FY2027 EPS Forecast for Merck & Co., Inc. Boosted by Analyst

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) – Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank boosted their FY2027 EPS estimates for shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, May 12th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $9.66 for the year, up from their prior estimate of $9.62. The consensus estimate for Merck & Co., Inc.’s current full-year earnings is $5.16 per share.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, March 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $113.21 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.31 and a fifty-two week high of $125.14. The business has a 50-day moving average of $116.18 and a two-hundred day moving average of $109.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $279.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Merck & Co., Inc.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 254,322,763 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,770,014,000 after purchasing an additional 2,185,853 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 120,040,168 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,737,504,000 after purchasing an additional 1,859,990 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.8% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,435,458 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,098,196,000 after buying an additional 11,156,354 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 60,047,984 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,307,572,000 after buying an additional 249,110 shares during the period. Finally, DLD Asset Management LP lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% during the 3rd quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,986,675,000 after buying an additional 11,000,000 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

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.