NYSE:MRK

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

$112.52

+1.59 (+1.43%)

(As of 06/2/2023 ET)

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Today's Range: $110.72
▼
$112.73
50-Day Range: $104.80
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$118.38
52-Week Range: $83.05
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$119.65

Volume: 5.74 million shs
Average Volume: 7.84 million shs
Market Capitalization: $285.51 billion

P/E Ratio: 21.98
Dividend Yield: 2.60%
Price Target: $120.75

Merck & Co., Inc. MarketRank™ Forecast

Analyst Rating: Moderate Buy
2.70 Rating Score
Upside/Downside: 7.3% Upside
$120.75 Price Target
Short Interest: Healthy
0.77% of Shares Sold Short
Dividend Strength: Strong
Based on Four Factors
Sustainability: -2.31
Upright™ Environmental Score
News Sentiment: 0.67
Based on 13 Articles This Week
Insider Trading: Selling Shares
$56.48 M Sold Last Quarter
Proj. Earnings Growth: 21.73%
From $6.95 to $8.46 Per Share

Overall MarketRank^™

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

2.90 out of 5 stars

Medical Sector

31st out of 983 stocks

Pharmaceutical Preparations Industry

12th out of 486 stocks

2.3

Analyst's Opinion

Consensus Rating
Merck & Co., Inc. has received a consensus rating of Buy. The company's average rating score is 2.70, and is based on 16 buy ratings, 7 hold ratings, and no sell ratings.
Price Target Upside/Downside
According to analysts' consensus price target of $120.75, Merck & Co., Inc. has a forecasted upside of 7.3% from its current price of $112.52.
Amount of Analyst Coverage
Merck & Co., Inc. has been the subject of 10 research reports in the past 90 days, demonstrating strong analyst interest in this stock.

3.0

Short Interest

Percentage of Shares Shorted
0.77% of the outstanding shares of Merck & Co., Inc. have been sold short.
Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover
Merck & Co., Inc. has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 2.6, 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 increased by 2.72%, indicating that investor sentiment is decreasing.

4.2

Dividend Strength

Dividend Yield
Merck & Co., Inc. pays a meaningful dividend of 2.64%, higher than the bottom 25% of all stocks that pay dividends.
Dividend Growth
Merck & Co., Inc. has been increasing its dividend for 12 years.
Dividend Coverage
The dividend payout ratio of Merck & Co., Inc. is 57.03%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%.
Dividend Sustainability
Based on earnings estimates, Merck & Co., Inc. will have a dividend payout ratio of 34.52% next year. This indicates that Merck & Co., Inc. will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

4.0

Sustainability and ESG

Overall ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Score
Merck & Co., Inc. has received a 56.11% net impact score from Upright. The largest positive contribution comes from its "Physical diseases" impact, which is mostly driven by its "Papillomavirus vaccines", "Pembrolizumab", and "Antiviral medication (J05)" products. See details.
Environmental Sustainability
The Environmental Impact score for Merck & Co., Inc. is -2.31.

2.0

News and Social Media Coverage

News Sentiment
Merck & Co., Inc. has a news sentiment score of 0.67. 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 is a higher news sentiment than the 0.55 average news sentiment score of Medical companies.
News Coverage This Week
MarketBeat has tracked 13 news articles for Merck & Co., Inc. this week, compared to 14 articles on an average week.
Search Interest
Only 80 people have searched for MRK on MarketBeat in the last 30 days. This is a decrease of -42% compared to the previous 30 days.
MarketBeat Follows
Only 36 people have added Merck & Co., Inc. to their MarketBeat watchlist in the last 30 days. This is a decrease of -20% compared to the previous 30 days.

2.5

Company Ownership

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 $56,481,018.00 in company stock.
Percentage Held by Insiders
Only 0.20% of the stock of Merck & Co., Inc. is held by insiders.
Percentage Held by Institutions
72.89% 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.

3.1

Earnings and Valuation

Earnings Growth
Earnings for Merck & Co., Inc. are expected to grow by 21.73% in the coming year, from $6.95 to $8.46 per share.
Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market
The P/E ratio of Merck & Co., Inc. is 21.98, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 135.73.
Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector
The P/E ratio of Merck & Co., Inc. is 21.98, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Medical sector average P/E ratio of about 109.97.
Price to Earnings Growth Ratio
Merck & Co., Inc. has a PEG Ratio of 1.92. 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 6.09. P/B Ratios above 3 indicate that a company could be overvalued with respect to its assets and liabilities.

See Top Rated MarketRank™ Stocks Here

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

May 30, 2023 | marketbeat.com

Iovance Biotherapeutics Spikes on Melanoma BLA FDA Application (MRK)

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May 18, 2023 | marketbeat.com

Pharma Giants Novartis, Lilly, Merck, and Novo Outperform Market (MRK)

Big pharma stocks Novartis, Eli Lilly, Merck, and Novo Nordisk are outperforming the market, driven by successful drugs and strong earnings growth.

June 2, 2023 | Vantage Point (Ad)

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May 4, 2023 | marketbeat.com

3 Underperforming Nasdaq 100 Stocks Worth a Closer Look (MRK)

Given the volatility and growth potential associated with the Nasdaq’s elite, investors may want to keep these recent underperformers on the watch list.

May 2, 2023 | marketbeat.com

Can-Fite BioPharma Spikes on Pancreatic Cancer Inhibition Finding (MRK)

Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSEAMERICAN: CANF) is an Israel-based biotechnology firm that develops small-molecule therapeutic treatments for cancers

May 2, 2023 | marketbeat.com

High-Yield Pfizer Falls Off The COVID Cliff, And Survives (MRK)

Pfizer is a value and high-yield compared to its peers and it it outperforming expectations in 2023; The pipeline is robust.

June 2, 2023 | reuters.com

BioNTech says drug from OncoC4 partnership shows promise in mid-stage trial

June 2, 2023 | americanbankingnews.com

Brokerages Set Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) PT at $120.75

June 2, 2023 | Legacy Research (Affiliate) (Ad)

“One-Stock Millionaire” IGNORES 99.9% of the Market

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June 1, 2023 | forbes.com

Is Merck Stock A Better Pick Over ABBV?

June 1, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

FDA Approves LYNPARZA® (olaparib) Plus Abiraterone and Prednisone or Prednisolone for Treatment of Adult Patients With BRCA-Mutated Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC)

May 31, 2023 | thestreet.com

Merck & Co Inc (MRK): Today's Featured Health Care Winner

May 31, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

New Pfizer RSV Vaccine Rolls Out Into Headwinds of Hesitancy

May 30, 2023 | msn.com

Cantor Fitzgerald Reiterates Merck (MRK) Overweight Recommendation

May 30, 2023 | seekingalpha.com

Merck: Solid Pharma Buy With Strong Upside If Keytruda Patents Extended

May 30, 2023 | markets.businessinsider.com

Analysts Have Conflicting Sentiments on These Healthcare Companies: Rain Therapeutics (RAIN), Merck & Company (MRK) and Lexicon Pharmaceuticals (LXRX)

May 25, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) Plus LENVIMA® (lenvatinib) Demonstrates Long-Term, Durable Survival Benefit Versus Sunitinib as First-Line Treatment for Patients With Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma

May 25, 2023 | americanbankingnews.com

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Quarterly Dividend of $0.73 (NYSE:MRK)

May 24, 2023 | msn.com

Unusual Call Option Trade in Merck (MRK) Worth $618.80K

May 23, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

Merck Announces Third-Quarter 2023 Dividend

May 18, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

25 Most Prescribed Medication in the World

May 18, 2023 | americanbankingnews.com

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at StockNews.com

May 16, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

Drugmakers Circle $23 Billion Biotech Argenx Ahead of Key Data

May 16, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

Billionaire Ken Fisher’s Top 15 Dividend Stock Picks

May 16, 2023 | americanbankingnews.com

Zacks Research Equities Analysts Raise Earnings Estimates for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

May 15, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

Merck to Present Extensive New Research Demonstrating Significant Progress in the Treatment of Certain Earlier Stage Cancers and in Advancing Broad Oncology Pipeline at 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting

May 14, 2023 | seekingalpha.com

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Bank of America Securities 2023 Healthcare Conference Transcript

See More Headlines

MRK Price History

30 days | 90 days | 365 days | Advanced Chart

MRK Company Calendar

Ex-Dividend for 4/10 Dividend: 3/14/2023
Dividend Payable: 4/10/2023
Last Earnings: 4/27/2023
Today: 6/02/2023
Ex-Dividend for 7/10 Dividend: 6/14/2023
Dividend Payable: 7/10/2023
Next Earnings (Estimated): 7/27/2023
Fiscal Year End: 12/31/2023

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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: $120.75
High Stock Price Forecast: $135.00
Low Stock Price Forecast: $98.00
Forecasted Upside/Downside: +7.3%
Consensus Rating: Moderate Buy
Rating Score (0-4): 2.70
Research Coverage: 23 Analysts

Profitability

EPS (Most Recent Fiscal Year): $5.12
Trailing P/E Ratio: 21.98
Forward P/E Ratio: 16.19
P/E Growth: 1.92
Net Income: $14.52 billion
Net Margins: 22.52%
Pretax Margin: 26.32%
Return on Equity: 37.92%
Return on Assets: 15.90%

Debt

Debt-to-Equity Ratio: 0.60
Current Ratio: 1.44
Quick Ratio: 1.19

Sales & Book Value

Annual Sales: $59.28 billion
Price / Sales: 4.82
Cash Flow: $9.21 per share
Price / Cash Flow: 12.22
Book Value: $18.49 per share
Price / Book: 6.09

Miscellaneous

Outstanding Shares: 2,537,440,000
Free Float: 2,532,361,000
Market Cap: $285.51 billion
Optionable: Optionable
Beta: 0.35

Social Links

Key Executives

Robert M. Davis
Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer

Caroline A. Litchfield
Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice President

Dave Williams
Chief Information & Digital Officer

Lisa LeCointe-Cephas
Senior VP, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer

Sanat Chattopadhyay
EVP & President-Merck Manufacturing Division

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?: 23 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Merck & Co., Inc. in the last twelve months. There are currently 7 hold ratings and 16 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street 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?: 23 Wall Street research analysts have issued 12 month price objectives for Merck & Co., Inc.'s shares. Their MRK share price forecasts range from $98.00 to $135.00. On average, they anticipate the company's share price to reach $120.75 in the next year. This suggests a possible upside of 7.3% 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 beginning of 2023. Since then, MRK shares have increased by 1.4% and is now trading at $112.52.
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, July 27th 2023.
View our MRK earnings forecast.
How were Merck & Co., Inc.'s earnings last quarter?: Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April, 27th. The company reported $1.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $14.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.81 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 37.92% and a net margin of 22.52%. The business's quarterly revenue was down 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.14 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, May 23rd. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share on Monday, July 10th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.60%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 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 iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (IHE), Invesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF (SPMO), First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF (FTXH), Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV), Invesco Dynamic Pharmaceuticals ETF (PJP), VanEck Pharmaceutical ETF (PPH), iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF (IYH) and Absolute Select Value ETF (ABEQ).
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 2.64%. 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 57.03%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, MRK will have a dividend payout ratio of 34.52% 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, April, 27th. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $6.88-$7.00 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $6.91. The company issued revenue guidance of $57.70 billion-$58.90 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $58.28 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."
Who are Merck & Co., Inc.'s major shareholders?: Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock is owned by many different institutional and retail investors. Top institutional shareholders include BlackRock Inc. (8.24%), State Street Corp (4.59%), Wellington Management Group LLP (2.70%), Geode Capital Management LLC (2.02%), FMR LLC (1.41%) and Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. (1.21%). Insiders that own company stock include Caroline Litchfield, Frank Clyburn, Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen, Joseph Romanelli, Julie L Gerberding, 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.
What is Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock price today?: One share of MRK stock can currently be purchased for approximately $112.52.
How much money does Merck & Co., Inc. make?: Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has a market capitalization of $285.51 billion and generates $59.28 billion in revenue each year. The company earns $14.52 billion in net income (profit) each year or $5.12 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 6/2/2023 by MarketBeat.com Staff

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