Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Stock Rated Strong-Buy in New Coverage at Argus

Analysts at Argus initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) in a research report issued on Tuesday, Zacks reports. The brokerage set a “strong-buy” rating on the stock.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $179.00 to $177.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, October 19th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Berenberg Bank lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, September 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $155.74.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $150.19 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.32. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $82.91 and a 52 week high of $156.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $370.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 154.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.57 and a beta of 0.13. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $146.57 and a 200-day moving average of $127.26.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $2.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.40. The business had revenue of $18.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.33 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.56% and a net margin of 3.64%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.58 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 45,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,073,631.14. This trade represents a 63.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total value of $1,350,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 36,613 shares in the company, valued at $4,942,755. This represents a 21.45% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 135,635 shares of company stock valued at $18,011,040 in the last 90 days. 0.17% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Merck & Co., Inc.

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.2% during the third quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 23,427 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,404,000 after purchasing an additional 1,154 shares during the period. Csenge Advisory Group grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.3% in the third quarter. Csenge Advisory Group now owns 14,478 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,104,000 after purchasing an additional 467 shares during the last quarter. D.B. Root & Company LLC grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.9% in the third quarter. D.B. Root & Company LLC now owns 3,667 shares of the company’s stock worth $533,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. D Orazio & Associates Inc. increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 8.8% in the third quarter. D Orazio & Associates Inc. now owns 4,408 shares of the company’s stock valued at $641,000 after purchasing an additional 358 shares during the period. Finally, Fingerlakes Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at $227,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street’s broad advance provided a supportive backdrop for stocks, including healthcare shares; this looks like a market-wide tailwind rather than a Merck-specific catalyst. Stocks Surged Across the Board Today, and Biotech Brought Its Own Earnings Story
• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target on Merck, while Freedom Broker reportedly forecast further appreciation, signaling supportive analyst sentiment. Cantor Fitzgerald Price Target Bump Freedom Broker Forecast
• Positive Sentiment: The FDA granted emergency-use authorization for a Merck treatment for screwworm in dogs, offering a potential near-term opportunity in animal health. Merck gets US FDA emergency use nod for treatment of screwworm in dogs
• Positive Sentiment: Merck began enrolling patients in a Phase 3 study of Ohtuvayre to assess whether it can prevent COPD exacerbations. The trial expands the drug’s potential, though results are not yet available. Merck Initiates Phase 3 Study of Ohtuvayre
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s pipeline is cited as a possible growth driver, but the company’s looming patent cliff remains a significant longer-term risk to growth. Merck’s Pipeline Could Be Its Next Big Growth Driver
• Negative Sentiment: DZ Bank cut its rating from Buy to Hold, setting a $153 price target that suggests limited upside from the price cited in the report. DZ Bank rating update

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.