Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) – Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank lifted their FY2027 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, June 25th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the company will post earnings per share of $9.67 for the year, up from their prior estimate of $9.66. The consensus estimate for Merck & Co., Inc.’s current full-year earnings is $5.18 per share.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS.
View Our Latest Stock Report on MRK
Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance
Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $128.41 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $116.54 and its 200 day simple moving average is $114.88. The stock has a market cap of $317.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.17, a P/E/G ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $76.66 and a 12-month high of $130.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Merck & Co., Inc.
Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, High Note Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.
Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 95.77%.
Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.
Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target on Merck to $141 from $130 and reiterated a buy rating, while Scotiabank lifted its target to $155 from $136 with a sector outperform view, signaling stronger Wall Street confidence in the stock’s upside. Bank of America and Scotiabank raise Merck price targets
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts also highlighted Merck’s lung cancer drug pipeline, saying an upcoming phase 3 readout for OptiTrop-Lung06 could improve the commercial outlook for SAC-TMT and boost future sales potential. Merck’s Lung Cancer Drug Seen Boosting Sales Potential, BofA Says
- Positive Sentiment: Merck announced an agreement with the ADAP Crisis Task Force to improve access to HIV treatment through state programs, which may modestly support sentiment around its infectious-disease franchise. Merck Announces New Agreement with ADAP Crisis Task Force
- Neutral Sentiment: Broader healthcare stocks were softer late Tuesday, which may have added some pressure even as Merck continued to attract company-specific buying interest. Sector Update: Healthcare Stocks Softer Late Afternoon
- Negative Sentiment: Merck is also facing a bipartisan U.S. House investigation into whether clinical trials conducted in China, including at military-linked hospitals and in Xinjiang, raised national security or data-protection concerns, which could weigh on sentiment if the probe escalates. Merck (MRK) Faces U.S. Security Probe Over China Clinical Trials
About Merck & Co., Inc.
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.
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