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

$127.47 -0.16 (-0.12%)

Closing price 07/17/2026 03:59 PM Eastern

Extended Trading

$127.54 +0.07 (+0.06%)

As of 07/17/2026 08:00 PM Eastern

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Merck & Co., Inc. - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Moderate Buy

Based on 20 Analyst Ratings

Sell
0

Hold
7

Buy
13

Based on 20 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Merck & Co., Inc. in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." Out of the 20 analysts, 7 have given a hold rating, 12 have given a buy rating, and 1 has given a strong buy rating for MRK.

Consensus Price Target

$133.94
5.08% Upside

According to the 20 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Merck & Co., Inc., the average price target is $133.94. The highest price target for MRK is $155.00, while the lowest price target for MRK is $90.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 5.08% from the current price of $127.47.

MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.

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MRK Analyst Ratings Over Time

Type	Current Forecast 7/19/25 to 7/19/26	1 Month Ago 6/19/25 to 6/19/26	3 Months Ago 4/20/25 to 4/20/26	1 Year Ago 7/19/24 to 7/19/25
Strong Buy	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy	12 Buy rating(s)	11 Buy rating(s)	11 Buy rating(s)	6 Buy rating(s)
Hold	7 Hold rating(s)	7 Hold rating(s)	7 Hold rating(s)	11 Hold rating(s)
Sell	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Sell rating(s)	1 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target	$133.94	$128.18	$128.47	$108.69
Forecasted Upside	5.08% Upside	12.40% Upside	9.66% Upside	35.91% Upside
Consensus Rating	Moderate Buy	Moderate Buy	Moderate Buy	Hold

MRK Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.

MRK Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock vs. The Competition

Type	Merck & Co., Inc.	Medical Companies	Broader Market
Consensus Rating Score	2.70	2.29	2.52
Consensus Rating	Moderate Buy	Hold	Moderate Buy
Predicted Upside	5.08% Upside	877.81% Upside	14.09% Upside
News Sentiment Rating	Positive News See Recent MRK News	Positive News	Positive News

Recent Analyst Forecasts and Stock Ratings

Rating

Upside/Downside

Action

Time Frame

Start Date

End Date

Show

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Date	Brokerage	Analyst	Action	Rating	Price Target	Report Date Upside/Downside
7/13/2026	JPMorgan Chase & Co. 3 of 5 stars	Chris Schott 5 of 5 stars	Boost Target	Overweight	$135.00 ➝ $140.00	+13.12%
7/13/2026	BMO Capital Markets 3 of 5 stars	Evan David Seigerman 3 of 5 stars	Boost Target	Outperform	$135.00 ➝ $142.00	+14.78%
7/13/2026	Guggenheim 5 of 5 stars	Vamil Divan 5 of 5 stars	Boost Target	Buy	$140.00 ➝ $145.00	+17.20%
7/9/2026	Morgan Stanley Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Terence Flynn Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Equal Weight	$112.00 ➝ $113.00	-9.54%
7/8/2026	Royal Bank Of Canada Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Trung Huynh Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Reiterated Rating	Outperform	$142.00	+12.53%
7/8/2026	Wells Fargo & Company Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Mohit Bansal Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Overweight	$145.00 ➝ $150.00	+16.40%
7/6/2026	Cantor Fitzgerald Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Carter Gould Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Reiterated Rating	Neutral	$120.00	-7.22%
6/30/2026	Bank of America Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Tim Anderson Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Buy	$130.00 ➝ $141.00	+9.87%
6/30/2026	Scotiabank Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Louise Chen Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Sector Outperform	$136.00 ➝ $155.00	+22.02%
6/24/2026	CICC Research Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Initiated Coverage	Outperform	$138.00	+14.65%
Get the Latest News and Ratings for MRK and Related Stocks Enter your email address below to receive the latest news and analysts' ratings for Merck & Co., Inc. and its competitors with MarketBeat's FREE daily newsletter.
5/15/2026	Weiss Ratings Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Downgrade	Hold (C+) ➝ Hold (C)
5/6/2026	Citigroup Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Geoff Meacham Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Initiated Coverage	Neutral	$125.00	+9.91%
4/13/2026	UBS Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Michael Yee Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Buy	$130.00 ➝ $145.00	+20.64%
3/17/2026	Zacks Research Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Upgrade	Strong Sell ➝ Hold
2/20/2026	Barclays Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Emily Field Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Initiated Coverage	Overweight	$140.00	+14.91%
2/13/2026	Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	James Shin Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Upgrade	Hold ➝ Buy	$150.00	+25.78%
1/20/2026	TD Cowen Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Steve Scala Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Hold	$100.00 ➝ $120.00	+10.33%
1/8/2026	Wolfe Research Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Alexandria Hammond Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Upgrade	Peer Perform ➝ Outperform	$135.00	+24.40%
12/2/2025	The Goldman Sachs Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Terence Flynn Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Buy	$92.00 ➝ $120.00	+19.12%
9/17/2025	Berenberg Bank Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Luisa Hector Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Downgrade	Buy ➝ Hold	$100.00 ➝ $90.00	+11.02%
2/10/2025	TD Securities Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Downgrade	Buy ➝ Hold	$121.00 ➝ $100.00	+15.45%
1/13/2025	Leerink Partners Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Daina Graybosch Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Outperform	$136.00 ➝ $119.00	+19.31%
1/8/2025	Truist Financial Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Reiterated Rating	Buy ➝ Hold	$130.00 ➝ $110.00	+8.88%
12/4/2024	HSBC Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Upgrade	Hold ➝ Buy	$130.00	+27.65%
11/11/2024	Daiwa Securities Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Downgrade	Buy ➝ Neutral
10/17/2024	Sanford C. Bernstein Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Courtney Breen Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Initiated Coverage	Market Perform	$115.00	+4.14%
7/30/2024	Evercore Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	U. Raffat Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Upgrade	Strong-Buy

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Sunday at 06:58 AM ET.

Should I Buy Merck & Co., Inc. Stock? MRK Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Friday, July 17, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these Merck & Co., Inc. pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Merck & Co., Inc.
Bull Case

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Merck:

Merck recently reported earnings that exceeded expectations, with earnings per share (EPS) of ($1.28), surpassing the consensus estimate by $0.19. This indicates strong financial performance and potential for growth.
The company has a robust revenue stream, reporting $16.29 billion for the quarter, which is above the expected $15.85 billion. This growth in revenue suggests a solid market position and demand for its products.
Merck has set a positive guidance for FY 2026, projecting EPS between 5.040 and 5.160, indicating confidence in future profitability.
The current stock price is around $140, reflecting a strong market valuation and investor confidence in the company's future prospects.
Merck's dividend yield is approximately 2.7%, with a consistent annualized dividend of $3.40, which can provide a steady income stream for investors.

Merck & Co., Inc.
Bear Case

Investors should be bearish about investing in Merck for these reasons:

The company's dividend payout ratio is quite high at 95.77%, which may raise concerns about sustainability, especially if earnings fluctuate.
Despite recent positive earnings, Merck's EPS was significantly lower than the previous year's $2.22, indicating potential challenges in maintaining profitability.
Analysts have mixed ratings on the stock, with some maintaining a "neutral" rating, which may suggest uncertainty about future performance.
Market competition in the biopharmaceutical sector is intense, which could impact Merck's market share and pricing power.
Recent changes in institutional holdings indicate some volatility in investor sentiment, which could affect stock stability.

MRK Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 20 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Merck & Co., Inc. is $133.94, with a high forecast of $155.00 and a low forecast of $90.00.

20 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Merck & Co., Inc. in the last year. There are currently 7 hold ratings, 12 buy ratings and 1 strong buy rating for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" MRK shares.

According to analysts, Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock has a predicted upside of 5.08% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock had 1 downgrade by analysts.

Merck & Co., Inc. has been rated by research analysts at Bank of America, BMO Capital Markets, Cantor Fitzgerald, CICC Research, Citigroup, Guggenheim, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Morgan Stanley, Royal Bank Of Canada, Scotiabank, Weiss Ratings, and Wells Fargo & Company in the past 90 days.

Analysts like Merck & Co., Inc. more than other "medical" companies. The consensus rating for Merck & Co., Inc. is Moderate Buy while the average consensus rating for "medical" companies is Hold. Learn more on how MRK compares to other companies.

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This page (NYSE:MRK) was last updated on 7/19/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.

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