In July, Trump sent letters to leaders of 17 major drugmakers, urging them to offer so-called most-favored- nation prices to Medicaid and ensure new medicines launch at prices no higher than those in other wealthy countries. Five companies had previously struck deals with the administration to rein in prices - Pfizer, Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk and EMD Serono, the US division of Germany's Merck KGaA. The remaining three that have not announced deals are Regeneron , Johnson + Johnson, and AbbVie. I ...

Core Insights - Merck reported revenue of $17.28 billion for the quarter ended September 2025, reflecting a 3.7% increase year-over-year and a surprise of +1.24% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $17.06 billion [1] - Earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter was $2.58, compared to $1.57 in the same quarter last year, resulting in a surprise of +9.32% over the consensus estimate of $2.36 [1] Financial Performance - Hospital Acute Care sales for Bridion in the U.S. reached $392 million, exceeding the estimated $379.07 million, marking a +15.6% change year-over-year [4] - Oncology sales for Keytruda internationally were $3.26 billion, slightly below the estimated $3.33 billion, with a year-over-year increase of +11.4% [4] - Sales for Diabetes drug Janumet in the U.S. were $78 million, significantly surpassing the estimated $42.82 million, representing a +420% change year-over-year [4] - Alliance revenue for Lynparza in the U.S. was $184 million, exceeding the estimated $156.52 million, with a +14.3% year-over-year change [4] - Animal health sales totaled $1.62 billion, above the estimated $1.56 billion, reflecting an +8.6% change year-over-year [4] - Cardiovascular sales for Winrevair were $360 million, below the estimated $426.29 million [4] - Oncology sales for Keytruda were $8.14 billion, slightly below the estimated $8.4 billion, with a +9.6% year-over-year change [4] - Sales for Virology drug Lagevrio were $138 million, below the estimated $144.08 million, representing a -64% year-over-year change [4] - Sales for Gardasil vaccines were $1.75 billion, matching the average estimate, but reflecting a -24.2% year-over-year change [4] - Alliance revenue for Lenvima was $258 million, exceeding the estimated $242.44 million, with a +2.8% year-over-year change [4] Stock Performance - Merck's shares have returned -3.9% over the past month, contrasting with the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +3.6% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell), indicating potential underperformance relative to the broader market in the near term [3]

Core Insights - Merck reported $15.81 billion in revenue for Q2 2025, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 1.9% and an EPS of $2.13, down from $2.28 a year ago, with a slight revenue surprise of -0.02% against estimates [1] - The consensus EPS estimate was $2.01, resulting in an EPS surprise of +5.97% [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Merck's stock has returned +6.2% over the past month, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +3.6% [3] - The company holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), suggesting it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term [3] Sales Performance by Product - Keytruda (Oncology) U.S. sales reached $4.75 billion, exceeding the average estimate of $4.67 billion, with a year-over-year increase of +7.6% [4] - Keytruda (Oncology) International sales were $3.21 billion, surpassing the $3.16 billion estimate, marking a +12.2% year-over-year change [4] - Janumet (Diabetes) U.S. sales were $68 million, significantly above the $45.63 million estimate, reflecting a +300% year-over-year increase [4] - Lynparza (Oncology) U.S. alliance revenue was $174 million, exceeding the $140.82 million estimate, with a +13.7% year-over-year change [4] - Lynparza (Oncology) international alliance revenue reached $370 million, surpassing the $321.44 million estimate, representing a +16.7% year-over-year increase [4] - Winrevair (Cardiovascular) sales were $336 million, slightly below the $343.79 million estimate [4] - Lenvima (Oncology) alliance revenue was $265 million, exceeding the $244.01 million estimate, with a +6.4% year-over-year change [4] - Keytruda (Oncology) total sales were $7.96 billion, slightly above the $7.9 billion estimate, reflecting a +9.4% year-over-year change [4] - Animal health sales reached $1.65 billion, exceeding the $1.55 billion estimate, with an +11.1% year-over-year increase [4] - Gardasil (Vaccines) sales were $1.13 billion, below the $1.3 billion estimate, showing a -54.6% year-over-year decline [4] - Welireg (Oncology) sales were $162 million, exceeding the $154.16 million estimate [4] - Lagevrio (Virology) sales were $83 million, surpassing the $55.63 million estimate, but reflecting a -24.6% year-over-year decline [4]

Core Viewpoint - Merck's recent earnings report shows strong performance with adjusted earnings and revenue growth, but challenges in specific product sales, particularly Gardasil in China, may impact future guidance and stock performance [2][3][21]. Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings for Q4 2024 were $1.72 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.69, and significantly up from $0.03 in the same quarter last year [2]. - Revenues for Q4 2024 rose 7% year over year to $15.62 billion, driven by Keytruda and new products, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $15.56 billion [3]. - Full-year 2024 sales increased 7% to $64.2 billion, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $64.06 billion [18]. Segment Performance - The Pharmaceutical segment generated revenues of $14.04 billion, up 7% year over year, driven by oncology and cardiovascular drugs [4]. - Keytruda sales reached $7.84 billion, a 21% increase year over year, benefiting from strong demand in various cancer indications [5]. - The Animal Health segment reported revenues of $1.40 billion, up 9% year over year, driven by higher demand and pricing [14]. Product-Specific Insights - Sales of Gardasil vaccines fell 18% to $1.55 billion due to lower demand in China, leading to a temporary halt in shipments [7][9]. - Januvia/Janumet sales declined 36% year over year to $487 million, impacted by lower demand and pricing in the U.S. [12]. - New drug Winrevair generated $200 million in sales, reflecting strong uptake in the U.S. market [13]. Guidance and Future Outlook - For 2025, Merck expects revenues between $64.1 billion and $65.6 billion, representing 2% to 4% growth, but this guidance is below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $68.05 billion [20][21]. - The company anticipates a negative impact on sales from the temporary halt of Gardasil shipments in China and foreign exchange fluctuations [21][22]. - Adjusted earnings per share for 2025 are projected to be between $8.88 and $9.03, slightly below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $9.18 [25]. Market Position and Trends - Merck's stock has seen a 3.9% increase over the past month, outperforming the S&P 500, but recent estimates have trended downward, indicating potential challenges ahead [1][27]. - The company holds a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell), suggesting expectations of below-average returns in the near term [30].