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DOW   33,274.15
QQQ   320.93
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What is a Gold IRA, and is it a Viable Investment?
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Top-Rated Dividend Stocks  
NYSE:MRK

Merck & Co., Inc. - MRK Stock Forecast, Price & News

$106.39
+0.47 (+0.44%)
(As of 03/31/2023 12:00 AM ET)
Add
Compare
Today's Range
$105.52
▼
$106.53
50-Day Range
$102.94
▼
$111.27
52-Week Range
$80.74
▼
$115.49
Volume
6.92 million shs
Average Volume
8.82 million shs
Market Capitalization
$270.08 billion
P/E Ratio
18.63
Dividend Yield
2.74%
Price Target
$119.35

Merck & Co., Inc. MarketRank™ Forecast

Analyst Rating
Moderate Buy
2.71 Rating Score
Upside/​Downside
12.2% Upside
$119.35 Price Target
Short Interest
Healthy
0.77% of Shares Sold Short
Dividend Strength
Strong
Based on Four Factors
Sustainability
-1.65
Upright™ Environmental Score
News Sentiment
1.08mentions of Merck & Co., Inc. in the last 14 days
Based on 14 Articles This Week
Insider Trading
Selling Shares
$11.17 M Sold Last Quarter
Proj. Earnings Growth
25.04%
From $6.87 to $8.59 Per Share

Overall MarketRank™

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

3.42 out of 5 stars

Medical Sector

7th out of 1,004 stocks

Pharmaceutical Preparations Industry

2nd out of 489 stocks

See Top Rated MarketRank™ Stocks Here

MRK stock logo

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

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.

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MRK Stock News Headlines

March 28, 2023 | marketbeat.com
Don't Be Fooled by These 3 Value Traps (MRK)
Approximately one out of every ten U.S. listed stocks have a positive P/E ratio less than 10. Some are justifiably cheap; others are merely fool’s gold.
March 27, 2023 | marketbeat.com
BioNTech Is Ripe For A Rebound In 2023  (MRK)
BioNTech had a strong quarter and may become a takeover target due to its healthy pipeline and a looming patent cliff for big pharma.
April 1, 2023 | Legacy Research (Affiliate) (Ad)
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March 15, 2023 | marketbeat.com
Pfizer’s Latest Acquisition Strengthens the Case for PFE Stock (MRK)
Pfizer's merger with Seagen will strengthen the company's already strong oncology portfolio and perhaps boost the case for owning PFE stock
March 30, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
Merck to Hold First-Quarter 2023 Sales and Earnings Conference Call on April 27
March 30, 2023 | americanbankingnews.com
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Stock Rating Lowered by Societe Generale
March 29, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
FDA Converts to Full Approval Indication for KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) for Certain Adult and Pediatric Patients With Advanced Microsatellite Instability-High (MSI-H) or Mismatch Repair Deficient (dMMR) Solid Tumors
March 27, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) Plus Chemotherapy Significantly Improved Progression-Free Survival Compared to Chemotherapy Alone as First-Line Therapy for Advanced or Recurrent Endometrial Carcinoma, Regardless of Mismatch Repair Status
April 1, 2023 | Vantage Point (Ad)
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March 27, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
What Makes Merck & Co. (MRK) A Strong Investment?
March 22, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
Amplifying the Power of Women in Chemistry
March 22, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Merck, Intel, MercadoLibre, The Travelers Companies and Halliburton
March 21, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
MRK- A Big Pharma Company That's Beating Estimates and Building Its Pipeline
March 21, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
Top Research Reports for Merck, Intel & MercadoLibre
March 20, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
Merck (MRK) Stock Up 31.6% in a Year: What Awaits in 2023?
March 18, 2023 | msn.com
Here's How Much You Would Have Made Owning Merck & Co Stock In The Last 5 Years
March 17, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
Merck's (MRK) Co-formulation Therapy Fails Lung Cancer Study
March 17, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
UPDATE 1-Two new vaccines against bird flu effective in Dutch lab -govt
March 17, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
Merck's Keytruda Combo Therapy Less Effective Than Chemo In Lung Cancer Patients, Data Shows
March 17, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
Merck’s combination therapy in lung cancer fails a Phase 2 clinical trial
March 16, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
Merck Provides Update from Open-Label Arm of Phase 2 KeyVibe-002 Trial Evaluating MK-7684A, a Coformulation of Vibostolimab and Pembrolizumab, in Previously Treated Patients with Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
March 13, 2023 | marketwatch.com
Merck & Co. Inc. stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitors
March 10, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
Merck's Keytuda+Chemo Combo Improves Overall Survival In Patients With Advanced Mesothelioma
March 10, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) Plus Chemotherapy Significantly Improved Overall Survival Versus Chemotherapy Alone as First-Line Treatment for Advanced Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
March 9, 2023 | msn.com
Peering Into Merck & Co's Recent Short Interest
March 9, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
Merck (MRK) Stock Moves -0.63%: What You Should Know
March 8, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
OPKO Health's Cancer & Infectious Disease Focused Subsidiary Inks Vaccine Development Pact With Merck
See More Headlines
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MRK Company Calendar

Ex-Dividend for 1/9 Dividend
12/14/2022
Dividend Payable
1/09/2023
Last Earnings
2/02/2023
Ex-Dividend for 4/10 Dividend
3/14/2023
Today
4/01/2023
Dividend Payable
4/10/2023
Next Earnings (Confirmed)
4/27/2023
Fiscal Year End
12/31/2023
Get Stock Alerts

Industry, Sector and Symbol

Stock Exchange
NYSE
Industry
Pharmaceutical preparations
Sub-Industry
Pharmaceuticals
Sector
Medical
Current Symbol
NYSE:MRK
CUSIP
58933Y10
CIK
310158
Web
www.merck.com
Phone
(908) 740-4000
Fax
908-735-1253
Employees
69,000
Year Founded
1891

Price Target and Rating

Average Stock Price Forecast
$119.35
High Stock Price Forecast
$135.00
Low Stock Price Forecast
$98.00
Forecasted Upside/Downside
+12.2%
Consensus Rating
Moderate Buy
Rating Score (0-4)
2.71
Research Coverage
21 Analysts

Profitability

EPS (Most Recent Fiscal Year)
$5.71
Trailing P/E Ratio
18.63
Forward P/E Ratio
15.49
P/E Growth
1.92
Net Income
$14.52 billion
Net Margins
24.49%
Pretax Margin
27.74%
Return on Equity
43.47%
Return on Assets
17.68%

Debt

Debt-to-Equity Ratio
0.62
Current Ratio
1.47
Quick Ratio
1.23

Sales & Book Value

Annual Sales
$59.28 billion
Price / Sales
4.56
Cash Flow
$9.11 per share
Price / Cash Flow
11.68
Book Value
$18.17 per share
Price / Book
5.86

Miscellaneous

Outstanding Shares
2,538,590,000
Free Float
2,531,231,000
Market Cap
$270.08 billion
Optionable
Optionable
Beta
0.34

Social Links


Key Executives

  • Robert M. DavisRobert M. Davis
    Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer
  • Caroline A. LitchfieldCaroline A. Litchfield
    Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice President
  • Dave Williams
    Chief Information & Digital Officer
  • Lisa LeCointe-Cephas
    Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, SVP
  • Richard R. DeLucaRichard R. DeLuca
    Executive Vice President & President-Animal Health

Key Competitors

View All Competitors

Insiders & Institutions

View All Insider Transactions
View All Institutional Transactions













MRK Stock - 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 6 hold ratings and 15 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "buy" MRK shares.
View MRK analyst ratings or view top-rated stocks.

What is Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock price forecast for 2023?

21 brokers have issued twelve-month target prices for Merck & Co., Inc.'s shares. Their MRK share price forecasts range from $98.00 to $135.00. On average, they predict the company's stock price to reach $119.35 in the next twelve months. This suggests a possible upside of 12.2% 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 at the start of the year. Since then, MRK stock has decreased by 4.1% and is now trading at $106.39.
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, April 27th 2023.
View our MRK earnings forecast.

How can I listen to Merck & Co., Inc.'s earnings call?

Merck & Co., Inc. will be holding an earnings conference call on Thursday, April 27th at 9:00 AM Eastern. Interested parties can register for or listen to the call using this link.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February, 2nd. The company reported $1.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.56 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $13.83 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.66 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 24.49% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 43.47%. The firm's revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.80 earnings per share.
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. declared a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, January 24th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share on Monday, April 10th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 14th.
Read our dividend analysis for MRK.

What ETFs hold Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock?

ETFs with the largest weight of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) stock in their portfolio include First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF (FTXH), VanEck Durable High Dividend ETF (DURA), Invesco Dynamic Pharmaceuticals ETF (PJP), Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV), VanEck Pharmaceutical ETF (PPH), iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF (IYH), IQ Healthy Hearts ETF (HART) and Pacer BioThreat Strategy ETF (VIRS).

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 2.77%. 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 51.14%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, MRK will have a dividend payout ratio of 33.99% 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 FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday, February, 2nd. The company provided EPS guidance of $6.80-$6.95 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $7.36. The company issued revenue guidance of $57.20 billion-$58.70 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $58.07 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).

What is Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock symbol?

Merck & Co., Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol "MRK."

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.

What is Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock price today?

One share of MRK stock can currently be purchased for approximately $106.39.

How much money does Merck & Co., Inc. make?

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has a market capitalization of $270.08 billion and generates $59.28 billion in revenue each year. The company earns $14.52 billion in net income (profit) each year or $5.71 on an earnings per share basis.

How many employees does Merck & Co., Inc. have?

The company employs 69,000 workers across the globe.

How can I contact Merck & Co., Inc.?

Merck & Co., Inc.'s mailing address is 2000 GALLOPING HILL ROAD, KENILWORTH NJ, 07033. The official website for the company is www.merck.com. The company can be reached via phone at (908) 740-4000, via email at investor_relations@merck.com, or via fax at 908-735-1253.

This page (NYSE:MRK) was last updated on 4/1/2023 by MarketBeat.com Staff