Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Price Target Raised to $150.00

Key Points

• Barclays raised Merck’s price target from $140 to $150 and maintained an “overweight” rating, implying 13.77% upside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall, with 13 Buy ratings and seven Holds producing a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $134.50.
• Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.29 billion, ahead of the $15.85 billion consensus, while revenue increased 4.9% year over year; institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) had its target price upped by analysts at Barclays from $140.00 to $150.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "overweight" rating on the stock. Barclays's target price would indicate a potential upside of 13.77% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. CICC Research initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 price objective for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Weiss Ratings lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Wall Street Zen cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Guggenheim increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $134.50.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $131.85 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $325.64 billion, a PE ratio of 37.14, a PEG ratio of 5.19 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. The company's 50 day moving average price is $122.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $118.10. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $76.66 and a 52 week high of $135.05.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. The company's revenue 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. Research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Somerset Trust Co raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Somerset Trust Co now owns 8,701 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,118,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 8,747 shares of the company's stock worth $1,124,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Stronghold Wealth Management L.L.C. boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.6% during the second quarter. Stronghold Wealth Management L.L.C. now owns 3,237 shares of the company's stock worth $416,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. Lederer & Associates Investment Counsel CA boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the second quarter. Lederer & Associates Investment Counsel CA now owns 9,603 shares of the company's stock worth $1,234,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. Finally, Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the second quarter. Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc now owns 14,273 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,834,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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