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DOW   36,124.56
QQQ   387.29
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Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Price, News & Analysis (NYSE:MRK)

$106.23
+1.17 (+1.11%)
(As of 12/5/2023 ET)
Compare
Today's Range
$104.18
$106.40
50-Day Range
$100.17
$106.23
52-Week Range
$96.36
$119.65
Volume
10.05 million shs
Average Volume
7.58 million shs
Market Capitalization
$269.19 billion
P/E Ratio
59.02
Dividend Yield
2.75%
Price Target
$125.14

Merck & Co., Inc. MarketRank™ Stock Analysis

Analyst Rating
Moderate Buy
2.76 Rating Score
Upside/​Downside
17.8% Upside
$125.14 Price Target
Short Interest
Healthy
0.71% of Shares Sold Short
Dividend Strength
Strong
Based on Four Factors
Sustainability
-2.40
Upright™ Environmental Score
News Sentiment
1.00mentions of Merck & Co., Inc. in the last 14 days
Based on 15 Articles This Week
Insider Trading
Selling Shares
$4.82 M Sold Last Quarter
Proj. Earnings Growth
521.17%
From $1.37 to $8.51 Per Share

Overall MarketRank

MarketRank is calculated as an average of available category scores, with extra weight given to analysis and valuation.

3.25 out of 5 stars

Medical Sector

11th out of 948 stocks

Pharmaceutical Preparations Industry

4th out of 421 stocks


MRK stock logo

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

Merck & Co., Inc. is a US-based multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company. It was officially founded in 1891 as the US arm of Merck Group, headquartered in Germany. Merck Group was founded in 1668 when Friedrick Jacob Merck purchased a pharmacy in Darmstadt, Germany. The company transformed from a pharmacy into a drug manufacturer in 1827 with the commercialization of morphine and the perfection of the manufacturing process. The company will later gain recognition for isolating and commercializing the manufacture of cocaine as well.

Merck Group sent Theodore Weicker to New York as its representative in 1889 and he quickly began to set up operations. The original investment of $200,000 resulted in a facility in lower Manhattan and the addition of Merck family member George Merck to the project. They began operations in 1891 and were in business as the US branch of Merck Group until 1917 and the onset of World War I.

World War I brought about the Trading With The Enemy Act of 1917 and the nationalization of Merck Group’s US operations. Those operations were repurchased at a government auction only 2 years later with the help of Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers, but the split was done. The company retained rights to the Merck name in the US but remained independent. One of many noteworthy achievements in the post-War period is the discovery of streptomycin, which was revolutionary in treating tuberculosis.

In 1953 the company merged with Sharp& Dohme to form the then 2nd largest US drug manufacturer. The merger brought smallpox vaccines to the portfolio and opened a new avenue of research for the business. Since then, advancements in vaccine technology include treatments for mumps and chickenpox. Other notable advancements include the discovery of statins as a cholesterol inhibitor and work in veterinary medicine.

Today, Merck & Co operates through 2 segments and under 2 different names with a headquarters in Kenilworth, NJ.  The company operates as Merck & Co in the US and as Merck Sharp & Dohme outside the US and Canada. The 2 segments are Pharmaceutical and Animal Health. Revenue topped $49 billion in 2022 and employed more than 68,000 people. The company has 8 research facilities near major university systems, including 7 in the US and 1 in the UK. As of 2022, the company had 82 pipeline products in Phase 2 trials, 30 in Phase 3 trials and 3 under review.

The Pharmaceutical segment researches discover and commercializes human health products in several areas of medicine. These include but are not limited to oncology, acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, and diabetes. This segment has 6 blockbuster drugs as of late 2022, with each generating more than $1 billion in revenue. The leading treatments are Keytruda for treating cancer-related immune conditions, Gardisil which is a vaccine for HPV and Januvia for treating Type-II diabetes. The Animal Health segment discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets veterinary healthcare products and services. Both segments sell to healthcare facilities and distributors.

MRK Stock Price History

MRK Stock News Headlines

3 S&P stocks with growth to weather a downturn (MRK)
S&P 500 components Broadcom, McCormick and Merck stocks are diverse stocks worth tracking for investors seeking strong earnings and dividend growth.
Macroeconomic Factors Pulled Merck & Co. (MRK) in Q3
U.S. Military Defense Fails Without Vanadium?
The metal vanadium is needed for numerous military applications, including jet engines, airframes, and ballistic missiles. And although the U.S. Govt. considers vanadium critical to national security, less than 5% of the metal is mined in America. This means we're at the mercy of China and Russia for our supply.
Merck (NYSE:MRK) Is Increasing Its Dividend To $0.77
12 Best Quality Stocks To Buy Now
The Battery Metal Nobody Told You About
According to McKinsey and Company, the battery storage market is growing rapidly, especially with the transition to clean, renewable energy. Lithium-ion batteries still grab most of the headlines. But analysts now call safe and long-lasting batteries made with vanadium "the future of battery tech."
We Think Merck (NYSE:MRK) Can Stay On Top Of Its Debt
Merck Announces First-Quarter 2024 Dividend
Merck Will Keep Your Retirement Income Healthy
20 Healthiest States in the US in 2023
Merck: Not The Time To Be Adding
See More Headlines
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Company Calendar

Ex-Dividend for 10/6 Dividend
9/14/2023
Dividend Payable
10/06/2023
Last Earnings
10/26/2023
Today
12/05/2023
Ex-Dividend for 1/8 Dividend
12/14/2023
Fiscal Year End
12/31/2023
Dividend Payable
1/08/2024
Next Earnings (Estimated)
2/01/2024

Industry, Sector and Symbol

Industry
Pharmaceutical preparations
Sub-Industry
Pharmaceuticals
Sector
Medical
CUSIP
58933Y10
Employees
69,000
Year Founded
1891

Price Target and Rating

Average Stock Price Target
$125.14
High Stock Price Target
$135.00
Low Stock Price Target
$115.00
Potential Upside/Downside
+17.8%
Consensus Rating
Moderate Buy
Rating Score (0-4)
2.76
Research Coverage
21 Analysts

Profitability

Net Income
$14.52 billion
Pretax Margin
12.56%

Debt

Sales & Book Value

Annual Sales
$59.28 billion
Cash Flow
$9.28 per share
Book Value
$18.17 per share

Miscellaneous

Outstanding Shares
2,534,020,000
Free Float
2,528,955,000
Market Cap
$269.19 billion
Optionable
Optionable
Beta
0.34

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MRK Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

Should I buy or sell Merck & Co., Inc. stock right now?

21 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Merck & Co., Inc. in the last year. There are currently 5 hold ratings and 16 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" MRK shares.
View MRK analyst ratings
or view top-rated stocks.

What is Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock price target for 2024?

21 brokerages have issued twelve-month target prices for Merck & Co., Inc.'s shares. Their MRK share price targets range from $115.00 to $135.00. On average, they expect the company's share price to reach $125.14 in the next year. This suggests a possible upside of 17.8% from the stock's current price.
View analysts price targets for MRK
or view top-rated stocks among Wall Street analysts.

How have MRK shares performed in 2023?

Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock was trading at $110.95 on January 1st, 2023. Since then, MRK shares have decreased by 4.3% and is now trading at $106.23.
View the best growth stocks for 2023 here
.

When is Merck & Co., Inc.'s next earnings date?

The company is scheduled to release its next quarterly earnings announcement on Thursday, February 1st 2024.
View our MRK earnings forecast
.

How were Merck & Co., Inc.'s earnings last quarter?

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) released its earnings results on Thursday, October, 26th. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.94 by $0.19. The firm earned $16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.30 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 7.77% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 18.26%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.85 EPS.
Read the conference call transcript
.

How often does Merck & Co., Inc. pay dividends? What is the dividend yield for Merck & Co., Inc.?

Merck & Co., Inc. announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, November 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.77 per share on Monday, January 8th. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.90%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 14th. This is a boost from the stock's previous quarterly dividend of $0.73.
Read our dividend analysis for MRK
.

Is Merck & Co., Inc. a good dividend stock?

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) pays an annual dividend of $2.92 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 2.82%. The company has been increasing its dividend for 12 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 162.22%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, MRK will have a dividend payout ratio of 34.31% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.
Read our dividend analysis for MRK.

What guidance has Merck & Co., Inc. issued on next quarter's earnings?

Merck & Co., Inc. issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday, October, 26th. The company provided EPS guidance of $1.33-$1.38 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $3.03. The company issued revenue guidance of $59.7-$60.2 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $59.32 billion.

What is Kenneth C. Frazier's approval rating as Merck & Co., Inc.'s CEO?

1,343 employees have rated Merck & Co., Inc. Chief Executive Officer Kenneth C. Frazier on Glassdoor.com. Kenneth C. Frazier has an approval rating of 94% among the company's employees. This puts Kenneth C. Frazier in the top 30% of approval ratings compared to other CEOs of publicly-traded companies.

What other stocks do shareholders of Merck & Co., Inc. own?

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some companies that other Merck & Co., Inc. investors own include Pfizer (PFE), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), AT&T (T), Intel (INTC), Cisco Systems (CSCO), Walt Disney (DIS), Verizon Communications (VZ), JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), AbbVie (ABBV) and Home Depot (HD).

Who are Merck & Co., Inc.'s major shareholders?

Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock is owned by a variety of retail and institutional investors. Top institutional shareholders include Wellington Management Group LLP (3.25%), Morgan Stanley (1.52%), FMR LLC (1.51%), Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. (1.26%), Northern Trust Corp (1.18%) and Bank of New York Mellon Corp (0.98%). Insiders that own company stock include Caroline Litchfield, Frank Clyburn, Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen, Joseph Romanelli, Kenneth C Frazier, Richard R Deluca, Rita A Karachun, Robert M Davis, Sanat Chattopadhyay and Steven Mizell.
View institutional ownership trends
.

How do I buy shares of Merck & Co., Inc.?

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

This page (NYSE:MRK) was last updated on 12/6/2023 by MarketBeat.com Staff

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