Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Price Target Cut to $145.00 by Analysts at Wells Fargo & Company

Key Points

• Wells Fargo cut its price target on Merck from $150 to $145 but kept an "overweight" rating, implying roughly a 27% upside from the prior close.
• Merck beat Q1 expectations on adjusted EPS and revenue and raised its adjusted profit outlook, but reported a GAAP loss tied to an acquisition-related charge and set FY2026 EPS guidance of $5.04–$5.16 (consensus ~4.89).
• Significant insider selling occurred recently — executives sold about 320,176 shares (~$38.3M) in the last 90 days, with insiders now owning roughly 0.17% of the company.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) had its price target lowered by equities researchers at Wells Fargo & Company from $150.00 to $145.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "overweight" rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company's target price suggests a potential upside of 27.21% from the company's previous close.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Friday, February 20th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 target price on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 4.4%

Shares of MRK stock traded up $4.80 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $113.98. 1,759,954 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 11,253,600. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $73.31 and a 12 month high of $125.14. The company has a market cap of $281.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.60, a P/E/G ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The company's 50-day moving average price is $117.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $107.39.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 44.57%. The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.22 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total transaction of $5,599,109.36. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 443,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $52,362,780.08. This represents a 9.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total transaction of $4,556,870.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 160,174 shares in the company, valued at $19,368,240.08. This represents a 19.05% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. First Pacific Financial grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.7% during the 3rd quarter. First Pacific Financial now owns 47,555 shares of the company's stock worth $3,991,000 after buying an additional 6,082 shares during the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company's stock worth $60,731,000 after buying an additional 24,576 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 48.9% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 97,818 shares of the company's stock worth $10,296,000 after buying an additional 32,114 shares during the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% during the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company's stock worth $10,364,000 after buying an additional 13,940 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Campbell Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,866,000. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat estimates — Merck reported revenue of $16.29B and topped EPS expectations on an adjusted basis, with strong oncology demand (Keytruda) and Winrevair contributing materially to the upside. Merck Sales Beat As Winrevair Hits $525 Million
• Positive Sentiment: Company raised its adjusted profit outlook and highlighted continued Keytruda-led growth, which supports near-term earnings power despite headwinds elsewhere. Merck beats quarterly estimates on strength of Keytruda and new products, narrows outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Pipeline milestone — Merck announced first patient dosed in Phase 3 studies for enpatoran in lupus (ELOWEN program), which is positive for long‑term growth but not an immediate revenue driver. Merck Announces First Dose in Phase 3 Study with Enpatoran
• Neutral Sentiment: Full‑year guidance set with EPS range of $5.04–$5.16 and revenue guidance roughly in line with consensus, but the company narrowed its sales outlook, leaving room for mixed analyst reactions. Merck First-Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP loss driven by an acquisition-related (Cidara) charge weighed on the headline result and investor perception, even though adjusted metrics beat. Merck posts quarterly loss due to Cidara charge, sales rise 5%
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction and investor concerns — some headlines flagged risks from slowing sales in certain legacy products (HPV vaccine, diabetes drug) and the company’s narrower sales view, contributing to the share pullback after an initial rally. Merck Stock Falls After Earnings. It’s Working on Ways to Blunt Future Lost Keytruda Sales.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst adjustments — some firms have slightly trimmed FY2026 estimates and the company’s tightened sales view has left analysts parsing upside vs. downside to the year’s topline. MRK Q1 Earnings & Sales Beat Estimates, 2026 Sales View Tightened

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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