Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Now Covered by CICC Research

Key Points

• CICC Research initiated coverage on Merck with an outperform rating and a $138 price target, implying about 14.6% upside from the current share price.
• Merck shares were up 0.7% to $120.41, and the company recently reported quarterly earnings that beat expectations on both EPS and revenue.
• Recent company news remains positive, including EU approval for Keytruda plus Padcev, encouraging late-stage results for tulisokibart, and expanded FDA approval for Capvaxive, all of which could support future growth.

Equities researchers at CICC Research began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm set an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 price target on the stock. CICC Research's price objective would suggest a potential upside of 14.61% from the company's current price.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Zacks Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 6th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. 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 Monday, March 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $128.72.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of MRK stock traded up $0.81 on Wednesday, hitting $120.41. The stock had a trading volume of 4,353,495 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,068,810. The business has a 50 day moving average of $115.76 and a 200 day moving average of $113.91. The stock has a market cap of $297.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $76.66 and a 12-month high of $125.14.

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, topping the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.22 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Merck & Co., Inc.

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MRK. Chesapeake Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,552,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. South Plains Financial Inc. grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. now owns 15,535 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,635,000 after buying an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Syverson Strege & Co increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Syverson Strege & Co now owns 4,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $436,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% during the first quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 23,433 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,819,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company's stock worth $331,000 after buying an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: The European Commission approved KEYTRUDA plus Padcev for adults with cisplatin-ineligible resectable muscle-invasive bladder cancer, expanding Merck’s oncology footprint in the EU and adding another potential growth driver. European Commission Approves KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) Plus Padcev®
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s anti-TL1A antibody tulisokibart met its goal in a late-stage ulcerative colitis study, strengthening confidence in the company’s pipeline beyond Keytruda and supporting the long-term growth story. Merck's Anti-TL1A Antibody Meets Goal in Ulcerative Colitis Study
• Positive Sentiment: Merck also recently won expanded FDA approval for CAPVAXIVE, extending the vaccine’s use to higher-risk children and adolescents, which could broaden commercial uptake in its vaccines business. Is Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Strengthening Its Vaccine Portfolio With New Capvaxive Approval?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst notes were mixed, with Citi keeping a Hold rating while Scotiabank reaffirmed Buy, suggesting Wall Street remains constructive but not uniformly bullish. Citi Keeps Their Hold Rating on Merck & Company (MRK) Scotiabank Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on Merck & Company (MRK)

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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