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MRK Stock Forecast: Merck & Co., Inc. Price Predictions for 2026-2027

Last close, 11 Sept 2026
$144
−0.54% on the day

The 28 Wall Street analysts covering Merck & Co., Inc. hold a median 12-month price target of $153 — +6.0% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 82 of 100 as at 12 Sept 2026 — inside the top quartile. Here, the model and the Street point the same way.

Market cap
$355.1B
Ticker Nerd rank
82 / 100
Median analyst target
$153
Analysts covering
28
Revenue$16.6B+5.1% y/y
Operating income−$433.0M
Net income−$1.3B
Free cash flow$4.5B
Quarterly, 8 quarters to 30 June 2026 · latest quarter's figure shown
Total return, dividends reinvested
1W
−5.5%
1M
+10.4%
YTD
+38.7%
1Y
+74.6%
From 52W high
−8.0%
From 52W low
+89.8%
$76
$156
52-week range, adjusted closes · the dot is the last close
Ticker Nerd rank

MRK stock analysis: one number for the whole business

Consensus tells you what everyone already believes. The model scores Merck & Co., Inc. on its factor families — the same systematic rank behind the Ticker Nerd portfolio.

Where the model ranks itAs at 12 Sept 2026
82 / 100

Percentile across ~4,600 US stocks on Ticker Nerd’s systematic factor model. Higher is better. How the model is built and tested

Volatility
100
Value
99
Quality
99
Momentum
87
Accruals
72
Revisions
61
Issuance
42
Growth
38
Size
1

Volatility (100): The share price has been relatively steady.

Growth (38): Sales and profits are flat, shrinking, or growing more slowly than they were.

Size (1): Larger than most of the companies we track — more scrutinised, less often mispriced.

Built and run by Aslam Ghouse, an ex-Goldman Sachs quant trader with fourteen years in markets.

Wall Street

MRK stock forecast 2026-2027: analyst price targets & predictions

The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on MRK, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.

Share price and the analyst range, 12 monthsAdjusted close, US dollars
$60$80$100$120$140$160$180$200Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26MRKHigh $186Median $153Low $105

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Data provided by Twelve Data

What Wall Street says28 analysts
20 Buy8 Hold0 Sell
Low $105Median $153High $186

The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +6.0% from it.

Recent analyst actionsNewest first

Of the 20 most recent actions, 12 moved their price target up and 0 moved it down.

DateFirmActionRatingTarget
10 Sept 2026HSBCMaintainsBuy$150 → $172
9 Sept 2026Leerink PartnersMaintainsOutperform$127 → $161
8 Sept 2026GuggenheimMaintainsBuy$146 → $170
4 Sept 2026Wells FargoMaintainsOverweight$150 → $170
25 Aug 2026Argus ResearchMaintainsBuy$145 → $170
25 Aug 2026Argus ResearchMaintainsBuy—
25 Aug 2026Wolfe ResearchMaintainsOutperform$155 → $180
25 Aug 2026Wolfe ResearchMaintainsOutperform—
21 Aug 2026Goldman SachsMaintainsBuy$140 → $160
21 Aug 2026Goldman SachsMaintainsBuy—
20 Aug 2026BMO CapitalMaintainsOutperform—
20 Aug 2026BMO CapitalMaintainsOutperform$142 → $170
20 Aug 2026Morgan StanleyUpgradeOverweight—
20 Aug 2026Morgan StanleyUpgradeOverweight$116 → $179
20 Aug 2026RBC CapitalDowngradeSector Perform—
20 Aug 2026RBC CapitalDowngradeSector Perform$142 → $150
20 Aug 2026UBSMaintainsBuy—
20 Aug 2026UBSMaintainsBuy$145 → $175
12 Aug 2026Daiwa CapitalUpgradeOutperform$120 → $143
12 Aug 2026Daiwa CapitalUpgradeOutperform—

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Market Radar

This page is one stock. Monday covers all of them.

Computed off the Friday close and sent before the US open.

Market Radar reports the week’s largest rank changes across roughly 4,600 US stocks, the factor behind each one, and where the market went. MRK appears on the weeks it earns a place.

Free, every Monday. Unsubscribe any time.

Performance

MRK vs the S&P 500

Both lines are total return — dividends reinvested — so the comparison is honest on both sides.

Over the twelve months to 11 Sept 2026, Merck & Co., Inc. returned +74.6% against +17.5% for the S&P 500, dividends included.

MRK vs S&P 500, last 12 monthsTotal return, rebased to 100
80100120140160180200Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26MRKS&P 500

Download this chart as an image — free to reuse; link this page as the source.

Data provided by Twelve Data

Estimates

MRK analyst estimate revisions

Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.

Which way the estimates are movingNext fiscal year
EPS revision, 90 days
+0.4%
Analysts raising
11
Analysts cutting
4
Fundamentals

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) financial data

A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.

Valuation
Trailing P/E
115.1×

Cheaper than 6% of US stocks

Price / sales
5.3×

Cheaper than 23% of US stocks

Price / book
8.5×

Cheaper than 11% of US stocks

EV / EBITDA
13.9×

Cheaper than 25% of US stocks

Growth & margins
Revenue growth (YoY)
5.1%

Higher than 39% of US stocks

Earnings growth (YoY)
5.1%

Higher than 42% of US stocks

Gross margin
73.5%

Higher than 86% of US stocks

Operating margin
−0.2%

Higher than 32% of US stocks

Net margin
4.8%

Higher than 59% of US stocks

Returns & dividend
Return on equity
7.0%

Higher than 57% of US stocks

Return on assets
11.9%

Higher than 95% of US stocks

Dividend yield
2.4%

Higher than 52% of US dividend payers

Bars mark the percentile across the ~4,600 US stocks Ticker Nerd covers, among those reporting the figure.

Key statistics

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) statistics: revenue, profit & scale

The headline figures, each with its date. Every row carries its own link — cite it straight from here.

  • Merck & Co., Inc. has a market value of $355.1B and an enterprise value of $401.9B.

  • Revenue in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $66.6B. The latest quarter grew 5.1% year on year.

  • Net income over the same four quarters: $3.2B, a 4.8% net margin.

  • Diluted earnings per share, trailing twelve months: $1.25.

  • Free cash flow in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $16.1B, after $3.9B of capital spending.

  • Merck & Co., Inc. spent $4.2B on share buybacks and $8.3B on dividends in the twelve months to 30 June 2026.

  • Shares outstanding: 2.5B.

  • Trailing P/E: 115.1×; forward P/E: 15.1× — the forward figure prices analyst consensus estimates, not reported earnings.

  • Forward dividend yield: 2.36%, paying out 269% of earnings.

  • Merck & Co., Inc. employs 73,000 people — $912K of revenue per employee.

Statement figures: company filings via Twelve Data, four quarters to 30 June 2026 · market figures as at 12 Sept 2026

Data provided by Twelve Data

Peers

MRK vs competitors

The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.

Its peer group, ranked by the same modelDrug Manufacturers - General
CompanyMarket capTKN rank
MRKMerck & Co., Inc.$355.1B
82
ABBVAbbVie, Inc.$454.3B
96
AMGNAmgen, Inc.$203.4B
90
JNJJohnson & Johnson$640.0B
91
GILDGilead Sciences, Inc.$178.4B
93
PFEPfizer Inc.$157.6B
78
BMYBristol Myers Squibb Co.$129.6B
99

Look up any of the roughly 4,600 stocks we score.

The rank is the raw material. Whether the rules would actually own Merck & Co., Inc. — and when they’d sell — is the membership. See the Ticker Nerd 20 →

News

Latest MRK news & analysis

REVOLUTIONIZING HEALTHCARE: Tempus partners with Merck on AI-driven precision medicine

Fox Business · 12 Sept 2026positive

Tempus CEO Eric Lefkofsky discussed the company's artificial intelligence-driven precision medicine partnership with Merck in an interview on Fox Business's "The Claman Countdown." The partnership focuses on using AI and clinical data to advance precision medicine and patient care.

Why it matters — This highlights Merck's collaboration with an AI-driven health technology company, signaling its engagement in data- and technology-based approaches to precision medicine.

MRK Banks on Growing Pipeline & New Drugs to Offset Keytruda LOE

Zacks Investment Research · 11 Sept 2026positive

Merck is expanding its pipeline and newer drug portfolio to offset the anticipated 2028 loss of exclusivity for Keytruda and support long-term growth, according to Zacks Investment Research.

Why it matters — MRK watchers would care because Keytruda's 2028 loss of exclusivity is a major upcoming revenue risk, and the company's pipeline and newer drug expansion is its stated strategy to address it.

Congresswoman Bets on Elon Musk, Warren Buffett: Here's the Latest Stock Transactions

Benzinga · 10 Sept 2026neutral

A Benzinga article highlights recent stock transactions by a member of Congress, noting bets connected to Elon Musk and Warren Buffett. Retail investors often track congressional trading activity for insights.

Why it matters — For an MRK watcher, congressional trading activity can signal sectors or companies gaining attention, though this item does not mention Merck specifically.

Merck (MRK) Dips More Than Broader Market: What You Should Know

Zacks Investment Research · 10 Sept 2026negative

In the most recent trading session, Merck (MRK) closed at $144.71, representing a -1.91% change from the previous trading day, with the stock declining more than the broader market. The stock's performance dipped relative to the wider market in that session.

Why it matters — MRK watchers would note the stock's underperformance against the broader market in a single trading session as a relevant near-term data point for the company's share price movement.

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know

Zacks Investment Research · 10 Sept 2026neutral

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) has been among the stocks most frequently viewed by Zacks.com users recently. The article examines the factors that may lie ahead for the company as investor attention grows.

Why it matters — Increased investor attention and visibility on MRK may draw new interest in how the company's outlook and performance could develop.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about MRK stock

What is the MRK stock price forecast for 2026-2027?

The 28 Wall Street analysts covering Merck & Co., Inc. have a median 12-month price target of $153, with estimates ranging from $105 to $186. These are third-party analyst estimates, not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Is MRK stock a buy right now?

Of the 28 analysts covering Merck & Co., Inc., 20 rate it a Buy, 8 a Hold and 0 a Sell. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model ranks Merck & Co., Inc. 82 out of 100 across roughly 4,600 US stocks as at 12 Sept 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.

How does Ticker Nerd's model rank MRK?

As at 12 Sept 2026, Merck & Co., Inc. ranks 82 out of 100 on Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model — a percentile across roughly 4,600 US stocks, built from its factor families. Its strongest factor family is Volatility (100 of 100).

Will MRK stock go up?

No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 28 analysts implies +6.0% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks Merck & Co., Inc. 82 out of 100 as at 12 Sept 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.

What is the MRK stock forecast for 2030?

No analyst covering Merck & Co., Inc. publishes a 2030 price target — Wall Street targets run 12 to 18 months out. Sites quoting a 2030 price for MRK are extrapolating price history, which says nothing about the business. The furthest attributed numbers are the current analyst targets: $105 to $186 over the next 12 months.

How has MRK stock performed over the past year?

Merck & Co., Inc. returned +74.6% over the 12 months to 11 Sept 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.

What does Merck & Co., Inc. do?

Merck & Co., Inc. is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, manufacturing, and commercializing medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and animal health products.

What is the latest news on MRK?

The most recent item we track (Fox Business, 12 Sept 2026): "REVOLUTIONIZING HEALTHCARE: Tempus partners with Merck on AI-driven precision medicine". Tempus CEO Eric Lefkofsky discussed the company's artificial intelligence-driven precision medicine partnership with Merck in an interview on Fox Business's "The Claman Countdown." The partnership focuses on using AI and clinical data to advance precision medicine and patient care.

Company

About Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co., Inc. is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, manufacturing, and commercializing medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and animal health products. The company’s pharmaceutical business serves areas such as oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, cardiometabolic conditions, neuroscience, and hospital care, while its vaccine portfolio supports preventive care across pediatric, adolescent, and adult populations. Merck & Co., Inc. also operates an animal health segment that provides veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions for livestock and companion animals. Its products are distributed through healthcare providers, wholesalers, pharmacies, hospitals, veterinarians, and government channels, giving the company a broad role across human and animal health markets. Headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey, Merck & Co., Inc. is recognized for its research-intensive model and its presence in essential therapeutic and preventive care categories worldwide.

CEO Mr. Robert M. Davis J.D. · 73,000 employees · United States · https://www.merck.com