Brokerages Set Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Target Price at $128.47

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the nineteen analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $128.4706.

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, December 29th.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 3.1%

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $118.99 on Tuesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $73.31 and a 12 month high of $125.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $119.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $106.01. The firm has a market cap of $293.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.35, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.26.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 44.57%. The business had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.72 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th were given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.70%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total value of $2,437,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 80,615 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,825,356.20. This trade represents a 19.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total transaction of $14,485,422.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 68,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,211,341.40. This trade represents a 63.82% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% in the third quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Abound Financial LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% during the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 266 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: European Commission approves Merck’s ENFLONSIA (clesrovimab) for prevention of RSV lower respiratory tract disease in infants, giving Merck a new EU commercial opportunity in a pediatric respiratory market. European Commission Approves Merck’s ENFLONSIA
• Positive Sentiment: U.S. FDA grants Priority Review for ifinatamab deruxtecan (co-developed with Daiichi Sankyo) for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer — a potential first-in-class B7-H3 therapy that could materially expand Merck’s oncology franchise if approved. Merck’s Priority Review Cancer Drug Adds To Undervalued Growth Story
• Positive Sentiment: UBS raises its price target on MRK to $145 (from $130) and reiterates a Buy rating, signaling stronger analyst confidence that supports near-term upside and investor sentiment. UBS Raises Merck (MRK) Price Forecast as Part of Sector Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader healthcare sector strength is lifting MRK along with peers today, as the NYSE Health Care Index trades higher — a tailwind but not company-specific. Sector Update: Health Care Stocks Higher Friday Afternoon
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry write-ups and trade ideas (comparisons to Novartis, bullish options strategies) are increasing attention on MRK; these pieces can drive retail interest but are less likely to change fundamentals immediately. Better Pharma Dividend Stock: Novartis vs. Merck

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products. Its portfolio spans multiple therapeutic areas with a particular emphasis on oncology, vaccines and infectious disease, as well as therapies for metabolic and chronic conditions. Among its well-known products are the cancer immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil; the company also markets a range of medicines and vaccines for veterinary use through Merck Animal Health.

Founded in the late 19th century as the U.S.