Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

by · The Cerbat Gem

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, February 13th. Barclays began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Friday, February 20th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, March 30th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $128.18.

Get Our Latest Research Report on Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $111.36 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $116.00 and its 200-day moving average is $109.36. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $74.37 and a 12 month high of $125.14. The firm has a market cap of $275.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Abound Financial LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, High Note Wealth LLC grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

(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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