Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Sets New 1-Year High After Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Merck shares reached a new 52-week high, trading as high as $155.10 after Argus raised its price target from $145 to $170 and maintained a buy rating.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with 15 buy ratings and eight holds producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $145.35.
• Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, exceeding expectations, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, equivalent to a 2.2% annualized yield.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday after Argus raised their price target on the stock from $145.00 to $170.00. Argus currently has a buy rating on the stock. Merck & Co., Inc. traded as high as $155.10 and last traded at $153.6550, with a volume of 798797 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $150.66.

MRK has been the subject of a number of other reports. Barclays upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Citigroup started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Guggenheim boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $146.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $145.35.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. This trade represents a 63.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total value of $1,965,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 46,613 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,106,303. The trade was a 24.35% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783 over the last 90 days. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,808,000 after buying an additional 8,710 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,494 shares of the company's stock worth $910,000 after purchasing an additional 3,941 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 94.1% in the second quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 32,256 shares of the company's stock worth $2,590,000 after buying an additional 15,636 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 22.2% during the 2nd quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 38,031 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,054,000 after purchasing an additional 6,897 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 111.7% during the second quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 681,128 shares of the company's stock valued at $53,918,000 after buying an additional 359,356 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $378.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 122.81, a PEG ratio of 6.40 and a beta of 0.19. The firm's 50-day moving average is $128.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $121.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.13 EPS. The business's revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is currently 272.00%.

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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