Merck could lose up to $630 million in Gardasil revenue this year now that the U.S. no longer recommends three doses of the HPV shot in the childhood vaccine schedule, according to Jefferies analysts. ...

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK), based in Rahway, New Jersey, is a healthcare company. Valued at $264.2 billion by market cap, the company delivers health solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, animal health, and consumer care products, which it markets directly and through its joint ventures. The pharmaceutical giant is expected to announce its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings for 2025 before the market opens on Tuesday, Feb. 3. Ahead of the event, analysts expect MRK to repor ...

High-rolling investors have positioned themselves bullish on Merck & Co (NYSE:MRK), and it's important for retail traders to take note.\This activity came to our attention today through Benzinga's tracking of publicly available options data. The identities of these investors are uncertain, but such a significant move in MRK often signals that someone has privileged information.Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 9 options trades for Merck & Co. This is not a typical pattern.The sentiment among these m ...

Core Insights - Significant investors have adopted a bearish stance on Merck & Co, with 53% of trades being bearish and 46% bullish [1] - The predicted price range for Merck & Co over the last three months is between $90.0 and $110.0 [2] Options Trading Activity - A total of 13 trades were detected for Merck & Co, with 6 puts amounting to $623,040 and 7 calls totaling $278,124 [1] - Noteworthy options activity includes several bearish trades, with significant put options at strike prices of $90.00, $95.00, and $105.00, indicating a bearish sentiment among traders [7] Market Position and Analyst Ratings - Merck & Co's current market position is supported by expert opinions, with an average target price of $119.4 from 5 analysts [9] - Analysts from various firms have differing ratings, with Morgan Stanley maintaining an Equal-Weight rating at $102, while BMO Capital upgraded to Outperform with a target of $130 [10] Company Overview - Merck & Co specializes in pharmaceutical products across various therapeutic areas, including cancer and cardiometabolic diseases, with Keytruda being a major sales contributor [8] - The company generates 47% of its sales from the US human health sector, which includes pharmaceuticals and vaccines [8] Trading Metrics - The trading volume for Merck & Co stands at 7,080,902, with the stock price at $104.99, reflecting a 0.26% increase [12] - The upcoming earnings announcement is expected in 42 days, indicating a potential catalyst for stock movement [12]

We recently published 8 Stocks on Jim Cramer’s Radar.  Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer's radars. Pharma giant Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)’s shares are up by 1.9% year-to-date on the back of a strong run since early November. Before the run started, the stock was down 16.8% year-to-date on the back of several factors. The year started out with Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) battling with China-specific headwinds that saw it halt its Gardasil HPV vaccine shipments in the count ...

Core Viewpoint - The pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Merck have underperformed in 2023, facing financial challenges and upcoming patent cliffs, leading to uncertainty in their medium-term outlooks. The article compares both companies to determine which presents a better investment opportunity heading into the new year. Pfizer - Pfizer's Eliquis, a leading blood thinner, is approaching patent expiration, which could exacerbate its already slow revenue and earnings growth [3] - The company has expanded its pipeline through internal efforts, acquisitions, and licensing deals, launching new products that are expected to impact financial results positively in the future [4] - Notable pipeline candidates include MET-097i, a promising weight loss drug with fewer side effects and a long-acting dosing schedule, and PF-4404, a cancer therapy that could become a standard treatment for certain cancers [5][7] - Pfizer is also implementing cost-cutting measures and has secured a deal with the White House to be exempt from tariffs for three years, which may help improve its margins and bottom line [8] Merck - Merck's sales from its HPV vaccines, Gardasil and Gardasil 9, have declined due to lower sales in China, and its best-selling cancer drug Keytruda faces a patent cliff by 2028 [9] - The company has introduced a new subcutaneous version of Keytruda, which offers a more convenient administration method and is expected to mitigate sales losses from biosimilars [10] - Merck's pipeline includes successful products like Winrevair for pulmonary arterial hypertension and Capvaxive, a pneumonia vaccine, both of which are expected to generate significant revenue [12][13] - An acquisition that adds CD388 to its pipeline could potentially transform the influenza vaccine market, indicating strong future prospects for Merck [13] Investment Comparison - Both Pfizer and Merck are considered viable long-term investment options, but Merck is viewed as the stronger choice due to better financial results and a more developed plan to address challenges [14][16] - Merck's higher profit margins and faster dividend growth over the past decade make it more attractive for dividend-seeking investors, despite Pfizer's higher forward dividend yield [17]

Key Takeaways MRK faces major headwinds as Keytruda, its top revenue driver, nears the loss of exclusivity in 2028.Declining Gardasil sales due to weak China demand and lower vaccine uptake in Japan ail MRK.MRK is counting on Capvaxive, Winrevair and strategic cost savings to help counter patent/pricing headwinds.Merck (MRK) is expected to face some notable headwinds over the next few years that could affect its long-term growth outlook, the most significant being the upcoming loss of exclusivity (“LOE”) fo ...

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is included among the 12 Best Dogs of the Dow to Invest in. BofA Turns More Positive on Merck (MRK) Pipeline Photo by Dan Dennis on Unsplash On December 15, BofA raised its price target on Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) to $120 from $105 and kept a Buy rating. The analyst said the stock is starting to look more appealing as the pipeline has “rounded out,” and noted that the firm is now basing its valuation on a new FY27 EPS estimate. That optimism comes against a mixed backd ...

Each company has a bullish case, but three stand out as great long-term buys.The Dow Jones, formally known as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), is one of the U.S. stock market's three main indexes, alongside the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite. It tracks 30 of the largest American companies on the market, aiming to give insight into the health of the U.S. stock market.Since the Dow Jones typically tracks large, mature companies, those companies generally pay a dividend. The only exceptions are Amazon, w ...

Core Insights - Merck's stock has shown sustained bullish momentum, trading above its 50-day and 200-day simple moving averages since early November [2][8] - The company announced a $9.2 billion acquisition of Cidara Therapeutics, which will enhance its antiviral pipeline [4] - Keytruda remains a significant revenue driver, accounting for over 50% of pharmaceutical sales, with sales reaching $23.3 billion in the first nine months of 2025, an 8% year-over-year increase [6][31] Pipeline and Strategic Developments - Merck's phase III pipeline has nearly tripled since 2021, positioning the company to launch around 20 new vaccines and drugs in the coming years [12] - The acquisition of Verona for $10 billion added Ohtuvayre, a novel treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which has multibillion-dollar commercial potential [15] - Merck is also developing a personalized mRNA therapeutic cancer vaccine in collaboration with Moderna, which is currently in pivotal phase III studies [9] Challenges and Concerns - Sales of the Gardasil vaccine have declined by 40% in the first nine months of 2025, primarily due to weak demand in China [16] - Keytruda is set to lose exclusivity in 2028, raising concerns about Merck's reliance on this drug and its ability to diversify its product lineup [19][20] - Competitive pressures are increasing, particularly from dual PD-1/VEGF inhibitors that may challenge Keytruda's market position [20][21] Financial Performance and Valuation - Merck's shares have underperformed the industry and the S&P 500, losing 0.5% year-to-date compared to a 14.1% increase for the industry [22] - The company's price/earnings ratio stands at 11.21, lower than the industry average of 16.68, indicating potential attractiveness from a valuation perspective [26] - Earnings estimates for 2025 have slightly increased, while those for 2026 have declined, reflecting mixed market sentiment [29]