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

$128.87 +2.09 (+1.65%)

Closing price 03:59 PM Eastern

Extended Trading

$128.25 -0.62 (-0.48%)

As of 07:58 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

$131.83
2.30% Upside

According to the 20 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Merck & Co., Inc., the average price target is $131.83. 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 2.30% from the current price of $128.87.

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 7/7/25 to 7/7/26	1 Month Ago 6/7/25 to 6/7/26	3 Months Ago 4/8/25 to 4/8/26	1 Year Ago 7/7/24 to 7/7/25
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	$131.83	$128.18	$127.59	$109.19
Forecasted Upside	2.30% Upside	5.89% Upside	3.52% Upside	34.98% 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	2.30	2.52
Consensus Rating	Moderate Buy	Hold	Moderate Buy
Predicted Upside	2.59% Upside	751.84% Upside	13.30% 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

Export

Date	Brokerage	Analyst	Action	Rating	Price Target	Report Date Upside/Downside
7/6/2026	Cantor Fitzgerald 5 of 5 stars	Carter Gould 4 of 5 stars	Reiterated Rating	Neutral	$120.00	-7.22%
6/30/2026	Bank of America 4 of 5 stars	Tim Anderson Not Rated	Boost Target	Buy	$130.00 ➝ $141.00	+9.87%
6/30/2026	Scotiabank 4 of 5 stars	Louise Chen 5 of 5 stars	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%
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%
5/1/2026	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	Lower Target	Overweight	$150.00 ➝ $145.00	+28.16%
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%
4/6/2026	JPMorgan Chase & Co. Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Chris Schott Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Overweight	$125.00 ➝ $135.00	+11.82%
3/30/2026	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	+21.00%
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.
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%
2/6/2026	Guggenheim Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Vamil Divan Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Buy	$122.00 ➝ $140.00	+15.14%
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%
12/18/2025	BMO Capital Markets Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Evan David Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Upgrade	Market Perform ➝ Outperform	$82.00 ➝ $130.00	+31.07%
12/12/2025	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	$100.00 ➝ $102.00	+2.47%
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 Tuesday at 08:38 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 Tuesday, July 7, 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 has demonstrated strong financial performance with a return on equity of over 27%, indicating effective management and profitability.
The company recently reported quarterly revenue exceeding expectations, showcasing its ability to generate sales growth in a competitive market.
Merck's annualized dividend yield is approximately 2.6%, providing a steady income stream for investors through its quarterly dividend payments.
With a projected earnings per share (EPS) of around 5.19 for the current fiscal year, Merck shows potential for continued profitability and growth.
The current stock price is around $100, reflecting a stable investment opportunity in the biopharmaceutical sector.

Merck & Co., Inc.
Bear Case

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

Merck's dividend payout ratio is quite high at nearly 96%, which may raise concerns about the sustainability of its dividend payments in the long term.
The biopharmaceutical industry is highly competitive, and Merck faces significant pressure from other companies developing similar therapies and vaccines.
Market volatility can impact stock prices, and recent fluctuations may pose risks for investors looking for stability.
Regulatory challenges and potential delays in drug approvals can affect Merck's product pipeline and future revenue streams.
Investors may be cautious due to the uncertainty surrounding the healthcare sector, particularly in light of changing policies and market dynamics.

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 $131.83, with a high forecast of $155.00 and a low forecast of $90.00.

20 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, 12 buy ratings and 1 strong buy rating for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" MRK shares.

According to analysts, Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock has a predicted upside of 2.30% 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, Cantor Fitzgerald, CICC Research, Citigroup, Scotiabank, UBS Group, 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 7/7/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.

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

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

Consensus Rating

Consensus Price Target

MRK Analyst Ratings Over Time

MRK Analyst Recommendations By Month

MRK Price Targets by Month

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

Recent Analyst Forecasts and Stock Ratings

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

Merck & Co., Inc.
Bull Case

Merck & Co., Inc.
Bear Case

MRK Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

Stock Forecasts and Research Tools

Today's Analyst Ratings

Top-Rated Stocks

More Ratings Tools

Brokerages With Merck & Co., Inc. Recommendations

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Stock Ideas and Recommendations

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

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

Consensus Rating

Consensus Price Target

MRK Analyst Ratings Over Time

MRK Analyst Recommendations By Month

MRK Price Targets by Month

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

Recent Analyst Forecasts and Stock Ratings

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Bull Case

Merck & Co., Inc. Bear Case

MRK Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

What is Merck & Co., Inc.'s forecast for 2026?

Should I buy or sell Merck & Co., Inc. stock right now?

Does Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock price have much upside?

Has Merck & Co., Inc. been downgraded by Wall Street analysts recently?

What analysts cover Merck & Co., Inc.?

Do Wall Street analysts like Merck & Co., Inc. more than its competitors?

Stock Forecasts and Research Tools

Today's Analyst Ratings

Top-Rated Stocks

More Ratings Tools

Brokerages With Merck & Co., Inc. Recommendations

MarketBeat All Access Features

Best-in-Class Portfolio Monitoring

Stock Ideas and Recommendations

Advanced Stock Screeners and Research Tools

Merck & Co., Inc.
Bull Case

Merck & Co., Inc.
Bear Case