Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Posted by Amy Steele on Feb 3rd, 2026

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 5.000-5.150 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 5.860. The company issued revenue guidance of $65.5 billion-$67.0 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $67.5 billion.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRK has been the topic of several analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $110.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Scotiabank lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Bank of America boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $114.53.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on MRK

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE MRK opened at $113.44 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $281.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.28. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $105.46 and a 200-day moving average price of $92.23. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $73.31 and a twelve month high of $113.89.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.08 by ($0.14). Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 29.63% and a return on equity of 44.54%. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 44.91%.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat on revenue and continued strong demand for Keytruda and newer portfolio additions, supporting near-term growth and cash flow. Merck tops quarterly estimates, posts modest 2026 guidance as generic competition looms
Neutral Sentiment: Company press release highlights full-year results and pipeline progress — positive for long-term fundamentals but does not remove near-term guidance uncertainty. Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA Announces Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Financial Results; Highlights Progress Advancing Broad, Diverse Pipeline
Negative Sentiment: Management’s 2026 sales and profit outlook came in below Wall Street estimates, citing outsized impact from upcoming patent expirations (notably Januvia) that will reduce revenue versus consensus. Merck forecasts 2026 sales below estimates on patent losses
Negative Sentiment: Company warns earnings growth will slow as it increases spending on acquisitions — this can weigh on near-term EPS even if it strengthens the long-term portfolio. Merck Expects Slower Earnings Growth As It Spends on Acquisitions
Neutral Sentiment: Analyst previews and market commentary ahead of the report framed expectations; sector momentum and macro data may amplify intraday moves but are secondary to Merck-specific guidance and patent timing. Merck Q4 2025 Earnings Preview

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MRK. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 21.3% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 10,658,099 shares of the company’s stock worth $851,369,000 after buying an additional 1,870,827 shares in the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.4% during the 2nd quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 3,632,893 shares of the company’s stock valued at $287,781,000 after buying an additional 511,604 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.9% during the 3rd quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 7,063,672 shares of the company’s stock valued at $592,854,000 after buying an additional 454,605 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 111.7% in the 2nd quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 681,128 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,918,000 after acquiring an additional 359,356 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 7.8% during the 3rd quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 4,767,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $400,100,000 after acquiring an additional 346,959 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.