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

Company Overview

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) is a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of a broad range of innovative human and animal health products. The company’s human health portfolio spans oncology, vaccines, infectious diseases, cardio-metabolic disorders and hospital acute care, with leading prescription medicines including Keytruda® for cancer immunotherapy, Gardasil® for HPV-related diseases and Januvia® for type 2 diabetes. In its animal health division, Merck provides vaccines and pharmaceutical therapies for livestock and companion animals, addressing conditions from parasitic infestations to respiratory and reproductive diseases.

Merck traces its origins to 1891 when George W. Merck established a U.S. affiliate of the German Merck company. The modern corporation took shape following World War I and has since grown through research breakthroughs and strategic acquisitions to become one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies. Its research and development efforts are supported by a global network of laboratories and manufacturing facilities, with major R&D centers in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Headquartered in Kenilworth, New Jersey, Merck operates in more than 140 countries, serving patients, healthcare professionals and animal health customers worldwide. The company maintains partnerships with academic institutions, government agencies and other biopharma organizations to advance scientific understanding and accelerate the delivery of novel therapies. Merck is committed to expanding access to its medicines and vaccines through pricing programs, licensing agreements and support for healthcare infrastructure in underserved regions.

Under the leadership of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert M. Davis, Merck continues to invest in cutting-edge technologies such as mRNA platforms, cell and gene therapy, and next-generation oncology targets. The company’s mission is to translate innovative science into medicines and vaccines that help people and communities around the world.

Key Stats

• Today's Range: $85.19 to $90.65
• 50-Day Range: $77.70 to $87.18
• 52-Week Range: $73.31 to $114.60
• Volume: 21.52 million shs
• Average Volume: 15.06 million shs
• Market Capitalization: $226.13 billion
• P/E Ratio: 13.95
• Dividend Yield: 3.58%
• Price Target: $106.41
• Consensus Rating: Hold

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

Merck & Co., Inc. scored higher than 100% of companies evaluated by MarketBeat, and ranked 3rd out of 951 stocks in the medical sector. Scores are calculated by averaging available category scores, with extra weight given to analysis and valuation.

Analyst's Opinion

• Score: 3.2 / 5
• Analyst Rating: Hold

Consensus Rating

Merck & Co., Inc. has received a consensus rating of Hold. The company's average rating score is 2.33, and is based on 6 buy ratings, 13 hold ratings, and 1 sell rating.

Upside Potential

Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus price target of $106.41, representing about 17.6% upside from its current price of $90.50.

Amount of Analyst Coverage

Merck & Co., Inc. has only been the subject of 3 research reports in the past 90 days.

Earnings and Valuation

• Score: 3.8 / 5
• Proj. Earnings Growth: 9.88%

Earnings Growth

Earnings for Merck & Co., Inc. are expected to grow by 9.88% in the coming year, from $9.01 to $9.90 per share.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market

The P/E ratio of Merck & Co., Inc. is 13.94, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 282.56.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector

The P/E ratio of Merck & Co., Inc. is 13.94, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Medical sector average P/E ratio of about 77.02.

Price to Earnings Growth Ratio

Merck & Co., Inc. has a PEG Ratio of 0.81. PEG Ratios below 1 indicate that a company could be undervalued.

Price to Book Value per Share Ratio

Merck & Co., Inc. has a P/B Ratio of 4.94. P/B Ratios above 3 indicate that a company could be overvalued with respect to its assets and liabilities.

Short Interest

• Score: 3.0 / 5
• Short Interest Level: Healthy

Percentage of Shares Shorted

1.11% 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 2.1, 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 16.28%, indicating that investor sentiment is decreasing significantly.

Dividend

• Score: 5.0 / 5
• Dividend Strength: Strong

Dividend Leadership

Merck & Co., Inc. is a leading dividend payer. It pays a dividend yield of 4.12%, putting its dividend yield in the top 25% of dividend-paying stocks.

Dividend Growth

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

Dividend Coverage

The dividend payout ratio of Merck & Co., Inc. is 49.92%. 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 32.73% next year. This indicates that Merck & Co., Inc. will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Sustainability and ESG

• Score: 4.2 / 5
• Environmental Score: -2.49

Percentage of Shares Shorted

1.11% 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 2.1, 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 16.28%, indicating that investor sentiment is decreasing significantly.

News and Social Media

• Score: 4.2 / 5
• News Sentiment: 1.50

News Sentiment

Merck & Co., Inc. has a news sentiment score of 1.50. 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 0.87 average news sentiment score of Medical companies.

News Coverage This Week

MarketBeat has tracked 82 news articles for Merck & Co., Inc. this week, compared to 69 articles on an average week.

Search Interest

211 people have searched for MRK on MarketBeat in the last 30 days. This is an increase of 154% compared to the previous 30 days.

MarketBeat Follows

58 people have added Merck & Co., Inc. to their MarketBeat watchlist in the last 30 days. This is an increase of 152% compared to the previous 30 days.

Company Ownership

• Score: 1.7 / 5
• Insider Trading: N/A

Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling

In the past three months, Merck & Co., Inc. insiders have not sold or bought any company stock.

Percentage Held by Insiders

Only 0.09% 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.

MRK Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

How have MRK shares performed this year?

Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock was trading at $99.48 at the beginning of 2025. Since then, MRK stock has decreased by 11.7% and is now trading at $87.8080.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July, 29th. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.10. The business earned $15.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.92 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 41.05% and a net margin of 25.79%.
Read the conference call transcript.

Is Merck & Co., Inc. buying back stock?

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 shares, according to EventVestor. This means that the company could buy up to 4.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

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 Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services.

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

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: 6/16/2025
• Ex-Dividend for 7/8 Dividend: 6/16/2025
• Dividend Payable: 7/08/2025
• Last Earnings: 7/29/2025
• Record date for 10/7 Dividend: 9/15/2025
• Ex-Dividend for 10/7 Dividend: 9/15/2025
• Today: 10/01/2025
• Dividend Payable: 10/07/2025
• Next Earnings (Estimated): 10/30/2025
• Fiscal Year End: 12/31/2025

Industry, Sector and Symbol

• Stock Exchange: NYSE
• Sector: Medical
• Industry: Large Cap Pharma
• Sub-Industry: Pharmaceuticals
• Current Symbol: NYSE:MRK
• CIK: 310158
• Web: www.merck.com
• Phone: (908) 740-4000
• Fax: 908-735-1253
• Employees: 75,000
• Year Founded: 1891

Price Target and Rating

• Average Price Target for Merck & Co., Inc.: $106.41
• High Price Target: $140.00
• Low Price Target: $84.00
• Potential Upside/Downside: +26.7%
• Consensus Rating: Hold
• Rating Score (0-4): 2.33
• Research Coverage: 21 Analysts

Profitability

• EPS (Trailing Twelve Months): $6.49
• Trailing P/E Ratio: 12.94
• Forward P/E Ratio: 9.32
• P/E Growth: 0.81
• Net Income: $17.12 billion
• Net Margins: 25.79%
• Pretax Margin: 30.12%
• Return on Equity: 41.05%
• Return on Assets: 16.55%

Debt

• Debt-to-Equity Ratio: 0.69
• Current Ratio: 1.42
• Quick Ratio: 1.17

Sales & Book Value

• Annual Sales: $63.62 billion
• Price / Sales: 3.30
• Cash Flow: $10.12 per share
• Price / Cash Flow: 8.30
• Book Value: $18.33 per share
• Price / Book: 4.58

Miscellaneous

• Outstanding Shares: 2,497,783,000
• Free Float: 2,495,535,000
• Market Cap: $209.71 billion
• Optionable: Optionable
• Beta: 0.37