18. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $117.07 and a 200 day moving average price of $108.31. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $73.31 and a 12 month high of $125.14.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted 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. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.Merck & Co., Inc.'s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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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