Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Expected to Release Quarterly Earnings on Thursday

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) will likely be posting its Q3 2026 results before the market opens on Thursday, October 29th. Analysts expect Merck & Co., Inc. to announce earnings of $2.09 per share and revenue of $17.31 billion for the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Parties are encouraged to explore the company’s upcoming Q3 2026 earnings report page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 9:00 AM ET.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. The firm’s revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.13 EPS. On average, analysts expect Merck & Co., Inc. to post $2.64 EPS for the current fiscal year and $9.26 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 0.9%

MRK stock opened at $141.83 on Wednesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $82.01 and a one year high of $156.92. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $146.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $126.16.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Moderna’s personalized melanoma vaccine reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 42% when added to Keytruda in a Phase 3 trial. The result supports Merck’s strategy of using new therapies to help extend Keytruda’s commercial franchise, although the benefit was below some investor expectations. Merck and Moderna’s Cancer Vaccine Worked—Who Gets Paid?
• Positive Sentiment: Merck reported promising Phase 3 results for sacituzumab tirumotecan, which reduced the risk of death by 32% and disease progression or death by 41% versus chemotherapy in certain advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer patients. The data could expand Merck’s oncology pipeline, with an FDA decision expected by June 2027. Sacituzumab Tirumotecan Phase 3 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its MRK price target from $150 to $180 and maintained an “overweight” rating, citing potential from Merck’s oncology pipeline and vaccine partnership. Barclays Stock Recommendations
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on Merck’s Q3 results, particularly Keytruda sales, Winrevair growth, full-year guidance and management’s plans to commercialize the melanoma vaccine. Keytruda remains a major growth engine, but the company’s shares sit below their 50-day moving average ahead of the report. Is Merck Stock a Buy, Sell or Hold Ahead of Q3 Earnings?
• Negative Sentiment: Despite strong Keytruda and newer-drug sales, analysts are lowering estimates amid Gardasil weakness and concerns about Keytruda’s patent expiry in December 2028. The personalized vaccine may help retain patients, but its potential revenue would be modest relative to Keytruda’s franchise.
• Negative Sentiment: The melanoma vaccine’s 42% recurrence-risk reduction was below the roughly 49% result from its earlier trial, tempering enthusiasm. Merck’s shares were relatively resilient compared with Moderna because the program’s potential earnings contribution is less material to Merck.
• Negative Sentiment: New U.S. restrictions on certain China biotechnology collaborations could limit Merck’s access to potential drug candidates and research partnerships, adding longer-term pipeline and sourcing uncertainty. What Do New China Biotech Curbs Mean For Merck Stock?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on MRK shares. Wolfe Research increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Leerink Partners lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $161.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Zacks Research lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, October 19th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 3rd. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $153.12.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 11,699 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total value of $1,539,939.37. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 110,167 shares in the company, valued at $14,501,282.21. This trade represents a 9.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $1,350,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 36,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,942,755. This represents a 21.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines, vaccines and animal-health products. Its pharmaceutical business focuses on oncology, infectious diseases, cardiology, immunology and other areas of significant medical need. The company serves patients, healthcare providers and institutions in markets worldwide.

Merck’s principal products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat a range of cancers; Gardasil and Gardasil 9, vaccines that help protect against human papillomavirus; and Januvia and Janumet, medicines used to manage type 2 diabetes.