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

Merck & Co., Inc. logo
$79.19 +0.09 (+0.11%)
As of 03:58 PM Eastern

Merck & Co., Inc. - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2025)

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.

Consensus Rating

Sell
1
Hold
12
Buy
8

Based on 21 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Merck & Co., Inc. in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold." Out of the 21 analysts, 1 has given a sell rating, 12 have given a hold rating, 6 have given a buy rating, and 2 have given a strong buy rating for MRK.

Consensus Price Target

$109.19
37.88% Upside
According to the 21 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Merck & Co., Inc., the average price target is $109.19. The highest price target for MRK is $140.00, while the lowest price target for MRK is $84.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 37.88% from the current price of $79.19.
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MRK Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
6/30/24 to 6/30/25
1 Month Ago
5/31/24 to 5/31/25
3 Months Ago
4/1/24 to 4/1/25
1 Year Ago
7/1/23 to 6/30/24
Strong Buy
2 Strong Buy rating(s)
3 Strong Buy rating(s)
3 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
6 Buy rating(s)
6 Buy rating(s)
9 Buy rating(s)
8 Buy rating(s)
Hold
12 Hold rating(s)
12 Hold rating(s)
11 Hold rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
Sell
1 Sell rating(s)
1 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
1 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$109.19$109.19$117.12$133.00
Forecasted Upside37.88% Upside42.06% Upside34.50% Upside7.43% Upside
Consensus Rating
Hold
Moderate Buy
Moderate Buy
Moderate Buy

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.
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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.
Skip Chart and View Analyst Price Target HistorySkip Chart & View Price History Table

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

TypeMerck & Co., Inc.Medical CompaniesS&P 500
Consensus Rating Score
2.43
2.81
2.53
Consensus RatingHoldModerate BuyModerate Buy
Predicted Upside38.75% Upside8,848.60% Upside12.53% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent MRK News
Positive News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalyst NameActionRatingPrice TargetUpside/Downside on Report DateDetails
5/20/2025Cantor Fitzgerald
3 of 5 stars
C. Gould
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DowngradeOverweight ➝ Cautious
5/14/2025Citigroup
3 of 5 stars
Andrew Baum
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Reiterated RatingBuy ➝ Neutral$115.00 ➝ $84.00+9.63%
4/17/2025Guggenheim
2 of 5 stars
Vamil Divan
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Reiterated RatingBuy ➝ Buy$115.00 ➝ $115.00+47.26%
2/18/2025Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft
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James Shin
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DowngradeBuy ➝ Hold$128.00 ➝ $105.00+26.49%
2/10/2025TD Securities
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 DowngradeBuy ➝ Hold$121.00 ➝ $100.00+15.45%
2/10/2025TD Cowen
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S. Scala
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DowngradeBuy ➝ Hold$121.00 ➝ $100.00+14.60%
2/5/2025Bank of America
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Tim Anderson
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Lower TargetBuy ➝ Buy$118.00 ➝ $112.00+26.31%
2/5/2025BMO Capital Markets
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E. Seigerman
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Lower TargetMarket Perform ➝ Market Perform$105.00 ➝ $96.00+7.95%
2/5/2025Morgan Stanley
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Terence Flynn
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Lower TargetEqual Weight ➝ Equal Weight$113.00 ➝ $106.00+16.50%
1/13/2025Leerink Partners
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Daina Graybosch
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Lower TargetOutperform ➝ Outperform$136.00 ➝ $119.00+19.31%
1/8/2025UBS Group
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 Lower TargetBuy ➝ Buy$125.00 ➝ $120.00+21.14%
1/8/2025Truist Financial
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 Reiterated RatingBuy ➝ Hold$130.00 ➝ $110.00+8.88%
12/4/2024Hsbc Global Res
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R. Kumar
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UpgradeHold ➝ Strong-Buy
12/4/2024HSBC
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 UpgradeHold ➝ Buy$130.00+27.65%
11/15/2024Wolfe Research
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T. Anderson
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Initiated CoveragePeer Perform
11/11/2024Daiwa America
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N. Nakagiri
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DowngradeStrong-Buy ➝ Hold
11/11/2024Daiwa Capital Markets
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 DowngradeBuy ➝ Neutral
11/1/2024Wells Fargo & Company
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 Lower TargetEqual Weight ➝ Equal Weight$125.00 ➝ $110.00+7.78%
10/17/2024Sanford C. Bernstein
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C. Breen
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Initiated CoverageMarket Perform$115.00+4.14%
10/7/2024Barclays
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 Lower TargetOverweight ➝ Overweight$142.00 ➝ $140.00+28.83%
7/30/2024Evercore ISI
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U. Raffat
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UpgradeStrong-Buy
6/5/2024Argus
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J. Hellweg
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UpgradeStrong-Buy
4/8/2024Berenberg Bank
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 Boost TargetBuy ➝ Buy$140.00 ➝ $143.00+11.73%
3/11/2024Societe Generale
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 DowngradeHold ➝ Sell$104.00-15.33%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Monday at 05:54 PM 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 Thursday, June 26, 2025. Please send any questions or comments about these Merck & Co., Inc. pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Merck & Co., Inc.
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

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

  • The current stock price is around $78.94, which may present a buying opportunity for investors looking for value.
  • Merck recently reported earnings that exceeded analysts' expectations, indicating strong financial performance and potential for growth.
  • The company has a solid dividend yield of approximately 4.07%, providing a steady income stream for investors.
  • Merck's market capitalization is substantial, around $198 billion, reflecting its stability and established presence in the pharmaceutical industry.
  • Recent analyst ratings show a mix of hold and buy recommendations, suggesting confidence in the company's future performance.

Merck & Co., Inc.
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

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

  • The stock has experienced a decline from its twelve-month high of $133.43, which may indicate volatility and risk.
  • Merck's revenue showed a slight year-over-year decrease, which could raise concerns about its growth trajectory.
  • Analysts have adjusted price targets downward, reflecting a cautious outlook on the stock's future performance.
  • Insider selling activity has been noted, which may signal a lack of confidence among company executives regarding future stock performance.
  • The company has a relatively high debt-to-equity ratio, which could pose risks in terms of financial stability and flexibility.

MRK Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 21 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Merck & Co., Inc. is $109.19, with a high forecast of $140.00 and a low forecast of $84.00.

21 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Merck & Co., Inc. in the last year. There is currently 1 sell rating, 12 hold ratings, 6 buy ratings and 2 strong buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that investors should "hold" MRK shares. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in MRK, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.

According to analysts, Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock has a predicted upside of 37.88% 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 Cantor Fitzgerald, Citigroup, and Guggenheim in the past 90 days.

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


This page (NYSE:MRK) was last updated on 6/30/2025 by MarketBeat.com Staff
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