Analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports. The firm set an “outperform” rating and a $142.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 14.42% from the company’s previous close.
Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Wolfe Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price objective for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Bank of America increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $125.88.
Get Our Latest Analysis on Merck & Co., Inc.
Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 45.22% and a net margin of 28.08%.The company’s revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.72 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.
In related news, 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 68,916 shares in the company, valued at $8,211,341.40. This trade represents a 63.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.41, for a total transaction of $1,184,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 70,615 shares in the company, valued at $8,361,522.15. This represents a 12.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 over the last quarter. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MRK. Chesapeake Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,552,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. now owns 15,535 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,635,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Syverson Strege & Co grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Syverson Strege & Co now owns 4,142 shares of the company’s stock valued at $436,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company’s stock valued at $331,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Valued Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 26.9% during the 4th quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 444 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
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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