Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Price Target Raised to $135.00

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) had its target price boosted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $125.00 to $135.00 in a research report report published on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the stock.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. 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 research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $127.59.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 3.3%

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $123.25 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $304.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.30. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.31 and a fifty-two week high of $125.14. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $118.54 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $104.06.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 44.57%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.72 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th were given a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is 46.70%.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total value of $14,485,422.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 68,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,211,341.40. This represents a 63.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total transaction of $2,437,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer directly owned 80,615 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,825,356.20. This trade represents a 19.88% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,808,000 after purchasing an additional 8,710 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,494 shares of the company’s stock worth $910,000 after purchasing an additional 3,941 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 129.1% in the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 667,804 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,863,000 after purchasing an additional 376,312 shares in the last quarter. Ossiam grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 193.4% during the second quarter. Ossiam now owns 256,080 shares of the company’s stock worth $20,271,000 after buying an additional 168,791 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Howard Hughes Medical Institute bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth about $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck launched a cash tender offer to buy Terns Pharmaceuticals, accelerating an acquisition that expands its oncology and hematology pipeline ahead of patent expiries for key products — a strategic move that can support future revenue. Merck Begins Tender Offer to Acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan and other analysts have raised price targets / reiterated Overweight views on MRK, signaling institutional confidence that Merck shares still have upside — a catalyst for buying interest. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s recent quarterly results beat estimates, revenue grew year-over-year and the company set FY2026 EPS guidance — underpinning valuation and investor confidence in near-term fundamentals. Strong Results Lifted Merck & Co (MRK) in Q4
• Positive Sentiment: Merck is highlighted among consistent dividend stocks, which can attract income-focused and defensive investors amid market uncertainty. Is Merck & Co. (MRK) One of the Best Consistent Dividend Stocks to Buy Right Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck lowered its offer price for Terns after reviewing trial data, a detail that changes deal economics and signals the firm is calibrating cost vs. risk — ambiguous for MRK shareholders (lower cash outlay vs. potential pipeline concerns). Merck Lowered Terns Pharmaceuticals Offer Price After Trial Data Review
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces are reassessing Merck’s valuation after strong price momentum; momentum supports higher multiples, but some analysts flag S&P 500 reweighting and valuation headwinds. Assessing Merck (MRK) Valuation After Strong Recent Share Price Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysis explains the Terns deal’s role in Merck’s pipeline and how it could affect S&P 500 valuation exposure — useful context but not an immediate share-mover. Merck’s (NYSE:MRK) Terns Deal And S&P 500 Valuation Impact Explained
• Negative Sentiment: Some intraday weakness was reported recently as the broader market improved — a reminder that short-term pullbacks can occur even with positive headlines. Merck (MRK) Stock Declines While Market Improves: Some Information for Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary questioning whether Merck is overbought warns of near-term valuation risk after a big run — a potential headwind for momentum traders. Is It Too Late to Buy Costco or Merck? Are These Defensive Stocks Overbought?

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

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.