Merck(US:MRK) ZACKS·2025-12-24 23:46Company Performance - Merck (MRK) closed at $106.45, reflecting a +1.34% change from the previous day, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 0.32% [1] - The stock has decreased by 0.59% over the past month, underperforming the Medical sector's increase of 1.67% and the S&P 500's rise of 4.7% [1] Upcoming Earnings - Merck's upcoming EPS is projected at $2.08, indicating a 20.93% increase compared to the same quarter last year [2] - Revenue is expected to reach $16.18 billion, representing a 3.56% increase from the year-ago quarter [2] Full Year Projections - For the full year, earnings are projected at $8.98 per share and revenue at $64.81 billion, reflecting increases of +17.39% and +1% respectively from the prior year [3] - Recent analyst estimate revisions suggest positive sentiment towards Merck's business operations and profit generation capabilities [3] Valuation Metrics - Merck's Forward P/E ratio stands at 11.7, which is below the industry average of 14.45, indicating a discount relative to its peers [6] - The company has a PEG ratio of 1, compared to the Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry's average PEG ratio of 1.64 [7] Industry Context - The Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry, part of the Medical sector, has a Zacks Industry Rank of 161, placing it in the bottom 35% of over 250 industries [8] - The Zacks Industry Rank measures the strength of industry groups based on the average Zacks Rank of individual stocks, with higher-ranked industries outperforming lower-ranked ones [8]