Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Upgraded to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Merck was upgraded from hold to buy by Wall Street Zen, adding to a generally constructive analyst backdrop for the stock.
• Other firms have recently raised or maintained bullish views, including Bank of America and Wells Fargo, while the consensus rating remains Moderate Buy with an average price target of $132.72.
• The shares fell 1.1% to $123.72 on Friday, but Merck recently beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, and the FDA approval of KEYTRUDA and KEYTRUDA QLEX for bladder cancer could support future growth.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued to investors on Sunday.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on MRK. Bank of America upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a "neutral" rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $132.72.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 1.1%

NYSE MRK traded down $1.35 on Friday, hitting $123.72. The stock had a trading volume of 8,388,403 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,797,806. The business's fifty day moving average price is $118.83 and its 200 day moving average price is $116.28. The stock has a market cap of $305.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.19. 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 52-week low of $76.66 and a 52-week high of $130.29.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Merck & Co., Inc.

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MRK. Somerset Trust Co raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the second quarter. Somerset Trust Co now owns 8,701 shares of the company's stock worth $1,118,000 after buying an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the second quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 8,747 shares of the company's stock worth $1,124,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the period. Lederer & Associates Investment Counsel CA boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Lederer & Associates Investment Counsel CA now owns 9,603 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,234,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter. Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc now owns 14,273 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,834,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Chesapeake Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,552,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other 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: The FDA approved KEYTRUDA and KEYTRUDA QLEX, each combined with Padcev, for use before and after surgery in adults with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. This expands Merck’s flagship oncology franchise and could add to future revenue. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains constructive, with Morgan Stanley slightly raising its price target and RBC Capital reiterating a Buy rating. That suggests Wall Street still sees upside despite the stock’s recent run. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck continues to attract investor attention thanks to strong year-to-date performance, a solid dividend yield, and a long record of dividend growth, which may support demand for the shares. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage also notes Merck is one of the more widely watched healthcare names on Zacks, but these mentions do not appear to add any new fundamental catalyst on their own. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the upbeat news flow, the shares also face ongoing valuation and post-KEYTRUDA exclusivity concerns, which may limit upside if investors focus on Merck’s long-term patent risk. Article Title

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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