What is Erste Group Bank’s Estimate for MRK FY2026 Earnings?

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) – Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank lowered their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Merck & Co., Inc. in a report issued on Wednesday, July 15th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $2.70 per share for the year, down from their prior estimate of $5.14. The consensus estimate for Merck & Co., Inc.’s current full-year earnings is $2.74 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for Merck & Co., Inc.’s FY2027 earnings at $9.52 EPS.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on MRK. UBS Group raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Guggenheim upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $133.94.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of MRK stock opened at $126.27 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $76.66 and a 1 year high of $131.74. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $120.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $117.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $311.86 billion, a PE ratio of 35.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.95 and a beta of 0.19.

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. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.22 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 95.77%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,808,000 after buying an additional 8,710 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,494 shares of the company’s stock valued at $910,000 after buying an additional 3,941 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 94.1% in the second quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 32,256 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,590,000 after buying an additional 15,636 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 22.2% during the 2nd quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 38,031 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,054,000 after acquiring an additional 6,897 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 111.7% during the 2nd quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 681,128 shares of the company’s stock valued at $53,918,000 after acquiring an additional 359,356 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Gilead announced that Phase 3 data from the investigational once-weekly oral HIV regimen combining islatravir and lenacapavir will be presented at AIDS 2026, with the primary endpoint showing maintained viral suppression in adults who switched therapies. The update highlights progress in a potentially important HIV program and could support long-term growth expectations. Article: Investigational Once-Weekly Oral HIV Treatment Regimen of Islatravir and Lenacapavir Maintained Virological Suppression in Adults With HIV Who Switched Antiretroviral Therapy
• Positive Sentiment: Phanes Therapeutics expanded its clinical trial collaboration with Merck to evaluate spevatamig with KEYTRUDA and chemotherapy in first-line biliary tract cancer. More combination-trial activity around KEYTRUDA reinforces Merck’s oncology franchise and keeps the company involved in additional mid- to long-term growth opportunities. Article: Phanes Therapeutics Announces Expansion of Clinical Trial Collaboration and Supply Agreement with Merck to Evaluate Spevatamig in Combination with KEYTRUDA® (Pembrolizumab) and Chemotherapy for Treatment of Biliary Tract Cancer
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst-focused coverage repeated the view that Wall Street’s bullish average rating suggests Merck is worth considering, but the article also questioned how reliable consensus broker recommendations are as a signal. This is more of a sentiment check than a new fundamental catalyst. Article: Is It Worth Investing in Merck (MRK) Based on Wall Street’s Bullish Views?
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent media commentary also noted that Merck had declined more than the broader market in the prior session and that one rating was lowered to Hold, but these items do not appear to reflect a major company-specific setback. Instead, they suggest some near-term caution after the recent move. Article: Merck (MRK) Declines More Than Market: Some Information for Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage from Barron’s focused on what comes after Keytruda, underscoring investor concern about Merck’s long-term dependence on its flagship cancer drug and the need for a future standard-of-care franchise. That narrative can weigh on valuation if investors worry about the post-Keytruda pipeline. Article: What Comes After Merck’s Keytruda? The Race for the Next Standard Cancer Treatment.

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.