NYSE:MRK

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

$79.94

+1.65 (+2.11 %)

(As of 05/17/2021 12:28 PM ET)

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Today's Range

$78.30

▼

$79.98

50-Day Range

$73.68

▼

$79.23

52-Week Range

$71.71

▼

$87.80

Volume435,314 shs

Average Volume11.67 million shs

Market Capitalization$202.41 billion

P/E Ratio17.69

Dividend Yield3.32%

Beta0.43

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About Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co., Inc. operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It operates through two segments, Pharmaceutical and Animal Health segments. The Pharmaceutical segment offers human health pharmaceutical products in the areas of oncology, hospital acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, diabetes, and women's health, as well as vaccine products. The Animal Health segment provides discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets a range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions and services, as well as a suite of digitally connected identification, traceability, and monitoring products. The company has collaborations with AstraZeneca PLC; Bayer AG; Eisai Co., Ltd.; and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. It serves drug wholesalers and retailers, hospitals, and government agencies; managed health care providers, such as health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, and other institutions; and physicians and physician distributors, veterinarians, and animal producers. The company has an agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc. to co-develop and co-commercialize long-acting investigational treatment combinations of Lenacapavir and Islatravir in HIV; and a collaboration agreement with Amathus Therapeutics to develop treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. Merck & Co., Inc. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Kenilworth, New Jersey.

New era begins at Merck as pandemic cuts Q1 sales, profit
April 29, 2021 | marketbeat.com

Can These 3 Dow Laggards Make a Second Half Comeback? (MRK)
April 22, 2021 | marketbeat.com

Merck Announces Phase 3 KEYNOTE-522 Trial Met Dual Primary Endpoint of Event-Free Survival (EFS) in Patients With High-Risk Early-Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)
May 13, 2021 | finance.yahoo.com

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) EVP Sells $1,513,455.68 in Stock
May 11, 2021 | americanbankingnews.com

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Buy" from Analysts
May 10, 2021 | americanbankingnews.com

Merck Declares Record Date and Dividend for the Organon & Co. Spinoff
May 7, 2021 | finance.yahoo.com

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Issues FY 2021 Earnings Guidance
May 6, 2021 | americanbankingnews.com

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Given New $102.00 Price Target at SVB Leerink
May 6, 2021 | americanbankingnews.com

Merck and Eisai Receive Priority Review From FDA for KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) Plus LENVIMA® (lenvatinib) Applications for Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma and for Advanced Endometrial Carcinoma
May 6, 2021 | finance.yahoo.com

Merck Highlights Scientific Data at 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting Across More Than 20 Cancer Types From Broad Oncology Research Program
May 6, 2021 | finance.yahoo.com

See More Headlines

Industry, Sector and Symbol

Stock Exchange NYSE

Industry Pharmaceutical preparations

Sub-IndustryPharmaceuticals

SectorMedical

Current SymbolNYSE:MRK

Previous Symbol

CUSIP58933Y10

CIK310158

Webwww.merck.com

Phone908-740-4000

Employees73,000

Year Founded1891

Sales & Book Value

Annual Sales$46.84 billion

Price / Sales4.32

Cash Flow$6.49 per share

Price / Cash Flow12.31

Book Value$10.21 per share

Price / Book7.83

Profitability

EPS (Most Recent Fiscal Year)$5.19

Net Income$9.84 billion

Net Margins24.33%

Return on Equity53.83%

Return on Assets16.83%

Debt

Debt-to-Equity Ratio0.90

Current Ratio1.30

Quick Ratio1.00

Price-To-Earnings

Trailing P/E Ratio17.69

Forward P/E Ratio13.55

P/E Growth1.89

Miscellaneous

Outstanding Shares2,532,058,000

Market Cap$202.41 billion

Next Earnings Date7/30/2021 (Estimated)

OptionableOptionable

Social Links

MarketRank^™

Overall MarketRank^™

2.19 out of 5 stars

Medical Sector

26th out of 2,032 stocks

Pharmaceutical Preparations Industry

11th out of 768 stocks

2.4 Analyst's Opinion

Consensus Rating
Merck & Co., Inc. has received a consensus rating of Buy. The company's average rating score is 2.80, and is based on 8 buy ratings, 2 hold ratings, and no sell ratings.
Price Target Upside/Downside
According to analysts' consensus price target of $97.50, Merck & Co., Inc. has a forecasted upside of 22.2% from its current price of $79.80.
Amount of Analyst Coverage
Merck & Co., Inc. has only been the subject of 1 research reports in the past 90 days.

2.5 Community Rank

Outperform Votes
Merck & Co., Inc. has received 868 “outperform” votes. (Add your “outperform” vote.)
Underperform Votes
Merck & Co., Inc. has received 839 “underperform” votes. (Add your “underperform” vote.)
Community Sentiment
Merck & Co., Inc. has received 50.85% “outperform” votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Merck & Co., Inc. and other stocks. Vote “Outperform” if you believe MRK will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote “Underperform” if you believe MRK will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

2.5 Dividend Strength

Dividend Yield
Merck & Co., Inc. pays a meaningful dividend of 3.32%, higher than the bottom 25% of all stocks that pay dividends.
Dividend Growth
Merck & Co., Inc. has only been increasing its dividend for 1 years.
Dividend Coverage
The dividend payout ratio of Merck & Co., Inc. is 50.10%. 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 42.83% next year. This indicates that Merck & Co., Inc. will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

1.7 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 $1,513,456.00 in company stock.
Percentage Held by Insiders
Only 0.28% of the stock of Merck & Co., Inc. is held by insiders.
Percentage Held by Institutions
72.86% 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.

1.9 Earnings and Valuation

Earnings Growth
Earnings for Merck & Co., Inc. are expected to grow by 2.88% in the coming year, from $5.90 to $6.07 per share.
Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market
The P/E ratio of Merck & Co., Inc. is 17.65, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 23.58.
Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector
The P/E ratio of Merck & Co., Inc. is 17.65, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Medical sector average P/E ratio of about 42.27.
Price to Earnings Growth Ratio
Merck & Co., Inc. has a PEG Ratio of 1.89. 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 7.82. 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

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Frequently Asked Questions

Is Merck & Co., Inc. a buy right now?

10 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Merck & Co., Inc. in the last twelve months. There are currently 2 hold ratings and 8 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "buy" Merck & Co., Inc. stock.
View analyst ratings for Merck & Co., Inc. or view top-rated stocks.

What stocks does MarketBeat like better than Merck & Co., Inc.?

Wall Street analysts have given Merck & Co., Inc. a "Buy" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Merck & Co., Inc. wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.
View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.

Are investors shorting Merck & Co., Inc.?

Merck & Co., Inc. saw a increase in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 23,740,000 shares, an increase of 30.9% from the March 15th total of 18,140,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 11,960,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.0 days. Currently, 0.9% of the shares of the stock are sold short.
View Merck & Co., Inc.'s Short Interest.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. is scheduled to release its next quarterly earnings announcement on Friday, July 30th 2021.
View our earnings forecast for Merck & Co., Inc..

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

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April, 29th. The company reported $1.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the Zacks' consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.23. The firm earned $12.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.71 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 24.33% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 53.83%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue for the quarter was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.50 earnings per share.
View Merck & Co., Inc.'s earnings history.

How has Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock been impacted by COVID-19 (Coronavirus)?

Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock was trading at $79.25 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, MRK stock has increased by 0.7% and is now trading at $79.80.
View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.

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 Wednesday, January 27th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 15th will be given a dividend of $0.65 per share on Wednesday, April 7th. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.26%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 12th.
View Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend history.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. pays an annual dividend of $2.60 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 3.32%. Merck & Co., Inc. does not yet have a strock track record of dividend growth. The dividend payout ratio of Merck & Co., Inc. is 50.10%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, Merck & Co., Inc. will have a dividend payout ratio of 42.83% next year. This indicates that Merck & Co., Inc. will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.
View Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend history.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. issued an update on its FY 2021 earnings guidance on Thursday, May, 6th. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 6.480-6.680 for the period, compared to the Thomson Reuters consensus EPS estimate of $6.570. The company issued revenue guidance of $51.80 billion-$53.80 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $52.51 billion.

What price target have analysts set for MRK?

10 brokers have issued twelve-month price targets for Merck & Co., Inc.'s shares. Their forecasts range from $88.00 to $105.00. On average, they anticipate Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock price to reach $97.50 in the next year. This suggests a possible upside of 22.2% from the stock's current price.
View analysts' price targets for Merck & Co., Inc. or view top-rated stocks among Wall Street analysts.

Who are Merck & Co., Inc.'s key executives?

Merck & Co., Inc.'s management team includes the following people:

Mr. Kenneth C. Frazier, CEO & Chairman (Age 66, Pay $4.3M)
Mr. Robert M. Davis, Pres (Age 54, Pay $2.29M)
Ms. Jennifer L. Zachary, Exec. VP, Gen. Counsel & Corp. Sec. (Age 43, Pay $1.79M)
Mr. Sanat Chattopadhyay, Exec. VP & Pres of Merck Manufacturing Division (Age 61, Pay $1.56M)
Ms. Caroline Litchfield, Exec. VP & CFO
Mr. David Michael Williams, Chief Information & Digital Officer
Mr. Peter Dannenbaum CFA, VP of Investor Relations
Michael W. Fleming, Sr. VP and Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer (Age 62)
Ms. Jennifer Mauer, VP of Global Communications
Mr. Steven C. Mizell, Exec. VP & Chief HR Officer (Age 61)

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

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

Who are some of Merck & Co., Inc.'s key competitors?

Some companies that are related to Merck & Co., Inc. include Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Pfizer (PFE), AbbVie (ABBV), Eli Lilly and (LLY), Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY), Zoetis (ZTS), Royalty Pharma (RPRX), Horizon Therapeutics Public (HZNP), Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ), Perrigo (PRGO), Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR), Pacira BioSciences (PCRX), Corcept Therapeutics (CORT), Supernus Pharmaceuticals (SUPN) and Endo International (ENDP).
View all of MRK's competitors.

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), The Walt Disney (DIS), Verizon Communications (VZ), JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), AbbVie (ABBV) and The 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 a variety of institutional and retail investors. Top institutional shareholders include BlackRock Inc. (7.66%), Geode Capital Management LLC (1.69%), Franklin Resources Inc. (1.40%), Capital International Investors (1.31%), Northern Trust Corp (1.27%) and Bank of New York Mellon Corp (1.21%). Company insiders that own Merck & Co., Inc. stock include Frank Clyburn, Julie L Gerberding, Richard R Deluca, Robert M Davis, Sanat Chattopadhyay and Wendell P Weeks.
View institutional ownership trends for Merck & Co., Inc..

Which major investors are selling Merck & Co., Inc. stock?

MRK stock was sold by a variety of institutional investors in the last quarter, including BlackRock Inc., Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC, TD Asset Management Inc., Bank of Nova Scotia, Capital International Investors, Schafer Cullen Capital Management Inc, Primecap Management Co. CA, and Bank of New York Mellon Corp. Company insiders that have sold Merck & Co., Inc. company stock in the last year include Frank Clyburn, Julie L Gerberding, Robert M Davis, and Sanat Chattopadhyay.
View insider buying and selling activity for Merck & Co., Inc. or view top insider-selling stocks.

Which major investors are buying Merck & Co., Inc. stock?

MRK stock was acquired by a variety of institutional investors in the last quarter, including Franklin Resources Inc., Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA, Cullen Capital Management LLC, Nordea Investment Management AB, Envestnet Asset Management Inc., Camber Capital Management LP, and Artisan Partners Limited Partnership.
View insider buying and selling activity for Merck & Co., Inc. or or view top insider-buying stocks.

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

Shares of MRK 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 $79.80.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. has a market capitalization of $202.06 billion and generates $46.84 billion in revenue each year. The company earns $9.84 billion in net income (profit) each year or $5.19 on an earnings per share basis.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. employs 73,000 workers across the globe.

When was Merck & Co., Inc. founded?

Merck & Co., Inc. was founded in 1891.

What is Merck & Co., Inc.'s official website?

The official website for Merck & Co., Inc. is www.merck.com.

Where are Merck & Co., Inc.'s headquarters?

Merck & Co., Inc. is headquartered at 2000 GALLOPING HILL ROAD, KENILWORTH NJ, 07033.

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

Merck & Co., Inc.'s mailing address is 2000 GALLOPING HILL ROAD, KENILWORTH NJ, 07033. The company can be reached via phone at 908-740-4000 or via email at [email protected]

This page was last updated on 5/17/2021 by MarketBeat.com Staff

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