Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK) is -3.25% lower on its value in year-to-date trading and has touched a low of $77.65 and a high of $115.49 in the current 52-week trading range. The question becomes, what are the chances the stock will make a comeback and enjoy potential growth. Why not look at analysts view on what the future holds for the stock. The MRK stock was last observed hovering at around $107.63 in the last trading session, with the day’s loss setting it -0.29% off its average median price target of $123.00 for the next 12 months. It is also 20.49% off the consensus price target high of $135.00 offered by 24 analysts, but current levels are -11.81% lower than the price target low of $96.00 for the same period.
Currently trading at $107.34, the stock is -0.83% and -1.12% below its SMA20 and SMA50 respectively. However, with a daily trading volume of 9.42 million and changing -0.27% at the moment leaves the stock 9.32% off its SMA200. MRK registered 36.50% gain for a year compared to 6-month gain of 23.45%.
From Robots to Self-Driving Cars: 5 AI Stocks to Consider for Your Portfolio
The artificial intelligence (AI) revolution is already here and it's about to change everything we know about everything. With the global market for AI projected to grow from $137 billion in 2022 to over $1.81 trillion by 2030, there's never been a better time to invest in this burgeoning industry. That's why we've compiled a list of the Top 5 AI Stocks to Buy for 2023. These companies are at the forefront of the AI revolution, and have the potential to deliver huge returns to investors like you.
Get our free report, "Top 5 AI Stocks to Buy for 2023".
Sponsored
The stock witnessed a -1.29% loss in the last 1 month and extending the period to 3 months gives it a -3.22%, and is -0.24% down over the last 5 days. If we measure the stock’s price variations over the week and the month, we find that the volatility rates stand at 3.11% over the week and 2.20% over the month.
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) has around 69000 employees, a market worth around $272.26B and $59.28B in sales. Current P/E ratio is 18.79 and Fwd P/E is 12.48. Profit margin for the company is 24.50%. Distance from 52-week low is 38.24% and -7.06% from its 52-week high. The company has generated returns on investments over the last 12 months (20.90%).
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) Analyst Forecasts
Analyst recommendations provided by FactSet shows that the consensus forecast for Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) is a “Overweight”. 24 analysts offering their recommendations for the stock have an average rating of 1.90, where 6 rate it as a Hold and 3 think it is a “Overweight”. 14 of the analysts rate the stock as a “Buy”. 0 analysts have rated the stock as a Sell or Underperform.
Merck & Co. Inc. is expected to release its quarterly report on 04/27/2023.The EPS is expected to grow by 17.40% this year
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) Top Institutional Holders
The shares outstanding are 2.54B, and float is at 2.53B with Short Float at 0.81%.
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) Insider Activity
A total of 88 insider transactions have happened at Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) in the last six months, with sales accounting for 47 and purchases happening 41 times. The most recent transaction is an insider sale by Romanelli Joseph, the company’s President, Human Health Int?l. SEC filings show that Romanelli Joseph sold 5,000 shares of the company’s common stock on Feb 15 at a price of $108.22 per share for a total of $0.54 million. Following the sale, the insider now owns 20284.0 shares.
Merck & Co. Inc. disclosed in a document filed with the SEC on Feb 13 that MIZELL STEVEN (EVP, Chief HR Officer) sold a total of 1,815 shares of the company’s common stock. The trade occurred on Feb 13 and was made at $109.10 per share for $0.2 million. Following the transaction, the insider now directly holds 33085.0 shares of the MRK stock.
Still, SEC filings show that on Feb 09, MIZELL STEVEN (EVP, Chief HR Officer) disposed off 5,000 shares at an average price of $107.00 for $0.54 million. The insider now directly holds 34,900 shares of Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK).
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK): Who are the competitors?
The company’s main competitors (and peers) include Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) that is trading -12.55% down over the past 12 months and Pfizer Inc. (PFE) that is -22.68% lower over the same period.
