Citigroup Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Stock

by · The Cerbat Gem

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by research analysts at Citigroup from $95.00 to $110.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. Citigroup’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 0.94% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research firms have also issued reports on MRK. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $110.00 to $111.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, December 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $111.06.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on MRK

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE:MRK traded up $0.11 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $108.98. 9,457,537 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 12,328,789. The stock has a market capitalization of $270.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.29. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $98.18 and a 200-day simple moving average of $88.48. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $111.46.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by ($0.14). Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.54% and a net margin of 29.63%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total value of $720,044.26. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 24,578 shares in the company, valued at $2,054,475.02. This represents a 25.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.4% in the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 53,865,466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,263,991,000 after purchasing an additional 4,636,183 shares in the last quarter. DLD Asset Management LP grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% in the 3rd quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,986,675,000 after buying an additional 11,000,000 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth approximately $2,858,570,000. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.5% during the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 27,032,601 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,139,901,000 after acquiring an additional 5,135,748 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% in the second quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 25,013,697 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,980,084,000 after acquiring an additional 567,900 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

  • Positive Sentiment: Merck initiated the Phase 3 KANDLELIT‑007 trial evaluating calderasib (MK‑1084) in combination with KEYTRUDA for first‑line KRAS G12C‑mutant advanced NSCLC — a successful Phase 3 would broaden oncology indications and support future top‑line growth. KANDLELIT-007 Trial Announcement
  • Positive Sentiment: Merck is completing its acquisition of Cidara Therapeutics — adds antifungal and antibody assets that could diversify revenue and support medium‑term growth if integration and regulatory paths proceed smoothly. Cidara Acquisition
  • Neutral Sentiment: Merck set its Q4 and full‑year 2025 sales & earnings conference call for Feb. 3 — investors will watch guidance, KEYTRUDA sales detail, and pipeline updates for catalysts. Earnings Call Notice
  • Neutral Sentiment: Corporate/PR items: Merck Foundation CEO Dr. Rasha Kelej was named among the “100 Most Influential Africans” (brand/reputation boost but unlikely to move stock materially). Merck Foundation Recognition
  • Neutral Sentiment: Industry hires: Vaxxas named former Merck global vaccines president David Peacock as CEO — signals movement of experienced vaccine talent out of big pharma into vaccine tech startups; not a direct revenue issue for MRK but worth watching for competitive dynamics. Vaxxas CEO Appointment
  • Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/coverage notes: Zacks and other outlets published pieces on healthcare/medical stock picks — general analyst attention can lift stocks but these pieces did not single out MRK as a clear immediate catalyst. Zacks Coverage
  • Negative Sentiment: U.S. public‑health changes: reports that the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule was cut to 11 core shots raise a potential headwind for routine vaccine volumes — could pressure Merck’s vaccine revenue if the change persists or reduces demand. Vaccine Schedule Article
  • Negative Sentiment: Recent earnings miss: Merck reported Q3/Q4-related EPS below consensus in its last release (missed consensus by ~$0.14 on the most recent quarter), which can weigh on sentiment ahead of the Feb. 3 results. See previews and expectations ahead of Q4. Q4 Earnings Preview

About Merck & Co., Inc.

(Get Free Report)

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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