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Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Stock Price, News & Analysis

Merck & Co., Inc. logo
$152.43 +3.44 (+2.31%)
As of 08/21/2026 03:58 PM Eastern

About Merck & Co., Inc. Stock (NYSE:MRK)

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Key Stats

Today's Range
$148.59
$154.49
50-Day Range
$114.04
$152.43
52-Week Range
$77.58
$154.49
Volume
15.96 million shs
Average Volume
10.03 million shs
Market Capitalization
$376.07 billion
P/E Ratio
121.94
Dividend Yield
2.23%
Price Target
$144.10
Consensus Rating
Moderate Buy

Company Overview

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. affiliate of the German Merck family business, Merck & Co. evolved into an independent American pharmaceutical company after World War I. Headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey, the company maintains a substantial global presence, selling products and conducting research and clinical development worldwide. Outside the United States and Canada it commonly operates under the MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme) name. Customers include hospitals, health systems, public health agencies and commercial pharmacies, and the company participates in public-private partnerships and global vaccination programs.

Merck places significant emphasis on research and development, investing in clinical pipelines, biologics, and vaccine technologies while engaging in collaborations with academic institutions, biotech firms and other industry partners. Its operations encompass discovery research, clinical development, regulatory affairs, manufacturing and global distribution. Executive leadership is led by Chief Executive Officer Robert M. Davis. The company’s business model combines in-house R&D with strategic alliances to advance new therapies and expand access to established products across diverse international markets.

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Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Analysis - MarketRank™

See Top-Rated MarketRank™ Stocks
84th Percentile Overall Score

MRK MarketRank™: 

Merck & Co., Inc. scored higher than 84% of companies evaluated by MarketBeat, and ranked 74th out of 913 stocks in the healthcare sector. Scores are calculated by averaging available category scores, with extra weight given to analysis and valuation.

  • Consensus Rating

    Merck & Co., Inc. has received a consensus rating of Moderate Buy. The company's average rating score is 2.65, and is based on no strong buy ratings, 15 buy ratings, 8 hold ratings, and no sell ratings.

  • Downside Risk

    Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus price target of $144.10, representing about 5.5% downside from its current price of $152.43.

  • Amount of Analyst Coverage

    Merck & Co., Inc. has been the subject of 17 research reports in the past 90 days, demonstrating strong analyst interest in this stock.

  • Read more about Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock forecast and price target.
  • Earnings Growth

    Earnings for Merck & Co., Inc. are expected to grow by 250.00% in the coming year, from $2.76 to $9.66 per share.

  • Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market

    The P/E ratio of Merck & Co., Inc. is 121.94, which means that it is trading at a more expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 45.45.

  • Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector

    The P/E ratio of Merck & Co., Inc. is 121.94, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Healthcare sector average P/E ratio of about 272.60.

  • Price to Earnings Growth Ratio

    Merck & Co., Inc. has a PEG Ratio of 6.58. PEG Ratios above 1 indicate that a company could be overvalued.

  • Price to Book Value per Share Ratio

    Merck & Co., Inc. has a P/B Ratio of 8.96. P/B Ratios above 3 indicate that a company could be overvalued with respect to its assets and liabilities.

  • Read more about Merck & Co., Inc.'s valuation and earnings.
  • Percentage of Shares Shorted

    1.15% of the float of Merck & Co., Inc. has been sold short.
  • Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

    Merck & Co., Inc. has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 3.25, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume.
  • Change versus previous month

    Short interest in Merck & Co., Inc. has recently decreased by 3.67%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving.
  • Dividend Yield

    Merck & Co., Inc. pays a meaningful dividend of 2.23%, higher than the bottom 25% of all stocks that pay dividends.

  • Dividend Growth

    Merck & Co., Inc. has been increasing its dividend for 14 years.

  • Dividend Coverage

    The dividend payout ratio of Merck & Co., Inc. is 272.00%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable.

  • Dividend Sustainability

    Based on earnings estimates, Merck & Co., Inc. will have a dividend payout ratio of 35.20% next year. This indicates that Merck & Co., Inc. will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

  • Read more about Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend.
  • News Sentiment

    Merck & Co., Inc. has a news sentiment score of 0.59. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This news sentiment score is similar to the average news sentiment of Healthcare companies.
  • News Coverage This Week

    MarketBeat has tracked 97 news articles for Merck & Co., Inc. this week, compared to 11 articles on an average week.
  • Search Interest

    64 people have searched for MRK on MarketBeat in the last 30 days. This is an increase of 36% compared to the previous 30 days.
  • MarketBeat Follows

    57 people have added Merck & Co., Inc. to their MarketBeat watchlist in the last 30 days. This is an increase of 217% compared to the previous 30 days.
  • Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling

    In the past three months, Merck & Co., Inc. insiders have sold more of their company's stock than they have bought. Specifically, they have bought $0.00 in company stock and sold $29,977,783.00 in company stock.

  • Percentage Held by Insiders

    0.17% of the stock of Merck & Co., Inc. is held by insiders.

  • Percentage Held by Institutions

    76.07% of the stock of Merck & Co., Inc. is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company.

  • Read more about Merck & Co., Inc.'s insider trading history.
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MRK Stock News Headlines

A laptop displaying an upward-trending multi-line stock chart sits on a wooden desk beside a coffee mug and smartphone.
MarketBeat Week in Review – 08/17 - 08/21 (MRK)
Stocks fell this week as Treasury bond buybacks, oil prices, and Walmart earnings weighed on markets, while Bitcoin rallied; MarketBeat analysts cover Moderna, NVIDIA, Meta, RTX, and more.
The end may be near for these iconic stocks
Marc Chaikin, founder of Chaikin Analytics, says two forces - AI disruption and fracturing global trade - are triggering a historic wealth transfer already underway in 2026. Household names like Intuit (-57%), Boston Scientific (-49%), and Tractor Supply (-40%) are cratering, while lesser-known companies like Sandisk (+573%) and Rackspace (+444%) surge. Chaikin has identified specific stocks he believes investors should sell before they fall further - and the names may surprise you. He's also pinpointing a company tapped as Nvidia's self-driving partner and a potential AI megadeal that could split into three high-growth stocks. Stream his free presentation to get every buy and sell recommendation with no membership or credit card required.tc pixel
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Cut to Hold at Jefferies Financial Group
See More Headlines

MRK Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock was trading at $105.20 at the start of the year. Since then, MRK shares have increased by 44.9% and is now trading at $152.43.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August, 4th. The company reported ($0.13) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis.
Read the conference call transcript
.

Merck & Co., Inc.'s board authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th 2025, which allows the company to buy back $10,000,000,000 in outstanding shares, according to EventVestor. This means that the company could repurchase up to 4.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Merck & Co., Inc.'s top institutional shareholders include BlackRock Inc. (9.19%), Wellington Management Group LLP (3.50%), UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC (0.79%) and Bank of New York Mellon Corp (0.74%). Insiders that own company stock include Robert M Davis, Richard R Deluca, Dean Y Li, Caroline Litchfield, Jennifer Zachary, Chirfi Guindo, David Michael Williams, Steven Mizell, Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen, Joseph Romanelli, David R Maraldo, Dalton E Smart III, Cristal N Downing and Inge G Thulin.
View institutional ownership trends
.

Shares of MRK stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services.

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some other companies that Merck & Co., Inc. investors own include Chevron (CVX), Salesforce (CRM), Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY), Comcast (CMCSA), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), AbbVie (ABBV) and Home Depot (HD).

Company Calendar

Record date for 7/8 Dividend
6/15/2026
Ex-Dividend for 7/8 Dividend
6/15/2026
Dividend Payable
7/08/2026
Last Earnings
8/04/2026
Today
8/23/2026
Record date for 10/7 Dividend
9/15/2026
Ex-Dividend for 10/7 Dividend
9/15/2026
Dividend Payable
10/07/2026
Investor update
10/26/2026
Next Earnings (Estimated)
10/29/2026
Fiscal Year End
12/31/2026

Industry, Sector and Symbol

Stock Exchange
NYSE
Industry
Pharmaceuticals
Sub-Industry
Pharmaceuticals
Current Symbol
NYSE:MRK
CIK
310158
Employees
75,000
Year Founded
1891

Price Target and Rating

High Price Target
$179.00
Low Price Target
$90.00
Potential Upside/Downside
-5.5%
Consensus Rating
Moderate Buy
Rating Score (0-4)
2.65
Research Coverage
23 Analysts

Profitability

EPS (Trailing Twelve Months)
$1.25
Trailing P/E Ratio
121.94
Forward P/E Ratio
55.23
P/E Growth
6.58
Net Income
$18.25 billion
Net Margins
4.77%
Pretax Margin
8.94%
Return on Equity
16.73%
Return on Assets
6.13%

Debt

Debt-to-Equity Ratio
1.22
Current Ratio
1.32
Quick Ratio
1.10

Sales & Book Value

Annual Sales
$65.01 billion
Price / Sales
5.78
Cash Flow
$11.42 per share
Price / Cash Flow
13.35
Book Value
$17.02 per share
Price / Book
8.96

Miscellaneous

Outstanding Shares
2,467,170,000
Free Float
2,462,978,000
Market Cap
$376.07 billion
Optionable
Optionable
Beta
0.19

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This page (NYSE:MRK) was last updated on 8/23/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.
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