NYSE · MRK
Healthcare · Drug Manufacturers - General
$146.87
Down-$0.39 (-0.27%)
Updated Sep 20, 2026, 8:13 AM
SID Score
8.3/10
Composite research score
Smart Money
55/100
Neutral
Price performance
1M range · 19 trading sessions · Daily adjusted prices
MRK closed at $146.87 after 19 trading sessions, down 2.52% for the selected period.
| Date | Open | High | Low | Close | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 2026 | $147.08 | $147.84 | $145.74 | $146.87 | 31.16M |
| Sep 17, 2026 | $145.74 | $147.65 | $145.323 | $147.15 | 11.06M |
| Sep 16, 2026 | $143.96 | $144.97 | $143.50 | $144.91 | 7.23M |
| Sep 15, 2026 | $143.85 | $144.15 | $142.32 | $143.79 | 8.29M |
| Sep 14, 2026 | $146.42 | $147.09 | $144.10 | $144.85 | 7.41M |
| Sep 11, 2026 | $145.52 | $145.90 | $143.68 | $143.93 | 8.68M |
| Sep 10, 2026 | $147.94 | $148.00 | $144.10 | $144.71 | 7.54M |
| Sep 9, 2026 | $148.96 | $149.41 | $147.18 | $147.53 | 8.55M |
| Sep 8, 2026 | $148.41 | $149.60 | $146.281 | $148.46 | 11.19M |
| Sep 4, 2026 | $150.83 | $152.22 | $150.085 | $150.33 | 4.4M |
| Sep 3, 2026 | $152.80 | $152.80 | $148.90 | $152.34 | 6.5M |
| Sep 2, 2026 | $151.50 | $152.69 | $149.97 | $151.64 | 8.97M |
| Sep 1, 2026 | $150.23 | $151.6776 | $148.55 | $149.86 | 9.87M |
| Aug 31, 2026 | $147.00 | $148.689 | $145.95 | $147.76 | 11.13M |
| Aug 28, 2026 | $146.72 | $149.0078 | $145.75 | $148.35 | 8.07M |
| Aug 27, 2026 | $149.53 | $152.08 | $149.02 | $149.54 | 8.53M |
| Aug 26, 2026 | $154.35 | $155.19 | $152.6109 | $153.10 | 8.63M |
| Aug 25, 2026 | $151.00 | $156.9199 | $150.66 | $156.45 | 14.01M |
| Aug 24, 2026 | $150.72 | $151.52 | $149.14 | $150.66 | 15.03M |
The latest Smart Investors Daily articles mentioning MRK.
MRK research
Company profile and research snapshot.
Merck makes pharmaceutical products to treat several conditions in a number of therapeutic areas, including cardiometabolic disease, cancer, and infections. Within cancer, the firm's immuno-oncology platform, led by Keytruda, is a major contributor to overall sales. The company also has a substantial vaccine business aimed at preventing pediatric diseases, as well as Gardasil for human papillomavirus. Additionally, Merck sells animal health-related drugs. From a geographical perspective, 47% of the company's sales are generated from US human health (pharmaceuticals and vaccines).
Visit company websiteConsensus and target data currently published for this company.
| Date | Firm | Rating | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 10, 2026 | HSBC | Buy | — |
| Sep 9, 2026 | Leerink Partners | Outperform | — |
| Sep 8, 2026 | Guggenheim | Buy | — |
| Sep 4, 2026 | Wells Fargo | Overweight | — |
| Aug 25, 2026 | Wolfe Research | Outperform | — |
No generated briefing is available yet.
Yahoo · Sep 19, 2026
Both Amgen and Merck write quarterly checks and raise them every year, but only one has the portfolio depth to keep growing that payout through the next brutal round of patent expirations. The answer may surprise investors who have been watching Merck's blockbuster momentum.
SeekingAlpha · Sep 19, 2026
Data center construction spending increased nearly 60% YoY in July 2026 to surpass a $75 billion annualized pace as AI translates into a major U.S. construction cycle. Read more here.
Yahoo · Sep 18, 2026
Merck (NYSE:MRK) received a positive opinion from the EMA’s CHMP for KEYTRUDA plus Padcev in muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The CHMP backed the combination as perioperative therapy for adults with resectable muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the European Union. If endorsed by the European Commission, the regimen would be the first PD-1 inhibitor plus antibody-drug conjugate option for this setting in Europe. The CHMP verdict on KEYTRUDA plus Padcev is only one piece of the wider Merck story...
Yahoo · Sep 18, 2026
Pfizer has raised its dividend every year for over a decade, then something changed. Before you count on that 6% yield, find out what the payout's own behavior is quietly signaling about the company's financial confidence.
Interpretive context generated from the platform’s current data sources.
Merck & Co. shares closed at $146.76, reflecting a daily decline of 2.49% per SID market data. Despite the near-term pullback, the stock has demonstrated strong momentum over longer horizons, gaining 28.98% over the trailing three months and 46.43% over the past year. The current price sits well above both key moving averages, trading 6.45% above the 50-day moving average of $137.87 and 19.64% above the 200-day moving average of $122.66, according to SID market data. The 14-day RSI reads 46.1, placing the stock in neutral territory and suggesting neither overbought nor oversold conditions. Merck's beta of 0.299 indicates significantly lower volatility relative to the broader market. Average daily trading volume stands at approximately 13.4 million shares, supporting adequate liquidity. The company's market capitalization is approximately $248.8 billion, reinforcing its position as a mega-cap healthcare name.
Merck & Co. trades at a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 12.99, positioning it at a discount to the broader S&P 500 average, according to SID market data. The PEG ratio stands at 0.79, falling below the commonly referenced fair-value threshold of 1.0, which indicates the stock's earnings growth rate may not yet be fully reflected in its current valuation. The price-to-book ratio registers at 4.77, consistent with large-cap pharmaceutical peers that carry significant intangible asset bases including patents and goodwill from acquisitions. Merck's dividend yield of 3.27% provides an above-average income component relative to the healthcare sector median, per SEC filings and SID market data. Within the healthcare sector, these valuation metrics collectively suggest Merck is priced conservatively on an earnings basis while offering meaningful shareholder returns through its dividend program, supported by the company's established cash flow generation capabilities.
Merck & Co. carries a composite smart money score of 55 out of 100, reflecting a neutral overall signal according to SID market data. Institutional positioning is the strongest component, scoring a perfect 25 out of 25, indicating robust ownership and accumulation by major fund managers per 13F institutional filings. Congressional trading activity scored 12 out of 25, suggesting moderate legislative interest. Dark pool activity registered 8.5 out of 25, pointing to below-average off-exchange block trading. The insider component scored 9 out of 25, driven by a notable imbalance between purchases and dispositions. SEC Form 4 filings reveal 20 insider transactions over the most recent 90-day period, comprising 4 purchases and 16 sales. The four-to-one sell-to-buy ratio among corporate insiders contrasts sharply with the maximum institutional confidence score. This divergence between insider selling patterns and institutional accumulation creates a mixed directional signal that warrants monitoring in upcoming filing periods for any shift in trend.
Merck & Co.'s most recent reported quarter showed a loss of $1.28 per share, which nonetheless exceeded analyst estimates of a loss of $1.48, resulting in a positive earnings surprise of $0.20 per company earnings reports. The prior quarter reported a loss of $0.13 per share against a consensus estimate of $0.23, representing a negative surprise of $0.36. The upcoming quarters carry consensus estimates of a loss of $1.01 and earnings of $0.30, respectively, per analyst estimates. The negative EPS figures in recent and upcoming periods likely reflect significant charges related to acquisition-related costs or research and development expenses common in the pharmaceutical industry. Despite the reported per-share losses, Merck's trailing P/E ratio of 12.99 indicates underlying profitability on an adjusted basis. Investors will focus on the next reporting date scheduled for July 28 for further clarity on the earnings trajectory.
Wall Street consensus on Merck & Co. remains uniformly bullish, with all five most recent analyst actions reiterating positive ratings, according to Wall Street analyst reports. On September 10, HSBC maintained its Buy rating, while Leerink Partners reaffirmed Outperform on September 9. Guggenheim reiterated Buy on September 8, and Wells Fargo maintained its Overweight rating on September 4, per SID consensus data. Wolfe Research also sustained its Outperform call on August 25. Notably, none of the five most recent ratings represent upgrades or downgrades; each firm held its prior positive stance unchanged, reflecting sustained conviction rather than reactionary adjustments. The absence of any Hold, Underweight, or Sell ratings among recent coverage updates indicates broad agreement among institutional research desks. With the stock trading at a P/E of 12.99 and a PEG ratio of 0.79, analysts appear to view the current valuation as supportive of further upside relative to Merck's growth and pipeline fundamentals.
The latest Smart Investors Daily articles mentioning MRK.
