Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Citigroup Analyst Says

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) had its price objective hoisted by stock analysts at Citigroup from $110.00 to $115.00 in a report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. Citigroup’s price target suggests a potential upside of 7.54% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on MRK. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $110.00 to $111.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. Scotiabank boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded 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 note on Thursday, January 8th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $114.53.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

MRK opened at $106.94 on Tuesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $73.31 and a 1 year high of $112.90. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $104.69 and its 200 day simple moving average is $91.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $265.42 billion, a PE ratio of 14.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 1.66.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by ($0.14). Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 29.63% and a return on equity of 44.54%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total value of $720,044.26. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 24,578 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,054,475.02. The trade was a 25.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Merck & Co., Inc.

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. DLD Asset Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,889,340,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth about $2,858,570,000. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.5% in the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 27,032,601 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,139,901,000 after acquiring an additional 5,135,748 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 35.5% in the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 19,456,096 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,540,145,000 after acquiring an additional 5,094,088 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.4% during the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 53,865,466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,263,991,000 after purchasing an additional 4,636,183 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s multi-month rally: MERK has climbed ~41% over the past six months as profits have bumped up and investor confidence returned, providing a positive backdrop for the stock. What’s Fueling The Rally In Merck Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend boost: Merck declared a $0.85 quarterly dividend (annualized yield ~3.2%), with an ex‑dividend/record date in mid‑March and payment in April — supports income investors and can underpin the share price. Merck Announces Second-Quarter 2026 Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst target lift: Citigroup raised its price target to $115 (still a “neutral” rating), signaling modest upside in analyst models and helping sentiment. Benzinga report on Citigroup
• Positive Sentiment: Broker interest: Recent coverage pieces note that sell‑side recommendations are encouraging investors to revisit MRK, which can drive buying momentum when multiple brokers are constructive. Brokers Suggest Investing in Merck (MRK)
• Neutral Sentiment: Product/portfolio watch: Investors are shifting attention beyond Keytruda to new non‑oncology launches (Capvaxive, Winrevair) and Animal Health sales — these could drive future growth but are still early-stage drivers. Merck’s Non-Oncology Drugs Q4 Performance
• Neutral Sentiment: Quality vs. visibility: TD Cowen (covered in recent media) praises Merck’s quality but flags that growth visibility matters — a cautious note that tempers bullish narratives. Merck’s quality is clear, but growth visibility matters
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings uncertainty: Wall Street previews suggest Merck may lack the right setup for an earnings beat next week, and recent quarterly results showed an EPS miss — a near‑term headwind that likely explains downward pressure on the stock. Merck (MRK) Earnings Expected to Grow

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.