Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Price Target Raised to $130.00 at UBS Group

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) had its target price raised by equities researchers at UBS Group from $105.00 to $130.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. UBS Group’s price objective points to a potential upside of 19.77% from the company’s previous close.

MRK has been the subject of several other reports. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $82.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Bank of America increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $90.00 to $125.00 in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $111.69.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.3%

MRK stock traded down $0.33 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $108.54. 10,265,783 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 12,513,105. The firm has a market capitalization of $269.40 billion, a PE ratio of 14.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.44. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $98.18 and its 200-day moving average price is $88.48. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $73.31 and a 52-week high of $111.46.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $720,044.26. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 24,578 shares in the company, valued at $2,054,475.02. This trade represents a 25.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

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

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MRK. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,808,000 after buying an additional 8,710 shares during the last quarter. Fred Alger Management LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 378.5% during the 1st quarter. Fred Alger Management LLC now owns 45,450 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,115,000 after buying an additional 35,952 shares during the last quarter. MBB Public Markets I LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 1st quarter worth approximately $285,000. SCS Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $2,213,000. Finally, Bayforest Capital Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 617.0% in the 1st quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 3,076 shares of the company’s stock valued at $276,000 after acquiring an additional 2,647 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck initiated the Phase 3 KANDLELIT‑007 trial evaluating calderasib (MK‑1084) in combination with KEYTRUDA for first‑line KRAS G12C‑mutant advanced NSCLC — a successful Phase 3 would broaden oncology indications and support future top‑line growth. KANDLELIT-007 Trial Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Merck is completing its acquisition of Cidara Therapeutics — adds antifungal and antibody assets that could diversify revenue and support medium‑term growth if integration and regulatory paths proceed smoothly. Cidara Acquisition
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck set its Q4 and full‑year 2025 sales & earnings conference call for Feb. 3 — investors will watch guidance, KEYTRUDA sales detail, and pipeline updates for catalysts. Earnings Call Notice
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate/PR items: Merck Foundation CEO Dr. Rasha Kelej was named among the “100 Most Influential Africans” (brand/reputation boost but unlikely to move stock materially). Merck Foundation Recognition
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry hires: Vaxxas named former Merck global vaccines president David Peacock as CEO — signals movement of experienced vaccine talent out of big pharma into vaccine tech startups; not a direct revenue issue for MRK but worth watching for competitive dynamics. Vaxxas CEO Appointment
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/coverage notes: Zacks and other outlets published pieces on healthcare/medical stock picks — general analyst attention can lift stocks but these pieces did not single out MRK as a clear immediate catalyst. Zacks Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. public‑health changes: reports that the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule was cut to 11 core shots raise a potential headwind for routine vaccine volumes — could pressure Merck’s vaccine revenue if the change persists or reduces demand. Vaccine Schedule Article
• Negative Sentiment: Recent earnings miss: Merck reported Q3/Q4-related EPS below consensus in its last release (missed consensus by ~$0.14 on the most recent quarter), which can weigh on sentiment ahead of the Feb. 3 results. See previews and expectations ahead of Q4. Q4 Earnings Preview

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.